Whether creating Reels or editing videos for YouTube, Canva is a great mobile app for stitching together footage on your smartphone. Today's article will show you the entire process of creating and editing videos with this tool. You can follow along if you have a free or paid subscription.
1. Use the correct template or size
To successfully create anything in Canva, you must have the right foundation. You can use templates if you want to add an artistic touch to your content. If you want to start from scratch, you can use custom dimensions instead.
If posting on a specific platform, you should check the size first. Canva will help in this regard; You will find presets for Reels, TikTok videos, etc., just use the search bar to find what you need. This case uses the Video size template (1080p) and starts from the beginning.
As a general rule, use 1920 x 1080 for horizontal videos and 1080 x 1920 for vertical videos. Learning about video aspect ratios is also a good idea.
2. Add the clip to the Canva project
After choosing a starting point for your video, the next step is to import the clips you plan to use. All footage to be used should be available on the smartphone, which makes adding easier. However, if you want to edit clips from a DSLR camera via Canva for mobile, first import them to your computer and then open the Canva app on your smartphone.
Here's how to add clips to a Canva project:
- Select tabs Camera.
- Expand the drop-down menu and select Videos to ensure that you only import video content.
- Select Add as new pages after selecting all the clips you want to import. Do not select Add to page unless you want them all to appear on the same page.
After importing the video clip, you will see an editing timeline at the bottom. You can use Canva to edit video content, but you can also create videos from images.
3. Edit color and video content
The majority of editing time in Canva will be spent on video colors and other parts of the content. Because this is usually quite complicated, it will be divided into two parts. First, consider color correction before moving on to the rest of your content.
Edit color and lighting in Canva video clips
While Canva doesn't have the advanced color editing tools you'll find elsewhere, it does have a range of useful tools for beginners. For example, you can add filters and adjust saturation. Likewise, you can change different lighting aspects.
Here's how to use these tools:
- At the bottom of the screen, select Adjust.
- Enter Filters and select a filter if you want to do this. If not, move on to the next step.
- Change the color tone and warmth White balance before switching Light, Color and Texture.
- Adjust each zone to your preferences. Then, press the button x to return to the main page.
- Repeat this process for all clips in the video.
Besides using Canva for video color correction, you can also change the color of images, graphic elements, and text in Canva.
Adjust other aspects of Canva video content
After color correction, you should move on to changing the content in your video. For example, you can add transitions and animations. Includes fade, zoom and somersault effects. In some cases, you can also benefit from using combinations.
You'll see the different animation options divided into subsections, while all the transitions are in the same row. You can also choose to apply these changes to all pages or just one, along with adjusting their intensity (you need Canva Pro to customize animations; no paid plan required for transitions ).
The article suggests making these changes in the following order:
- Select Animate and what type of animation you want in your video.
- If you have Canva Pro, select the slider icon and change the scale.
- Return to the home page and click Transitions.
- Select the transition effect you want to add to your video.
- Tap the transition again to display the slider. Unlike animations, you can change the intensity without a paid plan.
- Select button to return to the previous window. Once there, check it out Apply between all pages if that's what you want to do before pressing the button x.
If you're editing videos for YouTube, you might want to consider looking at ways YouTubers can use Canva for graphics and branding.
4. Add finishing adjustments
You're almost ready to export your video project, but before you do, it's a good idea to add a few tweaks to perfection. For example, Canva allows you to change video speed. You can also decide whether you want your content to play automatically or on repeat. Do this by selecting Playback and adjust these categories as needed.
You can also change the length of your clip by dragging either edge in/out. And if you want to delete any clip, just tap on it and select the trash icon.
5. Change sound
Before exporting, you should change the sounds in your Canva projects. Honestly, there's usually not much to do here other than change the volume. You can use the slider to lower the volume or tap the icon to mute it completely.
To add music to your content, you should not use Canva. Instead, use one of the other ways to add music to your videos on iPhone and Android.
When you're ready to export your video, select the download icon in the upper right corner and tap Download.
Video editing in Canva is extremely simple, and you can make many simple changes like adjusting colors and adding filters. While this isn't the best place to add music, you can easily do it elsewhere. You can use Canva to edit Reels, YouTube videos, TikTok posts, etc.
