How to Create Instagram Highlights in DesignScape

Using Instagram highlight covers can help to give your account some personality and style, and creating your own in DesignScapecan give your brand a cohesive look. There are so many options when it comes to designing them, but if you would like to purchase premade ones instead, we have a whole list of Instagram highlight cover icons to choose from.

DesignScape is an alternative to Photoshop and Illustrator that you can use for free if you are a Gold Plus Member. There are many positives to using DesignScape, such as having no software to download and install as it’s all online. You can still import your own fonts to use with the software. If you’re interested in trying out DesignScape, why not take it for a 30-day test run with this free trial of the Gold Plus Membership.

Let’s download and unzip files to the computer. We’re going to be using a pink and gold marble background and some beauty icons from Design Bundles. You could add text instead of using icons if you would prefer.

Step 1 - Start a New Project Using the Insta Story Preset

Start a new project in DesignScape with the width and height set at 1080 x 1920 pixels, or click the Insta Story preset below in the Social tab. Click the Artboards checkbox as we will be making multiple Instagram highlight covers. Hit Create once your dimensions are filled out.

Step 2 - Add More Artboards

We will add more artboards to our project so we can work on multiple highlight covers at the same time and keep them all in one file. Click on Artboard 1 in the Layers panel. Then, if you don’t see the Artboard Tool, click and hold the Move Tool (V) until the list opens up. Then choose Artboard Tool (V).

You should see a blue icon with a plus sign inside a circle on each side of the artboard. Click on one of those icons to add an artboard to that side of the existing artboard.

We will be creating four Instagram highlight covers, so we want a total of four artboards.

Step 3 - Add a Background to Each Highlight Cover

Now to add a background for the highlight covers. You can use the same background or other similar backgrounds. We will use the same background image but in different places to add a little variety.

Import Background Images

Click and drag the background image file onto the active artboard in DesignScape.

Adjust Background Image Size and Placement

Using the Move Tool (V), click and drag the handles on the background image while holding Shift to adjust the size. We have a tutorial on transforming and scaling in DesignScape if you need more information.

Duplicate Background Image Layer for Other Artboards

Right-click on the background image layer and choose Duplicate Layer.

Move Duplicate Background Layer to Another Artboard and Adjust It if Needed

With the Move Tool (V), drag and drop the duplicate background image onto another artboard. The duplicate background image layer will automatically move to that artboard’s folder in the Layers panel. Adjust that background image if needed.

Continue duplicating and moving the background image layer for the rest of the artboards.

Step 4 - Create Circle Templates

In order to be sure that our Instagram highlight covers don't get cropped weird, we will add some circles to use as templates.

If you do not see the Ellipse tool in the left toolbar, click and hold the Rectangle tool until the list opens. Then select the Ellipse tool (U).

Next, click and drag on one of the artboards while holding down the Shift key to make a circle.

Select the Move Tool (V) and move the circle to the center of the artboard. It will snap into place with two perpendicular red lines showing once it is exactly in the center. Then duplicate the circle and center it on the other artboards, so each artboard has a circle.

Step 5 - Import and Adjust Icons

Now we will add icons related to beauty and makeup. If you’d like to create Instagram highlight covers about other subjects, take a look at our selection of graphic icons.

Import Icons

Import the icons the same way you imported the background images by dragging and dropping.

Adjust Icons

Adjust the size, placement, and color of the icons if needed. We made our icons slightly smaller and lined them up how we wanted them inside each circle.

Change Icon Color/Pattern

We want our icons to be gold instead of purple, so we are changing how they look using a clipping mask. Because the icons have transparent backgrounds, this is possible. You can look at our tutorial on changing the colors of a design in DesignScape for another way to change the colors.

Import a crinkled gold foil texture. With the gold foil texture layer directly above the icon layer, right-click on the gold foil texture layer, and choose Clipping Mask.

Then duplicate the clipped gold foil texture layer and drag it above another icon layer. Repeat for the rest of the icons.

Step 6 - Export Highlight Covers

Now all you have to do is hide the circles and export your highlight covers.

Hide Circle Templates

Before exporting the highlight covers, click each circle layer’s eye icon to hide the circle.

After all the circles have been hidden, go to File > Export as > PNG.

Make sure the As Artboards checkbox is marked and click Save.

Your highlight covers will be downloaded to your computer in a zip file that you must unzip to use.

Step 7 - Save Instagram Highlight Cover Project

To save your project, go to File > Save as PSD, so you will be able to come back and edit the highlight covers if needed. Follow our guide on opening and saving projects in DesignScape if you want to learn more about saving projects.

We hope you had fun creating Instagram highlight covers in DesignScape! If you also have a Youtube channel, maybe you'd be interested in learning how to create a Youtube channel banner.