How to Flip an Image on Canva [A 2026 Guide]

Ever uploaded a picture to Canva and thought, "This would be much improved if it was flipped"? You're not alone!

Whether it's for a Pinterest graphic, a social media update, or a quick ebook cover, flipping an image can enhance your design. 

This guide will show you how to flip an image on Canva (both horizontally and vertically), alongside a few design tips I've learned while working on projects over time.

Let's get started!

Note: This article contains affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we get a small compensation at no cost to you. Please see our Privacy Policy and Disclaimer for more information.

Why Flip an Image in Canva?

Before we jump into the steps, you might wonder—why would anyone want to flip an image?

From personal experience, flipping images helps me:

• Sometimes, flipping an image helps achieve symmetry, leading the viewer’s eye in a particular direction or balancing out the composition.
• Make text placements look cleaner.
• You may need to flip an image horizontally or vertically to correct a photo that is facing the wrong direction or to comply with layout requirements.
• Balance the visual weight of a layout.
• Match a design theme without needing to find a whole new image.

Sometimes just a quick horizontal or vertical flip gives your layout that perfect finishing touch.

How to Flip an Image on Canva?

The process is straightforward, thanks to Canva’s intuitive interface. Here’s how to flip an image in Canva, whether you want to flip it horizontally or vertically.

Step 1: Open Your Design or Start a New One

• Log in to your Canva account.
• Choose to create a new design (such as an Instagram post, presentation, flyer, or a custom size) or open an existing project.

In the below screenshot, you can see that I have chosen Custom size for my design.

After choosing Custom design, you can either enter your own dimension in the box highlighted below. Or, you can select from some of the suggested dimensions as shown below.

For this tutorial, I have chosen 1000 x 1000 px size for my design (see the below screenshot).

Below is the Canva editor, where you can see that my design of size 1000 x 1000 px is now ready to be edited. I will add an image to this design and show you how to flip an image on Canva.

Step 2: Add an Image to Design

To add an image to the design, you can either add it from the Canva library or upload a photo from your computer.

In this tutorial, I will use an image from the Canva library. To add a photo, click on the Elements tab on the left of the editor. Then, enter the search term for your image and press the Enter key.

For example, I have entered the term 'mountain' in the search bar. Now, click on the image that you would like to add to your design.

In the screenshot below, you can see that as I clicked on an image, it was added to my design.

Now, you can resize the image by dragging from the edges of the image to make it fit as per your requirement.

In the screenshot below, you can see that I have resized the image to fit my entire design area.

Step 3: Flip Image - Horizontally or Vertically

Now, to flip this image either horizontally or vertically, you will need to select your image first, then click on the Flip button as shown below, and click on the Flip horizontal or Flip vertical option.

In the screenshot below, you can see that I have chosen the Flip horizontal option and the selected image has flipped horizontally exactly as I had needed.

That’s it! The image is now mirrored from left to right. This is how you can flip an image on Canva, either horizontally or vertically.

Pro Tip: Flipping horizontally can make your layout flow better, depending on the placement of other elements like text or graphics.

See the case study below to understand this.

Case Study

In the screenshot below, you can see a Canva design where I have added an image of a farmer working in the field. I have also added a heading "Farmer at Work" and a sub-heading "An image of a farmer planting paddy in the field" on the right side of the image.

Now, suppose we need the farmer's image to flip on the right side horizontally, you can easily do that using the Flip option.

Select the farmer's image and click on the Flip button to choose the Flip horizontal option. See the image below.

After choosing the Flip horizontal option, the image is now pointing towards my text.

This way, you can easily flip an image on Canva to match the placement of your text or graphics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions related to our topic - How to flip an image on Canva.

1. Can I flip both photos and elements in Canva?

Answer. Yes! You can flip both images (like photos or uploads) and design elements (like icons, shapes, and illustrations) in Canva. Just click on the element, then use the Flip button in the top toolbar.

2. Is flipping an image in Canva available on the free plan?

Answer. Yes, the Flip feature is available to all Canva users, including those on the free plan. No need to upgrade to Pro for this feature.

3. Can I flip a group of images together in Canva?

Answer. Definitely. Select multiple images by holding Shift while clicking, then group them using the “Group” option in the top toolbar. Once grouped, you can flip them together just like a single image.

4. Why can’t I see the flip option in Canva?

Answer. If the Flip button isn’t showing, make sure you’ve selected a supported element like an image or shape. Some text elements and grouped items may require ungrouping first before the flip option appears.

5. Can I flip text in Canva like I do with images?

Answer. Text boxes can’t be flipped directly using the Flip tool. However, you can rotate the text box manually or convert the text to an image (by downloading and re-uploading it as an image) and then flip it.

Wrapping Up

Flipping an image on Canva is super simple, but it’s one of those underrated tricks that can seriously level up your design. I use it all the time, either to fix awkward positioning or to play around with creative layouts.

So next time something feels “off” in your Canva project, give flipping a try. It might just be the tweak you were looking for!