About this tool
How it works
- Pick a layout: text on the left, big centered text, or a photo on the right.
- Drag a photo in or choose one. A plain color background works too.
- Write one to three lines and set their size, color and outline.
- Save as JPG and upload it as a custom thumbnail in YouTube Studio.
Drag the preview to move the photo, and use Undo to step back. The preview and the saved file are the same 1280×720 image.
YouTube thumbnail requirements
- Size: 1280×720 (16:9), at least 640 pixels wide
- File: JPG, PNG or GIF, under 2 MB
- Bottom right: covered by the video length
When you save as JPG, the quality is picked automatically so the file stays under 2 MB. PNG keeps text edges the sharpest, but with a photo it easily goes over 2 MB, and the page tells you when it does.
Thumbnails that read at a small size
- Keep the text under five words. On a phone's home feed a thumbnail is only about as wide as two fingers.
- Make text and background very different in brightness. On a busy photo, thicken the outline or turn on the dark band.
- Keep the bottom right clear. Turn on the video length guide to see what gets covered.
- Add a few words the title doesn't already say instead of repeating it.