# YouTube thumbnail size and design rules [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/youtube-thumbnail-size) A thumbnail is made at 1280 pixels wide and judged at the size of a stamp, on a television, a laptop and a phone at once. Here is the size, and the rules that make one work at every scale. ## The short version - The YouTube thumbnail size is 1280×720 pixels, a 16:9 ratio that matches the video player. - Thumbnails appear at many sizes, from a television screen to a small suggestion in a sidebar, so they must read when very small. - YouTube places the video length in the bottom right corner of the thumbnail, so keep text and faces out of that corner. - A few large words work far better than a sentence; the title under the thumbnail can carry the rest. - Strong, saturated backgrounds stand out against both YouTube's light and dark themes, where pure white or black blend in. The **YouTube thumbnail size** is 1280×720 pixels, a 16:9 frame that matches the video player. Design at that size, but judge the result at the size of a postage stamp, because that's how most people will see it: in search results, in the home feed on a phone and in the list of suggested videos. Keep text to a few large words, keep the bottom right corner clear for the video length, and make the main subject readable at a glance. ## YouTube thumbnail size and format | Property | Value | | --- | --- | | Size | 1280×720 px | | Aspect ratio | 16:9 | | File types | JPG, PNG or GIF (static) | | Colour profile | sRGB | | Covered by YouTube | The bottom right corner, where the video length appears | Upload at exactly 1280×720. Any other shape is letterboxed or cropped to fit. - Thumbnail 16:9: 1280 × 720 - Shorts cover 9:16: 1080 × 1920 - Channel art: 2560 × 1440 The thumbnail next to the other YouTube images you'll make: a vertical Shorts cover and the channel art. Each has its own guide; see [YouTube banner size](https://gradiently.design/guide/youtube-banner-size). ## Design for the smallest size it will appear The same thumbnail shows up large on a television, medium on a laptop and small in a phone's suggestion list. Every rule below follows from that range. If a thumbnail works small, it will work large; the reverse is rarely true. A YouTube thumbnail with a long title and a smaller line above it on a gradient A full sentence. Readable at full size; at thumbnail size the words shrink to a grey stripe. The same thumbnail with just the words One year set very large on the gradient Two words, huge. Readable across the room, and the video title below can say the rest. 1. **Pick one subject** A face, an object or a few words. Not all three competing for the same small rectangle. 2. **Use three to five words at most** The title under the thumbnail is where the sentence goes. The thumbnail adds a hook, not a repeat. 3. **Set type heavy and large** Bold or display weights with thick strokes. [Display fonts](https://gradiently.design/guide/display-fonts) lists good options. Thin type disappears when small. 4. **Keep the bottom right clear** The video length sits there. Move text and faces towards the top or left. 5. **Shrink it to check** View it at about the width of your thumb on a phone. If you can't read it, simplify until you can. ## Faces or type: which works better Both work, for different kinds of video. The question is which one tells the viewer faster what they'll get. ### Lead with a face - When the person is the draw: vlogs, interviews, reactions - Expression shows the tone of the video instantly - Crop close; a small figure in a wide scene reads as nothing - Keep the face away from the bottom right corner ### Lead with type - When the topic is the draw: tutorials, explainers, lists - A few words make the promise concrete - Needs strong contrast against the background - Works well with a bold, consistent background for a series Many strong thumbnails combine them: a face on one side, two or three words on the other. What matters is that each element is big enough to survive being small. ## Backgrounds that stand out in both themes YouTube is used in light and dark mode. A thumbnail with a white background melts into the light theme; one with a near-black background melts into the dark theme. Saturated, mid-toned colour stands out against both. - Electric blue to violet: `linear-gradient(135deg, #2f6bff 0%, #8b3dff 100%)` - Hot orange to red: `linear-gradient(135deg, #ff8a00 0%, #e52e2e 100%)` - Lime to teal: `linear-gradient(135deg, #b6f23a 0%, #0fb5a6 100%)` - Magenta to amber: `linear-gradient(135deg, #ff2d95 0%, #ffb000 100%)` Saturated backgrounds that separate from both a white and a near-black interface. Pair each with white or very dark type, whichever contrasts more where the words sit. For a series, keep the same background look on every episode and change only the words or the image. Viewers learn to spot your videos in a feed by that consistency long before they read a word. [YouTube thumbnail design](https://gradiently.design/guide/youtube-thumbnail-design) covers layouts and series systems in more depth, and [social media image sizes](https://gradiently.design/guide/social-media-image-sizes) lists every other format. Export thumbnails as PNG when they're mostly type and colour, or high-quality JPEG when they're mostly photo. Gradiently has the YouTube thumbnail and Shorts cover built in, and copy to sizes turns one finished thumbnail into a matching Shorts cover or post. ## Make the thumbnail and title work together Viewers see the thumbnail and the title as one unit. If the thumbnail repeats the title word for word, you've wasted half your space. Let each do a different job: the title says what the video is, the thumbnail shows why it's worth watching, with a result, a face, a before and after, or two words that add a twist. > **Test, don't guess** YouTube Studio has a Test and compare feature that shows different thumbnails for the same video to different viewers and reports which one performs best. Use it on your most important uploads instead of debating the options. ## FAQ ### What size is a YouTube thumbnail? 1280×720 pixels, a 16:9 ratio. ### How much text should a YouTube thumbnail have? Three to five words at most, set large and heavy. The video title below the thumbnail can carry the full sentence. ### What part of a YouTube thumbnail is covered? The bottom right corner, where YouTube shows the video length. Keep text and faces out of it. ### Should YouTube thumbnails have faces? Faces work well when the person is the reason to watch, such as vlogs and interviews. Type works better when the topic is the draw. Many thumbnails combine the two. ### What file type should a YouTube thumbnail be? JPG, PNG or static GIF. Use PNG for designs that are mostly type and colour, and high-quality JPEG for photos.