How To Make a Thumbnail for YouTube: 6 Steps and Tips

When you open YouTube, you’ll notice a gallery of images and video titles. These visuals are called thumbnails, and their goal is to get new viewers to click on them. Creators often use bright colors, funny text, and vibrant emojis to entice potential audiences. 

There are several ways to accomplish this, so read on to learn how to make a thumbnail for YouTube.

What’s a YouTube Thumbnail?

A YouTube thumbnail is an image that represents a video or Short on the platform. When viewers search for a specific type of YouTube video, like “how to cook beef Wellington,” they’ll see multiple thumbnails designed to tempt them to click. Images could contain the creator's face, a still from the video, or text hinting at the post’s content. 

If the thumbnail is attractive, people are more likely to watch your video. It should stand out, be clear on the content, and catch users’ eyes, making their thumbs stop on your content instead of someone else’s.

Benefits of an Effective YouTube Thumbnail

Spending time on your thumbnail is an important part of uploading a video, as it offers the following benefits.

Increased Click-Through Rate

The click-through rate (CTR) refers to how many people tap on your video rather than just seeing it in their feed. The clearest benefit is that a higher CTR leads to more views, increasing ad revenue, and sponsorship opportunities. Having a high CTR boosts your rankings on YouTube because the platform prioritizes watched content.

Essentially, your YouTube thumbnail design can affect whether or not your content goes viral.

Brand Recognition and Consistency

Your thumbnails shouldn’t all look identical, but you should consider following the same design format to help people recognize your brand over time. If they like your content, they’ll be more likely to watch your video if they know it’s yours.

When designing your thumbnail, you could use specific colors, words, or images to make it unique. For instance, you could draw an animated version of yourself and include it in all your thumbnails.

Enhanced Video Visibility

YouTube’s algorithm will move your video up in search results the more people click on it. A YouTube thumbnail maker can help you craft the perfect thumb-stopping thumbnail. 

Captions helps you generate images and emojis for your video’s content — try using a frame from this AI-generated content as a thumbnail.

Improved Credibility

If you don’t create a thumbnail for your post, YouTube will grab a screenshot from your video to use instead. So, spending time designing your own thumbnail will give credibility to your channel. It lets viewers know you’ve invested time into the content, showing them you care about your content.

A professional-looking thumbnail also helps users feel like your video is trustworthy, which could give you an edge over other posts.

How To Make Good Thumbnails: 6 Tips

Whether you’re new to making thumbnails or an experienced pro, these tips will help you craft click-worthy images. 

1. Research Competitors

When you’re new to creating thumbnails, a good place to begin is to research other creators within your niche. Specifically, look at channels and posts that have a lot of views. This process will give you insights into text, colors, and effects you could use in your own designs.

2. Add Text 

Using a few words to explain what your video is about can make all the difference. Viewers want to have context for your video’s content at a glance — short, punchy text can achieve that.

Also, make sure that there’s a good distinction between the color of your text and the background so viewers can read it quickly and easily. For example, you might consider using white text if your background is black because there’s a high contrast between the two colors, making it easier to read.

3. Don’t Overload With Information 

Keep your thumbnail simple so users can see what your content is about without being distracted by multiple design elements. 

If people can’t quickly figure out what to expect from your content, they’re more likely to move on to a different video.

4. Use Basic Images

Thumbnails are quite small, so having a lot of fine detail in them looks confusing, since viewers can’t see what’s in the picture. To prevent this, keep images simple and easy to interpret. For instance, if you’re making a gaming video, include one main character in the thumbnail. 

5. Follow the Trends

Social media trends are always changing, so experiment with different popular styles to suit current preferences. Examples of trends include using bold, brightly colored text, adding close-up face images like reaction shots, and editing images to be high contrast or distorted.

6. Stick to the YouTube Thumbnail Size 

It’s important to get your YouTube thumbnail aspect ratio and specs right, or else the platform won’t accept the image. Some important guidelines to keep in mind include: 

• 1280 pixels x 720 pixels 
• Minimum of 640 pixels in width
• JPEG, GIF, or PNG file types
• Less than 2MB
• 16-to-9 aspect ratio 

The easiest way to hit all these marks is by using a YouTube thumbnail template, as it will already have the correct sizes built into it.

4 YouTube Thumbnail Creators To Try

There are many platforms to help you create your ideal thumbnails. Here are some of our favorites: 

1. Captions — Our software uses speech-recognition technology to generate relevant emojis and images for each post. AI automatically inserts these into a video, which you can save and use as thumbnails.
2. Canva — This platform has a large library of images, fonts, and backgrounds. You can upload your own images, which is a great feature for creators on a budget. Premium content can cost up to $1 each, or you can opt for a monthly subscription fee. The software will also automatically set the correct YouTube thumbnail resolution and aspect ratio for you.
3. Adobe — This company has a few design resources you can use to create a YouTube thumbnail, such as Photoshop and Spark. Photoshop requires technical know-how and has a hefty price tag, but it can also help you make YouTube videos. Adobe Spark is more user-friendly for beginners and has both free and paid plans.
4. PicMonkey — This is an easy-to-use program that lets you edit photos using several effects, like Touch Up, Color Changer, and Edge Sketch. It includes many stock photos and comes with YouTube thumbnail templates. 

How To Upload Your Thumbnail to YouTube

Knowing how to add a thumbnail to a YouTube video is essential for creators. If you’re uploading your video for the first time, add the image in the section of the video upload dialog box titled “Thumbnails.” To edit the thumbnail of a live video, follow these steps:

1. Log in — Click on your profile picture in the top right, then select “YouTube Studio” from the dropdown menu.
2. Select “Content” — Choose the “Content” option on the left side of the screen.
3. Search — Find the video you want to create a new thumbnail for and click on it. 
4. Navigate to the settings — In the “settings” dialog box, look for the section titled “Thumbnails.” There’ll be preset options and the choice to add your own. Click on “Upload Thumbnail.”
5. Upload — Select “Custom Thumbnail” and choose the image you want to use.
6. Save — Hit the “Save” button to update your thumbnail. 

Create Eye-Catching Thumbnails and Posts With Captions

Designing an engaging thumbnail is only the first step in YouTube success. In order to improve CTRs and watch times, you also need to post polished, well-edited videos. 

That’s where Captions comes in. Our tools add subtitles in multiple languages, enhance your video’s appearance, and improve viewer accessibility. With these tools, you can create content that attracts new subscribers and has viral potential.