Photo: Jacob Lund (Shutterstock)
Making a presentation deck can be difficult, but being engaging, informative, and fun while you’re speaking can be even harder. You might turn to PowerPoint or Google Slides, but you should also consider Canva, which has been promoting new command features lately. Of course, never switch to a new software if you’re in a rush, but if you have some time to mess around with a new program, you should check out these commands to see if they fit for the style of presentation you hope to give.
Using Canva’s command shortcuts
Canva is a fairly simple-to-use graphic design program, and you can use keyboard shortcuts to make the whole process go faster. Here are the basic ones:
L adds a lineR adds a rectangleC adds a circleT adds a text boxShift-Command-L left-aligns textShift-Command-C right-aligns textShift-Command-H will anchor your text to the top of your text boxShift-Command-B will anchor it to the bottomShift-Command-M will anchor it to the middleShift-Command-+ will increase your font size by one pointShift-Command– will decrease it (that’s a minus sign)Other commands are the ones you’re probably already familiar with. Command-A selects all your elements, for instance, while Command-Z undoes a recent action and hitting the + or - key zooms you in and out. You can move elements by selecting them, then tapping your arrow. If you hold down your shift key, it’ll move the element in bigger increments.
More advanced Canva commands
If you want to bring an element forward, select it and hit Command-]. Moving it backward is the same, but you press Command-[. To send it all the way to the front or all the way back, press Option and Command plus the corresponding [ or ]. Group elements by selecting them and hitting Command-G and undo that grouping with Shift-Command-G. You can also move multiple elements at once without grouping them by selecting one, holding down Shift, and selecting the others.
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Using Canva presentation shortcuts
Those commands work all across Canva and shouldn’t be too hard for you to get the hang of, since they largely correspond with commands you’re probably already used to. Certain commands, however, are just for the program’s presentations feature—and some are pretty fun. Try these after launching your presentation:
Spacebar will play or pause your videoQ will “shhh” your audienceD will play a drumroll sound effectC will cause a burst of confetti to appear on-screenO does the same, but with bubblesB will blur the presentationThe company features an infographic on its site in case you have a hard time remembering. They also use social media to highlight the more exciting commands, like confetti. Check out an example here on their TikTok.
