YouTube Thumbnail Maker

PicMonkey's YouTube thumbnail maker shows a smiling woman in blue leggings sitting cross-legged with bright purple weights in each hand. Background is a beige couch with wooden floors at home.

Use PicMonkey's YouTube thumbnail maker to give your channel a sleek, branded look. Customize a perfectly sized design template for instant clicks & engagement.

PicMonkey's YouTube thumbnail maker shows a smiling woman in blue leggings sitting cross-legged with bright purple weights in each hand. Background is a beige couch with wooden floors at home.

How to make a YouTube thumbnail

1. Pick a template

Get started fast with a designer-made YouTube thumbnail template. Or, if you'd prefer, start from scratch with a blank canvas.

2. Customize your design

Customize the thumbnail with your logo, text, and graphics. You can also browse our massive stock photo & video library for image inspo.

3. Add effects

Get trendy with our background erase feature or outline your pics to make 'em pop. Drop a shadow or curve some text. You got options!

4. Export & share

Download your final design or export to YouTube directly from PicMonkey. Add it to your video and watch the likes start rolling in!

FAQs about making YouTube thumbnails

How do I make a good YouTube thumbnail?

Something on-brand and totally eye-catching are the pillars of any good YouTube thumbnail design. Think about it — this is the first thing a viewer will see! It’s what’ll make them click through to watch your full vid and, hopefully, visit your channel afterwards to become a loyal follower.

How should I customize my YouTube thumbnail?

What’s your video about? That’s the first question to answer. Get your design off to a great start with one of our YouTube thumbnail templates, then add your own flavor. Use brand-specific colors, and add graphics if appropriate. Outline images or text for trendy looks.

What are the size requirements for a YouTube thumbnail?

The perfect size for a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels. This’ll ensure that no part of your design is cut off or uploads funky. Our templates and blank canvases come pre-sized, so no need to even worry about sizing if you start with one of them. Otherwise, you can always crop or resize your canvas to the perfect proportions.

More ways to claim YouTube fame

Access hundreds of PicMonkey templates for all your social posts