What a thumbnail has to do
A thumbnail has one job: to spark curiosity among many other thumbnails. It’s usually seen small – on a smartphone, in a list, next to other videos on the same topic. Anything that doesn’t work instantly there gets overlooked.
One subject, one feeling
Focus on one thing: a face with a clear emotion, a product, a result. Many small elements blur into a jumble on a small screen.
Little text – and big
If you use text, only a few words, large and easy to read. The thumbnail doesn’t need to repeat the title. Better: it complements it. The title explains, the image creates the feeling.
Contrast and legibility
Strong contrast between subject and background, clear colours, a bold typeface. Check every thumbnail at the size it appears on a smartphone. YouTube shows the video length in the bottom right – nothing important should go there.
Stay honest
A thumbnail that promises more than the video delivers might get a click – but also disappointed viewers who leave quickly. In the long run, that harms your channel more than it helps. What makes the video itself strong is covered in The company video.
A style for the channel
Recurring colours, typefaces and layouts make your channel recognisable. Anyone who knows your videos spots them in the list immediately. With templates, every new thumbnail is quicker – and still doesn’t look like the last one. If the colours and typefaces match the rest of your presence, people recognise you outside YouTube too; how such a system comes about is shown in Corporate design.
The technical side
- Format 16:9, 1280 × 720 pixels recommended.
- File type JPG or PNG, under 2 MB.
- Custom thumbnails can be uploaded by anyone who has verified their channel.
On many channels, YouTube now offers to test several thumbnails against each other. Use it if it’s shown to you – your viewers know best.
What we take care of
We develop a thumbnail style for your channel and design individual thumbnails or entire series – in several variants for testing, if you like. More under Thumbnails and Video. Want to give your channel a clear face? Then get in touch via our contact page.