Advanced Photopea Tutorial

Create Social Media Ads

Advanced Tutorial #11

Planning the Social Media Ad Design

Successful social media ads begin with strategic planning to ensure a compelling and goal-driven design in Photopea. Establishing the primary objective determines how the ad will be structured, whether the focus is on promoting a product, increasing engagement, or strengthening brand awareness. A promotion-based ad often highlights product visuals and pricing, while an awareness campaign centers around branding and a broad message.

Audience analysis plays a crucial role in shaping the design. Different platforms attract varied user demographics, influencing which visual styles and text arrangements perform best. Instagram favors high-quality imagery, Twitter/X benefits from concise and visually engaging content, and LinkedIn leans toward professional branding. Aligning the ad with platform-specific trends maximizes engagement.

Size requirements must be factored into the design process. Creating social media advertisements requires setting the correct canvas size in Photopea using File > New. Common dimensions include 1080W x1080H pixels for Instagram and Facebook feed ads, 1200W x 628H pixels for Facebook link ads, and 1080W x 1920H pixels for stories. Adhering to updated platform guidelines prevents unwanted cropping or distortion.

A strong visual focal point helps an ad stand out. Whether featuring a product showcase, bold headline, or distinctive design element, the main visual must capture attention immediately. Prioritizing a clear hierarchy of information ensures that essential details, such as a headline, supporting text, and a call to action, guide the viewer's eye naturally, improving readability and engagement.

Thorough planning optimizes the process of creating social media ads, helping designs remain structured and effective while ensuring visibility across different platforms.

Facebook

An example social media ad with a yellow shoe, a discount and text at the top.

This is a Facebook advertisement.

  1. Is it a bad design?
  2. Is it effective? Why or Why Not?
  3. What stands out, and what might be overlooked?
  4. Where is the initial focal point?
  5. Where is the final focal point?
  6. Does it need any adjustments to make it better? If yes, what adjustments?

Instagram

Twitter/X

LinkedIn

TikTok

Pinterest

Snapchat

YouTube

The social media platforms have full control to change these sizes whenever they would like to change them. While these are recommendations, it's always best to consult the specific platform's advertising guidelines for the most up-to-date requirements.

Building the Visual Composition in Photopea

An example social media ad with a yellow shoe, a discount and readable font.

Creating social media advertisements requires careful planning and precise execution to ensure a compelling design. Social media ads must align with platform requirements, preventing cropping or distortion. Selecting File > New allows setting the correct canvas size, ensuring each ad maintains its intended layout. A resolution of 72 dpi keeps images sharp while optimizing file size.

Strategic element placement plays a vital role when designing social media ads. Import images using File > Open & Place or paste them directly onto the canvas. Using Edit > Transform enables resizing and rotation while preserving proportions. The Move tool allows direct adjustments via the bounding box, ensuring visual consistency throughout the ad.

Guides and grids refine alignment, making layouts clean and structured. View > Rulers activates placement guides for precise positioning, while View > Show > Grid establishes reference lines. The Rule of Thirds divides the canvas into sections, helping key visuals in creating social media ads stand out.

Fine-tuning details enhances the impact of creating social media advertisements. The Pen Tool creates clean object cutouts for seamless integration into the design. The Brush Tool applies shading and texture, improving depth and engagement. Adjusting opacity and blending modes ensures cohesive visuals, reinforcing a polished final composition.

Well-structured social media ads maximize visibility, effectively communicating messages across various platforms. Refining each aspect ensures clarity and engagement, making the design impactful and professional.

Adding Text and Typography for Impact

An example social media ad with a yellow shoe, a discount and script font.

Typography in Social Media Ads plays a key role in creating social media advertisements, guiding viewers to the most important details. Choosing the right font style affects readability and tone, whether it's a bold, attention-grabbing headline or a sleek, modern typeface for a professional look. Fonts should complement the overall design while ensuring clear visibility across different screen sizes in social media ads.

Organizing text properly helps direct focus when working on social media ads. Headlines should stand out, while supporting details remain secondary in size and placement. Using contrast between text and background enhances legibility, preventing words from blending into the design. Aligning text elements consistently ensures a clean and structured appearance in creating social media ads.

Spacing and layout refine the message further in social media ads. Adjusting kerning and leading prevents text from looking cramped or uneven. Incorporating call-to-action phrases in a prominent position encourages engagement. Whether it's a purchase button, a discount offer, or a brand statement, strong typography reinforces the message of creating social media advertisements.

Enhancing with Color, Filters, and Effects

A final example output of a social media ad for a red shoe wtih a glow around it, a discount offered and a blurred track runner in the background.

Color Choices in Social Media Ads shape the mood and impact of social media ads. Bright and contrasting colors help key elements stand out, while muted tones create a more sophisticated look. Consistency in color schemes keeps the design polished, ensuring it aligns with the brand's identity and overall theme in creating social media advertisements.

Filters and effects refine the visuals further in social media ads. Layer adjustments like brightness, contrast, and saturation help enhance focal points without overwhelming the design. Subtle shadows and highlights add depth, making images feel more dynamic. Applying overlays or gradient backgrounds creates cohesion between text and images, ensuring a balanced and visually appealing result in creating social media ads.

Fine-tuning details brings the final composition together in creating social media advertisements. Blurring background elements helps direct focus onto the main subject. Gradients and soft transitions prevent harsh color breaks, allowing for smooth integration between different design elements. Small tweaks to hue and saturation can make a big difference in how social media ads are perceived.

Using a color wheel can assist with color choices, helping refine the palette for maximum impact in creating social media ads.

A color wheel to help create social media ads.

Exporting for Different Platforms

Once social media ads are finalized in Photopea, the crucial final step is to export them in the correct formats optimized for each platform. The primary formats likely used are .PNG and .WEBP.

PNG is a lossless format that preserves sharp details and supports transparency, making it ideal for logos or overlays. WEBP provides superior compression for images on the web, reducing file sizes while maintaining quality. This format can also be exported in both a lossless or lossy version, making it a versatile choice when creating social media advertisements.

To export in these formats, go to File > Export As and choose either ".PNG" or ".WEBP." Resizing or cropping may be necessary to meet specific platform requirements. An ad designed for a Facebook feed might require adjustments for an Instagram story or a Twitter/X card. Using Image > Image Size or the Crop Tool in Photopea helps refine dimensions for better compatibility when creating social media ads.

Balancing file size optimization with quality retention ensures social media ads load quickly without appearing pixelated or blurry. Experimenting with export settings provides the best balance for each format and platform. Smaller file sizes improve loading times across digital spaces.

Previewing exported social media ads on sample device mockups offers a realistic perspective on their appearance across different screen sizes. Ensuring readability and layout accuracy helps finalize designs before uploading to social media platforms. Following these export guidelines in Photopea maximizes visibility and effectiveness when creating social media advertisements.

Final Thoughts

Creating effective social media ads in Photopea requires careful design, precise text placement, and optimized export settings. Every element contributes to engagement, ensuring clarity and impact. Maintaining consistency across color choices, typography, and layout strengthens brand recognition. Refining spacing, hierarchy, and visual structure improves readability while enhancing professionalism in creating social media advertisements.

Exporting in the correct formats ensures social media ads perform well on each platform. Adjusting dimensions for different placements prevents distortion or formatting issues. Optimizing file sizes while preserving quality ensures fast loading times. Testing visuals across devices verifies legibility, layout accuracy, and overall presentation in creating social media ads.

Applying these techniques enhances advertisements, ensuring they reach and engage the intended audience effectively in creating social media advertisements.

About the author

Tutorial author Wayne Leiser smiling and looking away from the camera

Wayne Leiser has created free and accessible photo editing tutorials. Drawing on over 25 years of design and IT experience, his lessons begin with the universal basics, progressing through beginner, intermediate, and advanced skill levels using Photopea, a free online Photoshop clone. His goal is to provide users with practical skills for financial independence, with a focus on making money online through the SoloBoss profit sharing video platform.