How to size and upload a YouTube banner to give your channel custom art

• You can create and upload a YouTube banner as a header to your branded or personal YouTube channel.
• The recommended YouTube banner size is 2,560 x 1,440 pixels.
• When uploading a banner, there are guides to help you position it so viewers can read text on it.

If you're starting a YouTube channel, adding a banner is an important part of setting it up. After all, it's the first image that people will see when they view your channel. And when done well, it can help you gain subscribers and succeed on the platform.

Here's what you should know about the recommended YouTube banner size, how to best position text on the image, and how to upload an image to your channel.

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YouTube banner size

Your banner needs to be specific pixel dimensions to format correctly on YouTube:

• Recommended banner size: 2,560 x 1,440 pixels
• Minimum banner size: 2,048 x 1,152 pixels
• Maximum banner width: 2,560 x 423 pixels
• Maximum file size: 6MB

Quick tip: If your banner doesn't conform to these requirements, you can resize it. But the process will vary depending on the device you're using - like Mac, Windows, or iPhone - or if desired, you can use Photoshop.

YouTube banner safe area

The dimensions listed above are a measure of the width and height of the image, in pixels. These are meant to give your channel page the best look, whether the viewer is on desktop, mobile, or TV.

You should also know about the text and logo "safe area," which measures 1,546 x 423 pixels. The safe area is what people will see on all devices, so that's where you want to confine your text and logos to on the image. For the best result, that information should be centered on your image, both vertically and horizontally.

How to upload your banner to YouTube

1. Go to the YouTube website and sign in to your account, if needed.

2. Click on your profile thumbnail in the top-right corner of the screen, then select Your channel.

3. If you don't have a banner already, select Customize Channel. Or if you have a current banner, click into it and upload a new image, then skip to step six.

4. After the Customize Channel option, select Branding.

5. Under Banner Image, click Upload.

6. Select your image from the pop-up and hit Open.

7. Adjust the image as necessary, using the guides, and when ready click Done.

8. Select Publish.

YouTube banner templates

You may want to make a YouTube banner from a template, where you can choose a graphic and customize it yourself.

Sites like Canva and Adobe offer a wide range of YouTube banner templates that you can download, re-size, and design to make your own.

YouTube channel art templates (small)YouTube Banner Templates (small)How to create a YouTube channel for personal use or for your brandHow to upload a video to YouTube and customize its settings on desktop and mobileHow to verify your YouTube account, so you can upload videos longer than 15 minutes and customize thumbnailsHow to see a list of your YouTube subscribers on a computer or mobile device