Make a YouTube thumbnail
Put big, readable, outlined text over your own image and download a 1280 × 720 thumbnail.
Click something to select it, drag to move, use the corner squares to resize and the dot above to rotate. Double-click text to edit it.
Templates
A thumbnail is judged at about 210 pixels wide in the sidebar and smaller than that on a phone. That single fact decides everything: three or four words maximum, type big enough to survive the shrink, and a dark outline behind light text so it holds up against whatever frame sits behind it.
All three templates here are built that way — heavy condensed faces (Anton, Bebas Neue), a black outline on the headline, and a drop shadow so the words separate from the photo instead of dissolving into it.
Use Photo as the background and the templates keep your picture, restyling only the text. Zoom your browser out to about 25% to check it still reads before you download.
How to use it
- Set the background to Photo and choose a frame from your video.
- Pick a template — bold caps, a question, or a big number.
- Cut the headline down to three or four words and make it as large as it will go.
- Download the 1280 × 720 PNG and upload it as a custom thumbnail.
Frequently asked questions
What size and file size does YouTube want?
1280 × 720 (16:9), at least 640 pixels wide, under 2 MB, as JPG or PNG. This page exports 1280 × 720 or 1920 × 1080; both are 16:9 and both are accepted.
My PNG is over the 2 MB limit.
Switch the format to JPG, which for a photo-backed thumbnail is usually five times smaller and looks identical. Or run the PNG through <a href="/compress-image/">compress image</a>.
Why does my text disappear at small sizes?
Almost always too many words or too little contrast. Cut to three or four, raise the text size, and add or thicken the outline — the Outline slider in the text panel is there for exactly this.
Does a thumbnail actually change how a video does?
It is the main thing deciding whether someone clicks, so yes. Keep the face or subject large, keep the words short, and do not repeat the title word for word — the title is already next to it.
Can I grab a frame from my video to use?
Not on this page. Play the video, screenshot the frame, and drop that in as the background — or use <a href="/video-to-gif/">video to GIF</a> on a short range and pull a frame out of that.
I only need an existing image resized to 1280 × 720.
Then use <a href="/resize-image-to-1920x1080/">the resizer</a> instead. This page is for designing one from scratch.
More free tools
All design →Add Text to a Photo
Put words on a picture with proper fonts, an outline and a shadow — and keep the full resolution.
Photo Collage Maker
Combine several photos into one picture, with layouts, spacing and rounded corners.
Screenshot Beautifier
Padding, a gradient background, rounded corners and a shadow.
Text Behind Image
Make words pass behind the person in your photo, the way a magazine cover does.
Remove EXIF Data
Delete the hidden GPS, camera and date information your photos carry, without touching the picture.
Blur a Face
Cover faces, plates or addresses with a blur, pixels or a black block before you share a picture.