YouTube Thumbnail Size: Dimensions, Format and Design Tips

A thumbnail is the first thing viewers see before they decide to click your video. Getting the size right makes sure it looks sharp everywhere, from phones to TVs. Here are the dimensions to use, how to resize your image and a few design tips.

The recommended YouTube thumbnail size

• Resolution: 1280 × 720 pixels, with a minimum width of 640 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Format: JPG, GIF or PNG
• File size: under 2 MB

These are the specifications YouTube has listed at the time of writing. Requirements can change, so double-check YouTube Help or YouTube Studio when you upload.

How to make a thumbnail the right size

1. Open the Image Resizer and upload your image.
2. Click the YouTube Thumbnail preset to set 1280 × 720.
3. Click Apply, check the preview and download the file.
4. If the file is over 2 MB, run it through the Image Compressor.

If your picture is not 16:9, crop it first with the Crop tool using the 16:9 ratio. That way nothing is stretched.

Design tips that help thumbnails stand out

• Keep text short. Three or four large words are easier to read than a sentence.
• Design for small sizes. Thumbnails appear tiny on phones and in suggested-video lists, so check how yours looks when shrunk.
• Use strong contrast between text, subject and background.
• Close-up faces and clear expressions tend to draw attention.
• Keep important details away from the bottom-right corner, where the video length label appears.

Keep a consistent style

Using the same fonts, colours and layout across your videos makes your channel recognisable at a glance. For other platforms, see The Perfect Image Sizes for Social Media.

Frequently asked questions