Editing Templates Text Shapes and Layers

Learn the core editing actions and adapt a layout without leaving unwanted template content behind.

Part 2 of 10 | Graphic Design with Canva for Beginners

Learning goals

You will select and edit objects, arrange their order, duplicate a page and adapt a template to a real brief. You will also learn to inspect a design for leftover text, hidden objects and changes that affected the wrong element.

Before you begin

Allow about an hour and open the practice square from Part 1. Work with free-compatible content or draw the actions on paper. Choose a simple layout with few elements. Avoid starting with animation, complex charts or a template containing many premium objects; those add decisions before you have learned the basic editing process.

Use a template as a starting structure

A template provides an existing arrangement of text, images and other objects. Its wording, contact details and design choices belong to a different brief. Inspect the layout before replacing anything. Identify which area carries the main message, which supports it and which asks the reader to act.

If you apply a template to a working page, first make a copy so the earlier draft is preserved. Look for page duplication or Make a copy in the controls available to you. If that option is unclear, begin a separate practice design. A versioned copy is useful when comparing changes, even if undo is also available.

Select and replace text precisely

Select a text box, then enter text-editing mode by clicking or tapping as the editor requires. Replace the entire placeholder with the wording from your brief. Review the result for leftover characters, extra spaces or line breaks. A box selected for moving is not necessarily ready for typing; pay attention to the cursor and active controls.

Change one property at a time, such as the text size or alignment, and inspect the result. Resize the text box if the line wrapping is awkward before shrinking the letters. If the font becomes too small to read, shorten the message or rearrange the page instead of forcing a long paragraph into a tiny space.

Add and arrange simple shapes

Use an available rectangle or another basic shape as a background area for the supporting message. Set its colour, move it to the intended position and resize it carefully. Shapes can organise information, but every extra shape should serve a purpose. A decorative object that competes with the message can be removed.

Objects overlap according to their layer order. If the rectangle hides your text, use the available Position or layer controls to move it behind the text. Do not assume the text was deleted simply because it is covered. Inspect the selected object and its order, then restore the intended relationship.

Group related objects and protect the layout

Select related objects together and use Group where available so they can move as a unit. For example, a price and its label should remain associated when repositioned. Grouping does not automatically correct alignment or spacing, so arrange the objects first. Ungroup when you need to edit their relative positions.

Lock an object where the editor offers that control if accidental movement is becoming a problem. A lock helps editing discipline; it is not a security setting and does not prevent someone with sufficient access from changing the design. Remember how to unlock the item before treating it as permanently uneditable.

Use duplication and undo thoughtfully

Duplicate a text box when you need consistent styling, then replace the text and check its size. A duplicate can also carry old wording, links or other properties, so it needs review. Duplicating a whole page is useful for comparing two versions without repeatedly rebuilding the same structure.

Undo reverses recent editing actions within the available history. It is helpful after moving the wrong object, but should not be your only preservation method. Keep a named master and separate working copies for substantial experiments. Before a major change, confirm which page and design you are editing.

Audit the adapted page

Read every visible word, including small template captions, dates and footer details. Inspect all pages in a multi-page template; an extra page can be exported accidentally. Check for elements outside the intended composition and for objects hidden behind photographs or shapes that could reappear after later changes.

Compare the adapted design with the brief rather than with the template's original appearance. Your version should communicate the new message clearly. A template is useful only when the resulting page fits your audience, content and output needs.

Guided exercise

1. Preserve the original square and create Draft 02. Use a simple template or arrange three text boxes on a blank page.

2. Replace all sample wording with the fictional business name, Bag repairs available and Ask about your repair. Retain the Practice only label.

3. Add a rectangle behind the main message. Practise moving it in front and then returning it behind the text using the layer controls.

4. Align and group the business name with its supporting label. Move the group, then undo that movement.

5. Inspect every page and object for leftover template information. Make a short change log describing what you altered and why.

Knowledge check

1. If text disappears behind a shape, what should you inspect first?

2. Does grouping automatically fix poor spacing?

3. Why inspect all pages before export?

Answer guide

1. The selected objects and their layer order.

2. No. Arrange and align objects before grouping them.

3. Unwanted template pages or old information can otherwise be included in the output.

Completion standard

Demonstrate text replacement, object resizing, layer adjustment, grouping and a reversible edit. Deliver a clean practice draft containing no unintended template text and a short explanation of the changes.

Sources and verification notes

Canva alignment guide. Checked 15 September 2026. Official design guidance; lesson layouts and exercises are original teaching examples.