How to create a LinkedIn banner in Canva

Creating a LinkedIn banner in Canva is a quick and effective way to make your profile look professional and on-brand. This guide walks you through the exact steps to design a LinkedIn banner with the correct dimensions and visual elements:

1. Log in to Canva

Go to Canva and log in to your account
If you don’t have an account, sign up using your email or Google account

2. Create a New Design

On the Canva homepage, click ‘Create a design’
Type ‘LinkedIn Banner’ or ‘LinkedIn Background’ into the search bar
Select the LinkedIn banner size from the results

3. Choose a Template

Browse through the available LinkedIn banner templates
Click on a template that matches your personal brand or business style
The template will open in the editor

4. Customise the Background

Change colours to match your brand using the colour picker
Replace background images or add new ones from ‘Photos’ or ‘Elements’
Ensure the design isn’t too cluttered

5. Add Text and Branding

Click on existing text boxes to edit them
Add your job title, tagline, or key message
Upload your logo via ‘Uploads’ if applicable and position it neatly

6. Check Safe Areas

Keep important text and logos away from the bottom-left corner
This area is usually covered by your LinkedIn profile photo
Preview the design to ensure everything is clearly visible

7. Download Your LinkedIn Banner

Click ‘Share’ in the top-right corner
Select ‘Download’
Choose PNG for best quality
Click ‘Download’ again to save the banner

What is Canva

Canva is an easy-to-use online design platform that allows anyone to create professional-looking graphics without advanced design skills. It’s especially popular with beginners, marketers, and small businesses because it offers a drag-and-drop editor, pre-sized templates, and a large library of fonts, images, and design elements.

With Canva, you can design everything from social media graphics and presentations to documents, posters, and banners. The platform automatically handles layout sizing, which is ideal when creating assets for specific platforms like LinkedIn. You simply select the correct template size, customise the design, and download it in minutes.

Canva works directly in your browser and also offers mobile apps, making it accessible wherever you are. While many features are free, Canva Pro unlocks additional templates, brand kits, and advanced design tools that can help maintain consistent branding across your visuals.

Benefits of using Canva to create a LinkedIn banner

Using Canva to design your LinkedIn banner makes the process quick, flexible, and accessible, even if you have no design experience. It helps you create a polished banner that fits LinkedIn’s requirements perfectly.

1. Correct sizing with no guesswork

Canva’s LinkedIn banner templates are pre-sized to match LinkedIn’s recommended dimensions. This removes the risk of uploading a banner that appears blurry or incorrectly cropped. By starting with the right size, you can focus on design rather than technical details, saving time and avoiding common formatting mistakes.

2. Professional designs for beginners

Canva offers a wide range of professionally designed templates that you can customise in just a few clicks. This means you don’t need design experience to create a visually appealing LinkedIn banner. Fonts, colour combinations, and layouts are already optimised, helping your profile look polished and credible.

3. Easy branding and customisation

Canva makes it simple to apply your personal or business branding. You can upload logos, use brand colours, and adjust fonts easily. If you’re using Canva Pro, Brand Kits allow you to keep everything consistent across designs, which is especially useful for maintaining a strong, recognisable LinkedIn presence.