YouTube Banner & Thumbnail Sizes 2026: Channel Art

Updated October 9, 2026 · By SevenOneLabs

Use a different export for your channel banner and each video thumbnail. YouTube's current thumbnail recommendation is larger than the older 1280 x 720 preset still found in many guides.

YouTube image sizes at a glance

YouTube now recommends 3840 x 2160 video thumbnails. Its older 1280 x 720 size is a working canvas. At the minimum 2048 x 1152 banner size, the text/logo safe area is 1235 x 338. A safe area is not a separate cover upload.

• YouTube Help: custom thumbnails · Checked October 9, 2026
• YouTube Help: channel branding · Checked October 9, 2026

Channel banner and safe area

Prepare a 2560 x 1440 banner. YouTube allows a minimum 2048 x 1152 upload and a file up to 6 MB. At that minimum size, the safe area for text and logos is 1235 x 338. Scaling that area to a 2560-pixel canvas gives approximately 1544 x 423, but the uploader preview is the final check. The safe area is part of the banner, not a separate cover image.

Keep your channel name and logo centered. Use the outer area for background artwork because phones, desktop windows and TVs show different crops. Check every device preview before saving.

Video thumbnails and upload limits

YouTube Help recommends 3840 x 2160 for video thumbnails at 16:9. The minimum width is 640 pixels. JPG and PNG are listed formats. Current limits depend on the upload device: mobile video thumbnails must be under 2 MB, while desktop video, Shorts and podcast thumbnails have a 50 MB limit. Mobile podcast thumbnails have a 10 MB limit.

Keep the subject and headline readable at a small preview size. The 1280 x 720 editor preset remains a smaller working export; choose custom dimensions to follow the current recommendation. A larger canvas cannot recover detail missing from the original photo.

Profile picture and Shorts

The channel-branding article says a profile picture renders at 98 x 98 pixels and should be no larger than 15 MB. An 800 x 800 square is a working canvas, not a published minimum. Center the face or logo for the circular crop.

YouTube's thumbnail article lists 2160 x 3840 at 9:16 for Shorts artwork. Cover controls and visible crops vary by publishing flow and device. Check YouTube Studio's current options for your account before preparing a separate cover.

Prepare and check your export

1. Open the YouTube image resizer and choose the intended placement.
2. Set custom width and height if you need dimensions beyond the preset.
3. Use fit with padding to retain the whole image, or crop to fill the frame.
4. Export a supported format, then check the file size and the actual upload preview.

Download the 2026 social media image-size cheat sheet for the platform comparison and source list.