YouTube Thumbnail Size and Design Tips (1280x720, 2MB)
Even a great video gets skipped if its thumbnail does not catch the eye. Thumbnails flash by at very small sizes in recommendations and search results, so following the size rules and making them readable on small screens matter most.
YouTube thumbnail requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Recommended size | 1280 x 720px (16:9) |
| Minimum width | 640px |
| File formats | JPG, PNG, GIF and others |
| Maximum file size | 2MB |
To upload custom thumbnails, your channel needs to be verified (phone verification). PNGs with photo backgrounds easily go over 2MB, so saving as JPG is usually easier.
Text that reads at small sizes
Most thumbnails are seen on phones at about the width of two or three fingers. Text that looks fine at 1280px on a computer often turns to mush when shrunk.
- Do not copy the video title. Cut it down to a few key words.
- Bold sans-serif fonts read far better at small sizes than thin fonts.
- A thick outline makes text pop on any background.
- Give just one key word an accent color like yellow or neon. If everything is highlighted, nothing is.
Color and layout
YouTube's interface is white or black. Thumbnails that are too white or too dark blend into the page. Use saturated backgrounds or bright photos, and keep a strong brightness contrast between the text and the background.
For videos with a person on camera, a reliable layout puts a large, expressive face on one side and the text on the other. Keep important text out of the bottom right corner, where the video length is shown.
Making it with the thumbnail tool
The thumbnail tool starts at 1280x720. Pick a template and change the title. Wrap the key word in [brackets] to apply the accent color, and check the list-size and phone-size previews to make sure it reads well when small.
Save JPG automatically adjusts the quality to keep the file under 2MB. If you want to place a person on a different background, first make a transparent PNG with the background remover.
Watch out for copyright
Using other people's photos, TV screenshots or celebrity pictures without permission can lead to copyright or likeness claims. Your own photos, frames from your own video and free images licensed for commercial use are the safe choices. Check that your fonts allow commercial use too. All fonts in the thumbnail tool are free for commercial use.