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Create Your First Instagram Carousel

This guide will walk you through creating your first Instagram carousel using Carousel Studio. You can also watch a video version of this guide on YouTube.

Here's how you can create your first carousel:

Step 1: Open Carousel Studio

Install Carousel Studio and click on "Use in new design". Choose the "Instagram Post" which is 1080 x 1350 pixels (portrait, 4:5 aspect ratio). This size takes up the most screen space in the feed and tends to perform best.

Create a new design for Carousel Studio

The app panel opens on the left side of your design window.

Step 2: Set your theme

Before creating the carousel, set up your theme - colors, fonts, and layouts.

Customize Tab in Carousel Studio Canva App

Switch over to the "Customize" tab and pick a theme from the list of themes. Click on "Select Theme" to set it. From now on, any carousel you create will use this theme letting you stay always on-brand.

Select theme in Carousel Studio Canva App

Scroll down to set you name and social media handle that will appear in the carousel.

Step 3: Write your prompt

In the "Create" tab, describe the topic of your carousel and set the number of slides to 5.

Create Tab in Carousel Studio

Here's some example prompts you can try:

  • 7 tips for growing your Instagram audience, professional tone
  • 5 common mistakes new freelancers make, conversational and direct
  • Cómo preparar comidas para la semana en 30 minutos, paso a paso

You can write your prompt in any of 90+ languages. If you type in Spanish, the AI generates a Spanish carousel.

Step 4: Click Generate

Click the Generate button. Carousel Studio creates your carousel in a few seconds like this:

Final result in Carousel Studio Canva App

Step 5: Review and export as PNGs

After generating, review your carousel. You can:

  • Edit the text on any slide directly
  • Switch to the Customize tab to change the theme, fonts, colors, or layouts
  • Try different layout options for intro, body, and end slides

When your carousel looks good:

  1. Click Share in the top right corner of Canva
  2. Select Download
  3. Choose PNG format for the sharpest text and graphics
  4. Download all slides

Export PNGs in Canva App

Step 6: Post to Instagram

  1. Open the Instagram app on your phone
  2. Tap the + icon to create a new post
  3. Tap the "Select Multiple" icon to select multiple images
  4. Select all your carousel slides in order
  5. Add your caption, hashtags, and any tags
  6. Tap Share

Your carousel is now live.