diff --git a/fastplotlib/layouts/_gridplot.py b/fastplotlib/layouts/_gridplot.py
index 3f694b007..ab79a3804 100644
--- a/fastplotlib/layouts/_gridplot.py
+++ b/fastplotlib/layouts/_gridplot.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ def __init__(
             controllers: Union[np.ndarray, str] = None,
             canvas: WgpuCanvas = None,
             renderer: pygfx.Renderer = None,
+            size: Tuple[int, int] = (500, 300),
             **kwargs
     ):
         """
@@ -62,6 +63,9 @@ def __init__(
         renderer: pygfx.Renderer, optional
             pygfx renderer instance
 
+        size: (int, int)
+            starting size of canvas, default (500, 300)
+
         """
         self.shape = shape
 
@@ -160,6 +164,8 @@ def __init__(
 
         self._current_iter = None
 
+        self._starting_size = size
+
     def __getitem__(self, index: Union[Tuple[int, int], str]):
         if isinstance(index, str):
             for subplot in self._subplots.ravel():
@@ -266,6 +272,8 @@ def show(self):
         for subplot in self:
             subplot.auto_scale(maintain_aspect=True, zoom=0.95)
 
+        self.canvas.set_logical_size(*self._starting_size)
+
         return self.canvas
 
     def _get_iterator(self):
diff --git a/fastplotlib/plot.py b/fastplotlib/plot.py
index 97e19effd..96b1ac8dc 100644
--- a/fastplotlib/plot.py
+++ b/fastplotlib/plot.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ def __init__(
             renderer: pygfx.Renderer = None,
             camera: str = '2d',
             controller: Union[pygfx.PanZoomController, pygfx.OrbitController] = None,
+            size: Tuple[int, int] = (500, 300),
             **kwargs
     ):
         """
@@ -31,6 +32,9 @@ def __init__(
             Usually ``None``, you can pass an existing controller from another
             ``Plot`` or ``Subplot`` within a ``GridPlot`` to synchronize them.
 
+        size: (int, int)
+            starting size of canvas, default (500, 300)
+
         kwargs
             passed to Subplot, for example ``name``
 
@@ -83,6 +87,8 @@ def __init__(
             **kwargs
         )
 
+        self._starting_size = size
+
     def render(self):
         super(Plot, self).render()
 
@@ -103,4 +109,6 @@ def show(self, autoscale: bool = True):
         if autoscale:
             self.auto_scale(maintain_aspect=True, zoom=0.95)
 
+        self.canvas.set_logical_size(*self._starting_size)
+
         return self.canvas