A solid border does the job, but it doesn’t do much beyond that. If you want an outline that adds a bit more visual interest (without adding complexity to the rest of your design) a gradient border is worth knowing how to create.
In Canva, gradient borders work on shapes, photos, and videos, and the process is the same across all three. This tutorial walks through exactly how to set one up, including how to choose your colours and select a gradient style.
Gradients are available on the free Canva plan, but saving them to your Brand Kit for consistent reuse requires Canva Pro. If you’d like to get that set up as you go, you can start a free trial here.
Transcript
If you want something a little more interesting than a solid outline around an element, you can apply a custom gradient directly to a border in Canva. Gradient borders work on shapes, photos, and videos, and they’re a simple way to add depth without overwhelming your design.
Gradient Border on a Shape
First let’s look at adding a gradient border on a shape.
Start by adding a shape to your design. With the shape selected, turn on the Border style option in the floating toolbar and increase the border width until it’s the width you’d like.
Then you’ll choose the border colour option, then click on the plus sign under Document colours and switch from the Solid tab to the Gradient tab.
From here, you can choose your colours by clicking each gradient stop, and if you’d like a more blended or multi-colour effect, you can add additional colour stops.
Once your colours are set, click through Canva’s preset gradient styles and choose the linear or circular option that gives you the look you want for the border.
Gradient Border on a Photo or Video
You can use the same approach with photos and videos.
Select the photo or video in your design, turn on the Border style option in the floating toolbar, and increase the border width.
Then click the border colour picker, click the plus sign under Document colours, and switch to the Gradient tab. Choose your colours and a gradient style.
As with all gradients in Canva, you’re working within the available preset styles and customizing the colours, rather than creating a completely new gradient type.
A gradient border is a small detail, but on the right design it’s the difference between an element that sits flat on the page and one that actually draws the eye.
