YouTube Thumbnail And Cover Size Guide
YouTube Thumbnail is the cover image of your video. It is called a thumbnail because a small version of this graphic will show up in the recommended videos and other search areas of YouTube. It is the first thing the audience sees In Your Video. if it looks perfect or eye-catchy people go through your Video. YouTube thumbnails are just like judging a book by seeing Its cover. In another way, YouTube thumbnail is compared with the movie poster of the video.
Thumbnail helps you to improve your traffic and get more clicks. So you want to learn how to make cool and good YouTube thumbnails that actually make people want to click on them. When you are making a thumbnail, first consider the desires of the audience and make a note of the audience’s point of view. Make it the best way of discovering your video, with a tiny image grab the attention of the audience.
When Any One uploads a Video, YouTube will automatically pick 3 frames from the video upload and let choose one. But most creators make and upload their own to make sure it stands out and best represents what their video is about.2c
Most YouTubers say that they spend just as much time on the thumbnail as the video itself. It is what draws people in, makes you stand out and makes your videos easy to recognize in a crowded list.
What Is YouTube thumbnail?
YouTube thumbnails are the preview images or Small images that represent the videos. They give viewers a hint of what to expect from the video before they click on it.
Or A YouTube thumbnail is an image that’s used to display a video wherever it appears on YouTube, from the home page, channel page to the YouTube search results page and previews.
Ideal YouTube Thumbnail Size
By Google’s own recommendations, The image should be 1280 x 720 pixels, with a minimum width of 640 pixels. A ratio of 16:9 is ideal as it’s used most often in YouTube players and previews.
- The perfect YouTube thumbnail size is 1280 pixels by 720 pixels.
- These YouTube thumbnail dimensions use an aspect ratio of 16:9.
- Make sure your thumbnail size is a minimum of 640 pixels wide.
- Thumbnail images should be under 2MB.
- Image formats are JPG, GIF, or PNG.
How to Create a YouTube Thumbnail
- You can actually make a thumbnail with a good screenshot. Stop your video on the moment you’d like the most. Create a screenshot. Add it as a thumbnail and that’s it.
- But for more options check-up Canava. This platform is really useful for graphic designers as it offers incredible features. The simple to use drag and drop type functions are really wonderful and the effects available for your Thumbnail Creation include free stock type photos, Illustrations, Lines, Shapes, Frames, Grids, Background, and Text, etc.
- Pixlr app is a specially designed app version of the well known Pixlr website where you can feel free to add overlays to your thumbnails. The choice of filters is also good with a high-end resolution as compared to available online solutions.
Tips for Creating Effective Thumbnails
1. Choose the Right Video Thumbnail Size
Using the right YouTube video thumbnail size makes all the difference in the world. If you want the best picture quality on both desktop and mobile devices, it is best to use a 1280 x 720-pixel size (16:9 ratio). Save it as a.JPEG, PNG, GIF, or as a.BMP.
2. Make it relevant
Nobody likes clickbait. So make sure your thumbnails reflect what actually happens in your videos. By giving potential viewers a hint of what they will see in the video – like the thumbnail below – you can not only encourage them to click but also ensure they won’t be disappointed by what they see.
3. Choose a Custom Font
Anything you do that makes your video stand out will help increase its viewership. So using a custom font is just one more thing that will make your video seem special, different than every other video on YouTube. You can find the best thumbnail fonts at the FontShop. You simply select the appropriate font category, scroll through the available fonts, select one then download it.
4. Select the Right Picture
The picture you use needs to be something that will be memorable, grab attention, and something that will make someone want to click your video and watch it through to the end.
5. Include your logo
in your thumbnail, you can strengthen your brand presence and also improve your chances of viewers remembering your brand name. This will not only come in handy when they want to search for you on YouTube, but it could also help you generate some word of mouth marketing if they tell their friends.
YouTube Thumbnail Mistakes to Avoid
1. Too Much text
Some text is good, and will improve your video’s performance; you just don’t want too much text. If users can’t read the text in one quick, sideways glance, it’s too much. You should never have more than a concise title, and, if absolutely necessary, a concise subtitle in smaller text beneath it.
2. using complementary colors
Try using complementary colors like blue, red and yellow on your thumbnail or increase the saturation to catch the attention of users’ view of your videos.
3. Mistake of not “branding”
The mistake of not “branding”. Try to make your thumbnail as unique as possible so that when people see your thumbnail they will be able to easily associate it to your channel. This can be achieved by using your face or logo or consistent font texts or all of these.
4. Mistake of “not improving your thumbnails”
The mistake of “not improving your thumbnails”. It is easy to get contented with your thumbnails and think they’re doing a good job. Instead, try to get feedback from your viewers so you constantly improve your thumbnail and see what works the best.
Best YouTube Thumbnail Makers
1. Canva
It is a free thumbnail maker that can be accessed from its official website at Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software. This Video Thumbnail Maker is really useful for graphic designers as it offers incredible features.
Main Features of this free YouTube Thumbnail Maker:
- It offers customized YouTube thumbnail design
- You can change images, colors and fonts easily
- You can get more styles and templates if you pay
2. PicMonkey
This online thumbnail maker provides numerous filters, exclusive overlays, fonts, frames and extra beautifying touch up type tools to the user with a single registration to Picmonkey’s premium membership.
Features：
- As a youtube thumbnail maker, you also can touch up facial beautification
- Design tools make creative logos
- Provides 100+ designer-crafted thumbnail templates
3. Snappa
Another online tool that you can use to make basic YouTube thumbnails is Snappa. You can add a background, add text and some icons. It still misses out on features to make great YouTube thumbnails. In the free version, there are a lot of restrictions like no custom font and fewer backgrounds.
Ideal Youtube Banner Size
Often, we see YouTube channels with banners that look like they were created without much thought. This is a huge mistake. A YouTube channel’s banner takes up about a quarter of the screen on a desktop browser. It’s easily the first place your eyes are drawn to. When someone finds your channel on YouTube, the banner will be the first thing they notice and associate with your brand.
YouTube Banner Dimensions
According to YouTube, the best channel art size is 2560 pixels wide by x 1440 pixels tall. There are however other sizing requirements to keep in mind. These include:
- Minimum file dimensions: 2048 x 1152
- Minimum safe area for text and logos: 1546 x 423 pixels, with larger images possibly being crossed on certain devices or displays
- Maximum width: 2560 x 423 pixels, meaning that the “safe area” is always visible despite the size of the screen
- Maximum file size: 4MB (but file sizes can be smaller)
While using the 2560px by 1440px size ensures your channel art will fit properly on a TV screen, you also need to worry about how your channel art will look on desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.
YouTube channel art is necessary to fully brand your channel, making it look both distinctive and more credible. And now, thanks to easy-to-use tools like Snappa (which comes with fully customizable, pre-sized templates), anyone can make gorgeous, engaging channel art with no design experience needed.
