Building a repeated pattern — a row of icons, a line of decorative dots — usually means copying, pasting, and then dragging each one into place separately.
Canva can do all three in a single motion.
Here's the trick:
Hold Alt while you drag a copy — no separate copy-paste step at all.
How to use it
- Click an element to select it.
- Hold Alt (Option on Mac).
- Drag it to a new position.
- Release — a duplicate appears at the new spot, and the original stays untouched.
Where it helps most
Building repeated design elements — bullet icons, decorative shapes, a row of stars — quickly, without the separate copy-then-paste-then-move sequence.
One thing to watch for
On some trackpads or browsers, the modifier key can conflict with a browser shortcut. If it doesn't duplicate, copy with Ctrl/Cmd+C and paste with Ctrl/Cmd+V instead, then drag the pasted copy.
Found a faster way to do this, or a version that works differently on Mac? That's what the comments are for — this section connects to your comment system of choice (Disqus, giscus, etc.) once the site is live.