What Is The Best Size For Youtube Thumbnails

Are you lot looking to become more than views on your YouTube videos? One like shooting fish in a barrel way to practice that is to improve your video thumbnails.

Your video's thumbnail is just as of import as its championship when information technology comes to attracting views. Thumbnails draw the attention of potential viewers and assist them determine which video they should ultimately decide to watch—hopefully yours!

2021 YouTube Thumbnail Sizes

1280 x 720 pixels
– Minimum width: 640 pixels
– Recommended ratio: 16:9
– Maximum file size: 2MB
– Accepted file types: .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG

Of course, it'due south a practiced idea to have a great video behind the thumbnail. That's why I highly recommend you as well check out our Ultimate Guide for How to Make a YouTube Video.

Merely, anyhow, what exactly is a thumbnail? Thumbnails are reduced-size versions of images or videos that originally got their name from being near the size of a human thumbnail.

YouTube thumbnails act as the book covers of the online video globe. Our conclusion whether or not to click on a video often depends on the thumbnail. An eye-catching image can depict u.s.a. in, while a deadening or blurry thumbnail can hands deter us.

By having ameliorate video thumbnails than other videos, yous're more likely to win video clicks on YouTube and other search engines. That'southward why creating a slap-up custom YouTube thumbnail is so important.

In this web log mail, I'll walk y'all through the exact size your YouTube thumbnail should be and I'll also embrace some thumbnail best practices.

First, let's commencement with the exact size yous should brand your YouTube thumbnails!

The ideal thumbnail size is 1280 × 720 pixels with a minimum width of 640 pixels, and the ideal ratio for YouTube players and previews is 16:9. Along with the correct size, you'll besides desire to keep in listen the ratio, file size, and file blazon of your thumbnail. Beneath is a handy guide you can reference every bit you create a thumbnail for your video.

At present that we've covered the technical details of your YouTube thumbnail, let'south dive into the creative. How do you brand a great-looking thumbnail that entices potential viewers? Dandy question! We've pulled together some tips that y'all'll desire to keep in mind while creating YouTube thumbnails.

YouTube Thumbnail Best Practices

Continue information technology simple

Be concise! YouTube thumbnails are small. And they're even smaller when they're viewed on a mobile device, which is extremely mutual since YouTube is often watched on mobile phones. In fact, on an average day in 2018, there were i billion mobile views. That's why yous should try to avoid calculation also much text or too modest of text. People won't be able to read information technology, and thus wasting valuable thumbnail real estate.

To make sure yous keep your thumbnail simple, avert adding the entire title of your video to the image. Your video title will appear correct next to your thumbnail anyways. Try to shorten your title to just a few short words, or if possible, you lot can just apply just a even so image with a logo. Still images work great for thumbnails considering they rapidly give a snapshot of what viewers volition detect in your video without you having to create an image entirely from scratch.

Utilise contrasting colors

You've seen this tragic mistake before: white text on a light background or blackness text on a dark background. Yikes. As I mentioned before, thumbnails are small, and at that place are a lot of them. You need yours to stand out, and then if a viewer tin't easily read the text on your thumbnail, it'due south likely your video volition exist skipped.

Pay attending to logo placement

Adding your logo to your YouTube thumbnails is a good idea. It tin help with brand awareness, yet, how and where you identify your logo on your thumbnails is important. First, make certain your logo isn't besides large. You don't desire to distract from the overall message of the thumbnail, simply if it's too small in that location's no sense of adding it at all.

Adding your logo to the corner of the thumbnail image works well, particularly if you have other text on your thumbnail, but avoid the right bottom corner. Why? Considering that's where YouTube displays the length of your video for viewers. If you put your logo in that location it'll exist covered upward and make your video look unprofessional.

Avoid irrelevant or misleading images

No 1 likes clickbait. That's why It'southward important to brand certain that your YouTube thumbnail accurately depicts what a viewer is going to find in your video. If it doesn't, y'all could hurt your reputation or make. And even worse, YouTube could potentially stop showing your videos in search results if your bounce rates are too high.

A thumbnail's purpose is to give context, and then using an image that doesn't depict what a viewer is actually going to see won't benefit you. It'due south a good idea to notice the almost important signal of your video and highlight that past creating a thumbnail around information technology. It's all-time to balance creating a visual teaser without revealing likewise much. Just show plenty to make users want to click through and see what you have to say.

Bonus! How to Make Your Own YouTube Thumbnail

Now, allow's put what we learned about thumbnails to use past actually creating a custom thumbnail image. An easy style to create a YouTube thumbnail is to employ TechSmith Snagit.

Here'due south a step-by-step on how to create a YouTube thumbnail in Snagit.

one. Download a gratuitous trial of Snagit.

It'southward really that easy!

2. Import your video into Snagit.

If you've recorded screen video or your webcam with Snagit, you tin skip importing your video.

iii. Use Snagit's catechumen to PNG button to turn your video still into an image.

Play through your video and discover the verbal spot you'd similar to turn into an image.

4. Add text, callouts, arrows, your logo, and more correct inside the Snagit Editor.

Don't forget to continue in mind the YouTube Thumbnail best practices—simple, contrasting colors, logo placement, etc.

5. Save your prototype to upload to YouTube for the video thumbnail.

Now, go ahead and try making your own YouTube thumbnail in Snagit, or feel gratuitous to use whatever software you feel most comfy using. So, upload your custom thumbnail to YouTube before posting your video.

Hopefully, your new, customized thumbnail will bring you more views, clicks, and engagement!