When creating a LinkedIn carousel in Canva, it’s important to understand the recommended image sizes to ensure your posts look great on both desktop and mobile. The LinkedIn carousel allows you to showcase multiple images in one post and swipe through them, similar to an Instagram carousel. This can be a great way to highlight different aspects of a product, tell a story, or share tips. Here’s a quick rundown of the ideal LinkedIn carousel dimensions to use in Canva.
LinkedIn Carousel Size
The recommended image size for each slide in your LinkedIn carousel is 1200 x 628 pixels. This size works well across desktop, tablet, and mobile displays. If you’re designing your images in the Canva editor, you can easily set up a 1200 x 628 pixel canvas to start designing each slide.
Creating a LinkedIn Carousel in Canva
Here are step-by-step instructions for creating a LinkedIn carousel in Canva with the ideal dimensions:
- Open Canva and click ‘Create a Design’.
- Search for ‘LinkedIn’ and choose the ‘LinkedIn Post’ template. This will automatically set up a 1200 x 628 pixel canvas.
- Click the ‘+’ icon to add new pages, creating additional slides for your carousel. Add as many as you’d like.
- Customize each slide with images, text, and graphics to tell your story or showcase your product.
- Download your full carousel when finished by clicking the green ‘Download’ button.
- Save as PNGs to preserve image quality.
And that’s it! You’ll now have a set of perfectly sized LinkedIn carousel images ready to upload. The multi-image post format will be automatically applied when posting your carousel to LinkedIn from a desktop.
Image Recommendations
In addition to using the recommended 1200 x 628 pixel size, here are a few other tips for creating engaging LinkedIn carousel images:
- Use high-quality, eye-catching photos.
- Keep text short and impactful.
- Ensure any text is clearly legible.
- Use complementary colors and fonts across slides.
- Include your brand colors and assets for a cohesive look.
Ideal Number of Slides
Aim for 3-5 slides in your LinkedIn carousel. This keeps it scannable while allowing you to share multiple images. Anything more than 5 slides risks overwhelming your audience.
Alternatively, you can also opt for a single 1200 x 628 image if you don’t need a full carousel. This size will still look great on its own.
Customizing for Mobile
When viewers scroll their LinkedIn feed on mobile, your carousel will adopt a vertical, stacked appearance. So in addition to the wide 1200 x 628 desktop size, you’ll also want to customize your images for a tall, narrow mobile layout.
Some tips for mobile optimization include:
- Centre your main visual elements so they’re visible when cropped to a vertical shape.
- Include text overlays towards the top or middle of images.
- Add borders to help define the edges on narrow screens.
Keeping these tips in mind when designing your slides will help your LinkedIn carousel transition gracefully between desktop and mobile.
Ideal Text Length
When adding text to your LinkedIn carousel images, brevity is key. You’ll want to keep your headlines to around 40-50 characters so they remain readable on both desktop and mobile.
For body text, 1-2 short sentences or bullet points is ideal. Around 70-80 characters max is a good guideline per slide.
Remember, the carousel format is made for visual storytelling, so let your images do the heavy lifting and use text sparingly to get your message across.
File Type
When saving your LinkedIn carousel, PNG is the best file format. PNGs preserve image quality with lossless compression and capture transparency in your design.
Other options like JPG can result in artifacts or quality loss each time the file is saved. So PNG is your safest bet for LinkedIn carousel images.
Background Color
A background color can help your carousel slides pop. LinkedIn auto-applies a grey background by default. But customizing this to match your brand colors can create a more cohesive, professional look.
Some tips for backgrounds:
- Use soft, neutral tones that complement your images.
- Avoid jarring neon hues that strain the eyes.
- White or light grey backgrounds create a clean look.
- Stay consistent with the same hue across slides.
Try out different background colors in Canva to see what works best for your carousel’s visual style.
Customizing Individual Slides
While a consistent look is recommended between slides, you can also customize individual images as needed. For example, you may want to:
- Use a different background color to make one slide stand out.
- Increase text size on a key slide.
- Add borders or visual frames to highlight a single image.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different treatments slide-by-slide until you achieve the look you want.
Animations and Transitions
LinkedIn doesn’t support animations or transitions between carousel slides. Each image will simply snap into place as users scroll through. So avoid designs that rely on motion or fades for storytelling.
Instead, create distinct slides that work well individually. Clear, striking visuals that get your point across on each static image.
Linking to an External Page
You can link your entire LinkedIn carousel to an external page, like a blog or website. This allows viewers to swipe through the images while providing a seamless transition to more content.
When sharing your post, simply paste the desired URL in the “Add a destination link” field. The link will then be applied to the post and carousel.
Call-to-Action Overlays
Overlays are a great way to add clickable calls-to-action (CTAs) to your LinkedIn carousel. For example, you can include buttons or links for:
- “Shop Now”
- “Book a Demo”
- “Download eBook”
Overlays display prominently on both desktop and mobile, inviting viewers to tap and convert. Just keep overlay text short and immediately understandable.
Promoting Your Carousel
Once your LinkedIn carousel is looking polished, it’s time to share it for maximum visibility. Here are some tips:
- Post during peak LinkedIn traffic periods such as Tuesday-Thursday and before 11am.
- Engage with any comments and likes from followers.
- Consider sponsoring the post to reach a wider audience.
- Share the carousel across other platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
Track your engagement metrics over time to see which carousel topics and CTAs resonate most with your audience.
Following LinkedIn’s Guidelines
As a final checklist, ensure your LinkedIn carousel adheres to the platform’s guidelines, which include:
- No nudity, hate speech, violence, or offensive content.
- Images should be relevant and non-disruptive.
- Text should be legible with sufficient contrast.
- Slides should transition smoothly without distractions.
Staying within these guidelines will give your carousel the best chance of being delivered to a wide LinkedIn audience.
Key Takeaways
To recap, the key tips for creating an effective LinkedIn carousel in Canva are:
- Use 1200 x 628 pixel slides.
- Customize images for mobile viewing.
- Keep text minimal with up to 50 characters in headlines.
- Save slides as PNG files.
- Pick cohesive background colors.
- Add CTAs and links to drive conversions.
With this strategy, you can craft compelling LinkedIn carousels that engage viewers on desktop and mobile. So fire up Canva and start designing eye-catching slides to promote your brand or products!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions around creating LinkedIn carousels in Canva:
How many images can you include in a LinkedIn carousel?
LinkedIn supports up to 10 images in a single carousel post. However, 5 or less is recommended for best results.
Can you use videos in a LinkedIn carousel?
Unfortunately, videos are not currently supported in LinkedIn carousels. You can only use static image slides.
What’s the maximum file size for LinkedIn carousel images?
LinkedIn recommends keeping image file sizes under 5MB each. Larger files can slow loading times.
Do all carousel images have to be the same size?
Yes, LinkedIn requires all images in a carousel to be the same dimensions for a consistent experience.
Can you change the order of images in a LinkedIn carousel?
Yes, you can rearrange and reorder slides within a carousel while editing the post in LinkedIn’s publishing tool.
How do you create a LinkedIn carousel on mobile?
The LinkedIn mobile app doesn’t support creating carousels. You’ll need to design the images on a desktop before uploading the post.Conclusion
Using the ideal 1200 x 628 pixel size will ensure your LinkedIn carousel looks fantastic across platforms. Keep images engaging with stellar visuals and minimal text. Craft a compelling story or showcase your products slide-by-slide. With this strategy, your LinkedIn carousel posts are sure to capture attention and deliver results.