Thumbnails are a smaller version of an image or video, based on the size of a human thumbnail.
The thumbnail image on YouTube acts as the cover of the online video world, influencing the audience’s action to watch or not watch a video.
Catchy thumbnails can quickly draw attention to the content, whilst dull or blurry thumbnails can easily turn people away.
You’re more likely to get video clicks on YouTube and other search engines if your video thumbnails are better than other videos. That is why it is critical to creating excellent custom YouTube thumbnails.
What Should be the Size of a Thumbnail?
The optimum thumbnail size is 1280X720 pixels wide with a minimum width of 640 pixels, with a 16:9 aspect ratio for the YouTube player and preview.
You must also consider the ratio, file size, and file type of your thumbnail in addition to the suitable size.
A more detailed explanation, as well as tips and tricks for using it, are provided below.
YouTube Video Thumbnail Size And Tips and Tricks
Because a thumbnail’s primary purpose is to serve as a cover for your content, you should pay special attention to how you use it.
No one will stop by to watch your thumbnail if it isn’t entertaining, just like the title suggests.
Make it as simple as possible
YouTube is frequently viewed on smartphones, which are much smaller than computers, resulting in a small and limited screen display.
As a result, avoid adding too much or too little text that is difficult to read. Avoid including the entire video title in the image to keep your thumbnails simple. Next to your thumbnail, your video’s title will appear.
Try to keep your title to only a few words, or use a still image with a logo if possible.
Use Contrasting Colors
Many people make poor color choices, like white text on a light background or black text on a dark background.
Obviously, this will not appeal to a large audience, as there are millions of interesting and creative thumbnails available on YouTube.
When you use a color blend like this, no one will notice your thumbnail.
Avoid Irrelevant or Misleading Images
Nobody likes clickbait, so make sure your YouTube thumbnail accurately represents what viewers will see in your video.
Your brand or reputation could be harmed if you don’t. Worse yet, if your bounce rate is too high, YouTube may decide to remove your video from search results.
Because thumbnails are meant to provide context, using an image that doesn’t accurately represent what the viewer will see won’t help you.
Finding the most important parts of your video and creating thumbnails around them is a good idea.
Use High Resolution Images
Some displays may become pixelated and blurry if you view an image at a lower resolution. The dimensions of the 720p video, which is considered HD video and is frequently the default playback resolution, are 1280 x 720 pixels.
Use Compatible File Formats
For thumbnails, you can use image file formats like JPG (or JPEG), PNG, GIF (non-animated), and BMP.
The HEIC format, which stands for High-Efficiency Image Format, is a newer image format that some smartphones, including iPhones, now used by default.
Because you can’t upload HEIC files to YouTube, you’ll need to convert them first to JPG. You also cannot use RAW images such as images with the .dng, .nef, .crw, .arw, or .gpr file extensions.
This type of format must first be processed and uploaded as JPG.