YouTube Thumbnail Size (1280×720) and Channel Art Guide

Your thumbnail is the first thing people see, often before your title. Getting the size right keeps it sharp on every screen, from phones to TVs.

YouTube image sizes

Resize in one click: thumbnail · banner · profile picture.

Keep it under 2 MB

Thumbnails must be under 2 MB. A 1280 × 720 JPG is usually well under that; if yours isn't, compress it to 1 MB.

Thumbnails that get clicked

• Readable at tiny sizes. Most views are on phones: use 3–5 big words at most.
• High contrast text. Light text with a dark outline stays readable on any background. Add it with Add Text to Image.
• A clear face or subject. Close-ups with a visible expression tend to perform well.
• Avoid the bottom-right corner. YouTube shows the video length there.
• Consistent style. Similar colors and layouts make your videos recognizable.

Channel banner safe area

Banners are cropped differently on TVs, desktops and phones. Only the center 1546 × 423 pixels shows everywhere, so keep your name, logo and any text inside it.