YouTube is all about video content, but running a successful YouTube channel also requires creating several types of still images. Creating beautiful YouTube channel art makes your profile stand out.
Your YouTube banner is often the first thing visitors see when they land on your channel, so it should communicate your brand’s personality at a glance. Whether you’re a travel vlogger, a tech reviewer, or a small business owner sharing tutorials, your channel art should align with your niche and resonate with your target audience. Clear visuals, on-brand colors, and easy-to-read text can help create a strong first impression and encourage viewers to stick around.
Learn how to design an eye-catching YouTube banner, and get the recommended sizes and design tips to help your channel stand out.
What is the size of a YouTube banner?
A YouTube banner is similar to a header or cover photo. YouTube recommends uploading banner images with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. For a clear display, the minimum acceptable resolution is 2048 by 1152. YouTube accepts JPG, PNG, BMP, and non-animated GIF images with a maximum file size of 6 MB.
Banners display on desktop, mobile, and for app users, but creators only need to upload one image file. YouTube’s responsive interface can automatically adjust your banner image to optimize it for different screens. Image display sizes can vary—banners are wider on television screens and slightly cropped on mobile phones. To ensure that your image displays correctly across devices, you should design within the banner safety zone. YouTube recommends using designs with a safety zone of 1235 by 338 pixels, which means the most important aspects of your image will be visible on all media. To resize your images quickly and easily, use Shopify’s image resizer tool.
The best YouTube banner images offer viewers a preview of your channel content and brand aesthetic. Fashion and lifestyle vlogger Safiya Nygaard’s banner strikes a balance between stylish and informative. Her design uses hot pink and black to establish an edgy, feminine mood. Informative text is positioned below her name and sets expectations for new content delivery, while it also reveals her sense of humor.
How to create an effective YouTube banner
- Center important details
- Consider adding a pattern
- Express yourself
- Be mindful about font type and size
- Preview your image
Creating the perfect YouTube banner is a mix of art and architecture. Following best practices for image size and resolution will ensure that your banner looks crisp and focused. Being creative with your images and design will help spark interest from your current and future fan base. Here’s how to go about it:
Center important details
Keep important design elements, like text and logos, close to the center. Banner image display size varies depending on the user’s device. For example, YouTube uses a 2,560 by 423 pixel banner for standard desktop displays and a 1,546 by 423 pixel image on mobile devices. Channel owners only upload one file—the platform automatically makes these size adjustments by cropping the edges of the image. To avoid losing any details, keep your design within a centered 1235 by 338 pixel rectangle.
Allure magazine’s minimalist YouTube banner creates a big impact with colorful, centered imagery. This design keeps all elements within the safe zone without sacrificing aesthetic appeal.
Consider adding a pattern
Working within the safety zone doesn’t mean you have to leave the rest of your image blank. Including graphics or ornamental flourishes near the edge of your image is fine as long as cropping won’t ruin the effect. An all-over pattern, for example, will still look good if small slices are trimmed off the sides. Other treatments, like borders and frames, might suffer. If your banner includes a gold gallery frame around the outer edges, cropping the edges but not the top and bottom of the image would ruin the effect.
YouTuber CreativeCatMoms created a banner image that uses the entire design area effectively. The swirling, painterly branches reaching in from the edges display well across devices. When cropped, the design retains the original effect.
Express yourself
Aim to create a design that reflects your channel’s identity. If you have a signature color palette or logo, using these elements in your banner will give your channel a consistent look and feel. Imagine a new viewer visiting your channel for the first time, and think about using your banner design to show that person who you are and what your content is about.
Travel vlogger Yan Buyan used playful graphics and a consistent color palette to create an on-brand YouTube banner. Illustrated planes followed by trailing flight paths and handwritten city names reflect the channel’s subject matter. The bright yellow background matches the yellow text in her thumbnail images, creating a cohesive aesthetic.
Be mindful about font type and size
Legibility is the most important aspect of any text element on a page, and viewers access your channel on a variety of different devices. Put some thought into choosing font sizes and types that work in each of these types of displays. Sans serif fonts tend to be easier to read on mobile phones, for example, and ornamented, calligraphy-style fonts may appear cramped in small displays. Some of the best logo fonts—like Neue Haas Grotesk—also make for great YouTube banner fonts.
CartoMan’s super simple YouTube channel banner uses a simple text treatment for clarity. The high contrast between the white lettering and black background makes the text pop. The simple font is clear and legible on any device.
Preview your image
After you upload your banner image, YouTube will automatically serve a pop-up showing how your image will display in three different settings. The default preview depicts cropping for TV, desktop, and all devices. The all-devices display area represents the safe zone. Double-check your design to make sure that all of the important elements fit within these boundaries before you click or tap on publish.
What is the size of a YouTube profile photo?
Banners aren’t the only static images you’ll need on your YouTube channel. YouTube profile photos are circular images visible on channel homepages, under videos, and next to comments. Profile picture sizes vary depending on the content feed. Profile pictures are quite small for viewers on mobile devices, especially on video pages. Creators often use simple headshots or logos to ensure visibility, since detailed or zoomed-out images may be hard to see on small screens.
YouTube profile photo specs
YouTube recommends an 800 by 800 pixel resolution with a 1.1 aspect ratio for profile photos. Users can upload square or round images with a maximum 15 megabyte file size. The platform accepts JPG, PNG, BMP, and non-animated GIF images. If you select a square image, you’ll use a circular tool to crop the picture into the correct display shape during the upload process.
Trendy skin care company Glossier kept things simple for its YouTube profile picture. Using a high-contrast version of its logo ensures the image is recognizable even with a small display size.
What is the size of a YouTube thumbnail?
You can upload YouTube thumbnails along with individual video files to display wherever your content surfaces: in search feeds, on recommended video lists, and on channel home pages. Thumbnail design is a chance to shape first impressions about your video. Successful YouTubers often create custom thumbnails with a combination of graphics, images, and text to capture user attention.
YouTube thumbnail specs
YouTube recommends images with a 1280 by 720 pixel resolution for video thumbnails. Users can upload JPG, PNG, or non-animated GIF images with a maximum two megabytes file size. The minimum allowable width for a YouTube thumbnail is 640 pixels. YouTube recommends using a 16:9 aspect ratio for thumbnail images; this is the most common display format on the platform. For vertical video streams, meaning they’re taller than they are wide, YouTube will automatically generate a 4:5 thumbnail based on your custom image.
YouTube podcast thumbnails have different size requirements. For podcasts, YouTube recommends uploading 1280 by 1280 pixel resolution images and accepts files up to 10 megabytes. Podcast thumbnails are square; they use a 1:1 aspect ratio.
Allison Roman, a popular food writer and recipe developer, combined a bright background, beautiful food photography, and a still image from her video content to create an eye-catching thumbnail design. She paired these elements with a recipe name displayed in sans-serif font that’s large enough to read on mobile devices. By including an image of herself, she creates an opportunity for emotional connection with potential viewers and loyal fans who recognize her face.
YouTube banner size FAQ
What is the perfect size for a YouTube banner?
YouTube recommendations say the ideal banner size is 2560 by 1440 pixels. The platform accepts JPG, PNG, and non-animated GIF image files with a maximum size of two megabytes. YouTube banners are horizontal images with a 16:9 aspect ratio. To resize your images quickly and easily, use Shopify’s image resizer tool.
How do you make a great YouTube banner?
The best YouTube banners are visually pleasing and provide context for your videos. Creating a banner that reflects your signature aesthetic and hints at the tone of your content will enhance your channel’s branding and help set audience expectations. To ensure a crisp display, follow YouTube’s recommendations by uploading high-quality images with a 2560 by 1440 pixel resolution.
What’s the right YouTube thumbnail image size?
YouTube thumbnail requirements vary by content type. YouTube recommends a 1280 by 720 pixel resolution and accepts image files up to two megabytes for videos. For podcast playlists, YouTube accepts file sizes up to 10 megabytes and recommends uploading images with a 1:1 aspect ratio.
