YouTube Banner Size — Channel Art, Safe Zones & Thumbnail Dimensions
YouTube renders one channel banner across TV, desktop, tablet, and phone — and each device crops a different slice out of the 2560x1440 source. Getting the dimensions and the “safe area” right is the difference between a polished channel header and a banner with the logo sliced in half on mobile.
All YouTube Channel Dimensions
Channel Banner / Art
- 2560 x 1440 — Upload size (16:9)
- 1546 x 423 — TV-safe / text-safe zone (centered)
- Max file size: 6MB
- Formats: PNG, JPG
Profile Photo
- 800 x 800 — Upload (1:1, displays ~98px in comments)
Video Thumbnail
- 1280 x 720 — Standard thumbnail (16:9)
- Min width: 640 pixels
- Max file size: 2MB
- Formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP
End Screens & Cards
- End screens render in the last 5–20 seconds of a video
- Design assets at 1920x1080 with safe margins on all sides
- Cards are auto-generated from titles and thumbnails
YouTube Image Specs Comparison
| Asset | Dimensions | Aspect Ratio | Max File Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel banner (upload) | 2560 x 1440 | 16:9 | 6MB |
| Banner TV-safe area | 1546 x 423 | ~3.65:1 | — |
| Video thumbnail | 1280 x 720 | 16:9 | 2MB |
| Profile photo | 800 x 800 | 1:1 | 4MB |
| End screen canvas | 1920 x 1080 | 16:9 | — |
YouTube Banner Best Practices
- Design for the 1546x423 safe zone: YouTube shows the full 2560x1440 only on TV. Phone and desktop crop down to a narrow strip in the center — keep logos, channel name, and key art inside that strip or they’ll be invisible to most viewers.
- Upload at 2560x1440, not smaller: YouTube downscales for each viewport, but uploading at the recommended source size keeps the TV view sharp on 4K screens. Smaller uploads get scaled up and look soft.
- Stay under 6MB: YouTube’s banner upload silently rejects anything larger. Re-export with mozJPEG or a high-quality PNG-8 palette if you’re close to the limit.
- Avoid hard edges at the crop lines: banners with solid color blocks at 18%, 38%, or 62% horizontal positions tend to create awkward visible seams on different devices. Use soft gradients or background imagery for the outer regions.
- Match the banner to your thumbnail style: when a new viewer lands on your channel page, the banner and the most recent thumbnails are seen together. A consistent color palette and type system tells viewers they’re in the right place.
- Profile photo crops to a circle: the 800x800 image displays in a circular mask in every YouTube surface. Keep the subject (logo or face) centered with at least 10% padding inside the edge.
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Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet (2024)
| Platform | Type | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Post (Square) | 1080 x 1080 | |
| Post (Portrait) | 1080 x 1350 | |
| Post (Landscape) | 1080 x 566 | |
| Story / Reel | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Profile Photo | 320 x 320 | |
| TikTok | Video Cover | 1080 x 1920 |
| Profile Photo | 200 x 200 | |
| YouTube | Thumbnail | 1280 x 720 |
| Channel Banner | 2560 x 1440 | |
| Profile Photo | 800 x 800 | |
| Post (Landscape) | 1200 x 630 | |
| Post (Square) | 1200 x 1200 | |
| Cover Photo | 820 x 312 | |
| Profile Photo | 170 x 170 | |
| Event Cover | 1200 x 628 | |
| X (Twitter) | Profile Photo | 400 x 400 |
| Header Photo | 1500 x 500 | |
| In-Stream Photo | 1600 x 900 | |
| Card Image | 1200 x 628 | |
| Post Image | 1200 x 627 | |
| Cover Photo | 1584 x 396 | |
| Profile Photo | 400 x 400 | |
| Company Logo | 300 x 300 | |
| Standard Pin | 1000 x 1500 | |
| Idea Pin | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Board Cover | 600 x 600 | |
| Profile Photo | 165 x 165 | |
| Twitch | Profile Banner | 1200 x 480 |
| Offline / Video Player Banner | 1920 x 1080 | |
| Profile Photo | 256 x 256 | |
| Info Panel | 320 x 100 | |
| Emote (Large) | 112 x 112 | |
| Emote (Medium) | 56 x 56 | |
| Emote (Small) | 28 x 28 | |
| Snapchat | Snap | 1080 x 1920 |
| Geofilter | 1080 x 2340 | |
| Profile Photo | 320 x 320 | |
| Story Ad | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Threads | Profile Photo | 320 x 320 |
| Feed Image | 1080 x 1350 | |
| Feed Square | 1080 x 1080 | |
| Link Preview | 1200 x 628 | |
| Discord | Server Icon | 512 x 512 |
| Profile Avatar | 128 x 128 | |
| Server Banner | 960 x 540 | |
| Invite Splash | 1920 x 1080 | |
| Custom Emoji | 128 x 128 | |
| Sticker | 320 x 320 | |
| Role Icon | 64 x 64 | |
| Post Image | 1200 x 675 | |
| Community Banner | 1920 x 384 | |
| Avatar / Community Icon | 256 x 256 | |
| Old Reddit Thumbnail | 70 x 70 | |
| Status (Story) | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Business Catalog | 1024 x 1024 | |
| Profile Photo | 500 x 500 | |
| Group Icon | 500 x 500 | |
| Telegram | Channel Post Photo | 1280 x 1280 |
| Story | 1080 x 1920 | |
| Sticker | 512 x 512 | |
| Profile Picture | 512 x 512 | |
| Channel / Group Icon | 512 x 512 | |
| Spotify | Canvas (Looping Video) | 1080 x 1920 |
| Cover Art | 3000 x 3000 | |
| Show / Podcast Artwork | 3000 x 3000 | |
| Profile Image (Artist) | 750 x 750 | |
| Playlist Cover | 640 x 640 | |
| Substack | Newsletter Header | 1456 x 816 |
| Post / Section Hero | 1456 x 816 | |
| Publication Logo | 256 x 256 | |
| Profile Photo | 256 x 256 | |
| Medium | Story Cover | 1500 x 750 |
| Topic / Tag Header | 1500 x 750 | |
| Publication Logo (Horizontal) | 600 x 60 | |
| Publication Logo (Square) | 500 x 500 | |
| Profile Photo | 500 x 500 | |
| Bluesky | Profile Avatar | 1000 x 1000 |
| Profile Banner | 3000 x 1000 | |
| Post Image (Portrait) | 1200 x 1500 | |
| Post Image (Landscape) | 1200 x 675 | |
| Link Card Preview | 1200 x 630 | |
| Etsy | Listing Photo (Square) | 2000 x 2000 |
| Listing Photo (4:3) | 2700 x 2025 | |
| Search Thumbnail | 570 x 456 | |
| Shop Banner (Big) | 1200 x 300 | |
| Shop Banner (Large) | 3360 x 840 | |
| Shop Icon | 500 x 500 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the YouTube banner size in 2026?
The recommended YouTube channel banner is 2560x1440 pixels (16:9) with a maximum file size of 6MB. YouTube renders the same upload across TV, desktop, tablet, and phone — TV uses the full canvas, phone and desktop crop down to a centered 1546x423 strip. Always design the important content inside that centered safe zone.
What is the YouTube banner safe area?
YouTube’s text-safe area is roughly 1546x423 pixels in the center of the 2560x1440 banner. This is the slice that’s visible on every device, including the narrowest phone viewports. Place logos, channel name, and any tagline copy inside this rectangle to make sure they’re never cropped.
What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?
YouTube thumbnails should be 1280x720 pixels (16:9) at a minimum width of 640 pixels and a maximum file size of 2MB. YouTube accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP. The same image renders in suggestions at ~168x94 on mobile, so test text readability at that smaller size before uploading.
What size is a YouTube channel profile picture?
Upload your YouTube profile picture at 800x800 pixels (1:1). YouTube crops it to a circle and displays it as small as 98x98 in comment threads, so keep the subject centered with at least 10% padding inside the canvas edge. PNG works best for logos with text or sharp edges; JPG is fine for photographs.
What size should YouTube end screens be?
End screens overlay the last 5–20 seconds of your video and follow the video’s 1920x1080 (or 1280x720) canvas. Design any background art at 1920x1080 with at least 90 pixels of safe margin on every edge so subscribe buttons and video thumbnails don’t collide with your composition.
What file formats does YouTube accept for banners?
YouTube channel banners accept PNG and JPG up to 6MB. Use PNG for designs that include text, logos, or sharp graphic edges — JPG compression introduces ringing artifacts around hard contrast lines. Reserve JPG for banners that are primarily photographic.