In this article, I want to show you how to create carousels for Instagram but not just any kind of carousel – we will learn how to create a seamless carousel panorama for Instagram. It is the kind of carousel that when you swipe to see the next image. It looks like the carousel is stitched together.
You can follow this guide if you have a Canva free account or a Canva pro account. I will also show you an app different from Canva that we need to create these carousels.
So, let us go to our Canva ‘homepage’, but before creating this design, I suggest you take a paper and a pencil and start taking note of all the content you want to share in this carousel. It will help you understand how many pages you need to create for this carousel.
Table of Contents
Using custom dimensions in Canva
For this example, I will create a four-slide cursor, and to make everything easier, I will use a square format so because I already know that I want to have four pages, and every page needs to have the same size. I will use ‘1000 pixels per slide or per side’, so the width will be (1000*4) 4,000, and the height will be 1000 pixels.
Select ‘Custom Size,’ add dimensions, and click on ‘Create new design,’ and this will generate a very long format design.
Now, go to the “Files” tab and select ‘show rulers’ and ‘show guides.’ The guides are really important in this design because we need to understand where the slide is ending and where the other slide is.
I will create one guide by just clicking and dragging my mouse. Now, because each slide will be 1000 by 1000, I will try to situate this guide into 1000. Sometimes, it is difficult to put it into the exact number of pixels, but we do not need to put it in the exact pixel. Next one I will situate 2000 and the other one in 3000.
Now, it is easier for me to understand where to situate or position my elements and this design. As you imagine, I will create just one piece of the image, and then afterward, I will split it into four.
That is why I need lines to understand where the text is or where important information needs to be situated for it not to be cut in the middle and that people can read and understand all the messages you want to provide in each slide.
As you can see, we have our base ready; we are going to start designing.
So, I am going to start adding some elements to the page. The first element that I am going to search for is ‘line’ in the Elements tab. I will need to scroll down until I find the exact element that I need.
After searching a lot, the element I chose is the one u-shaped, or you can call it snake-shaped. I will make it big so that it is visible in the third and last slides. Then, I want to use this one and position it in a place where we can see it in the first and second slides. And then finally, let us add another one that will go in the first slide only. So, one has to play around it a bit to get that perfect position.
I am positioning these lines in very specific places because I want people to feel unity when scrolling in this character. So that is why I am positioning these lines in these specific places.
Now, I will start adding some elements to make this carousel even cooler. I want this design to be very eye-catching. You can achieve that by adding the right colors. So, let us use some cool colors for the background – I will use purple here.
And finally, let us add some different colors to the lines. I will use a pink color and instead of orange. I will use another purple instead of sky sky-blue. Hence you can customize the line according to your color choice. I will apply this same style to the other lines.
Now, it is time to add two photos. I have already uploaded these photos into Canva. As you can see, the photos that I will use in this design have a white silhouette. I have already shown you how you can add a silhouette to the previous topic.
Let us continue with this carousel. Now, I am going to apply a Filter to these images. This one is called ‘Streets,’ and I will copy the style onto this other image.
I like how these photos look with this black and white effect because it contrasts with the color in the background.
Now, we are just missing a couple of text boxes that we will position in each slide. So, I will do this quickly just to show you how it is done. I will use one font for the titles and another font for the text body or the little description that I will add to each slide. And, will also add a couple of images or icons that will make these slides or this carousel pop up.
The last thing that I want to show you is a website https://loremipsum.io, or you can google it ‘lorem ipsum.’ I will use this website right here because I want to use random text to describe these slides. I can position my description, but I do not have anything ready to write on these text boxes in this case. So I will use this lorem ipsum.
So now, I am going to teach you a little trick that I like to use sometimes, and it is to apply some text in the background to add a dimension to this design and something interesting.
I will just copy this title and paste the text right here. I will change the alignment to the left and also to the right. I will shrink this text box to see a part of the text on the second slide, on the third slide, and a little bit on the fourth slide.
And finally, I am going to position this text box to the ‘backward’ and add some of the Transparency just live I have shown in the image above.
The next step is to find an effect in which we have some texture into this design, but it is not interfering with the other elements in this design. So, I want people to read this text and see kind of something in the background.
We are going to add just one little element. You can leave your carousel just like this, but I want to use something that you can use only if you have a Canva pro account. So if you have it, you can use it; if you do not have a Canva pro account, just let it be like this, or use a free arrow.
So, let us head to the Photos tab, and I will type ‘arrow paper.’ It is an amazing element because it has a shadow, and it looks like real paper. It can add a different cool effect to this design.
I will shrink it to see a part of this arrow in the second and third slides.
Apps To Cut The Design
Now, it is time to teach you the app that we will use to cut this image for us to create our carousel into Instagram. So here we have this app called ‘PanoramaCrop for Instagram.’
This app will be available for android users. It is the one that I use, and it has been working well; that is why I am showing this up to you.
I know that many people are going to be asking, “Hey! But I have an iPhone. I cannot find this app in the apple store or Istore.” I have this app for you. This one is called ‘Unsquared for Instagram.’ I have not tried this app, but I know it is out there for iPhone users. It has 4.7 stars and 5,400 ratings.
How To Download The Carousel
So now, we have our carousel ready, we are going to download this as a png or a jpeg. In this case, I am going to download it as png. If you have a Canva pro account, I suggest you go 1.5 or 2 times the size because this will help your design have more definition.
Now, I am on the ‘PanoramaCrop’ app. We are going to select the first option that says ‘New Swipeable Post.’
Let us click here, and now I will have access to the images I have on my phone. I have added my carousel, and the app is already suggesting cutting this image into four. It is perfect because I have four slides.
Let us click here on this ‘check icon,’ and you will view how your carousel will look.
If we swipe to the left, you will see that we have this seamless panorama effect on this carousel.
The final step is to click on the check icon, and you will have these images in the gallery.
How to Upload A Carousel To Instagram
Open your Instagram and click on this circle-like icon and select all four. It will allow you the ability to include more than one image in your post. In addition, it will allow you to create a cursor, so you select your four images or all the images you selected for this carousel.
You will just click next and post your carousel to your Instagram. You can preview your carousel here before posting. If you want to change the order of your slides because you select the wrong order, you can just select one of the images and position it into the right order. Then, you are ready to publish this carousel.
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