Charting Updates: YouTube Money Standards

YouTube monetization policy has been improved in recent times. Small creators can now find joy in learning that YouTube is making it easier for them to monetize their content. The game-changing updates on YouTube’s new monetization policy in 2023 make the platform friendly for budding content creators. Anyone who has been discouraged from starting a YouTube because of the lofty thresholds can now breathe a sigh of relief. This guide to YouTube monetization policy and requirements provides information and guidance on the latest changes creators need to be aware of.

YouTube Monetization Editor A cross-platform for making shorts using top YouTuber’s strategies Free Download Learn More

Part 1. Introduction to YouTube Monetization: What You Need to Know

YouTube monetization refers to earning money from the content uploaded on the platform. It is the ability to derive income from the videos you have uploaded on your YouTube channels. The YouTube policies for monetization clearly stipulate what you need to start making money on the platform.

After passing the YouTube requirement for monetization, your channel can generate revenue in several ways:

• YouTube Ads: The most common way of earning money from YouTube. After passing the eligibility criteria, YouTube displays ads on your videos. You then earn income every time a viewer watches it for a certain amount of time or clicks on it.
• Channel Memberships: Viewers to pay a monthly fee to support your channel. In exchange, they get unique perks like early access to new videos
• Merchandise Shelf: YouTubers with more than 10,000 subscribers can enable a merch shelf. It allows them to sell merchandise on videos.
• Super Chat: You can also earn money from YouTube through Super Chat and Super Stickers. They allow viewers to pay for their messages to be highlighted in the live chat. They can also pay for the animated images that appear on the screen.
• Brand Deals: YouTubers partner with brands to promote products or services. Brand deals can also include sponsorships and product placement.

Part 2. YouTube New Monetization Policies 2023: Key Updates

The YouTube monetization policies update on June 13th, 2023 provided a new opportunity for creators to earn money on the platforms. With the new updates, it is now easier for beginners to generate revenue on YouTube. The YouTube new monetization policy 2023 makes monetization more accessible to creators. It adds earlier access to the YouTube Partner Program.

YouTube New Policy for Monetization

The new eligibility criteria are more inclusive and require your channel to have:

• At least 500 subscribers
• At least 3 valid public video uploads within the last 90 days
• Either 3,000 public watch hours on long videos in the last 365 days or 3M public views on shorts videos in the last 90 days

With the new YouTube monetization policy 2023, creators enjoy the following benefits:

• Product promotion through YouTube Shopping
• Fan funding through channel memberships, super chats, super thanks, and super stickers
• Access to Creator Support

Applicability of the Old Standards

While the new YouTube monetization criteria create more opportunities for smaller creators to earn fan funding, the old standards are still applicable. The YouTube policy for monetization through ad revenue will remain the same. Channels are still required to have at least 1,000 subscribers with more than 4,000 public watch hours for long videos in the past 365 days or 10M public views for Shorts videos in the past 90 days.

That said, the 2023 new YouTube monetization requirements are a great addition to creators’ journey. Creators who have applied for early access to fun funding are not required to reapply after qualifying for full monetization.

Additional Policies and Guidelines

Apart from the new monetization rules for YouTube 2023, other policies and guidelines remain the same. Youtubers are required to adhere to the following YouTube channel monetization policies:

• Content Guidelines: Content must not violate YouTube’s Community Guideline. YouTubers are prohibited from uploading violent or harmful content.
• Copyright Guidelines: Content must not infringe on the copyright of others, including music or videos without permission.
• Monetization Policies: Content must not be designed to manipulate viewers into clicking on ads or performing other actions intended to generate revenue for the creator.

Part 3. How YouTube’s New Monetization Policy Will Impact Creators

The new monetization rules for YouTube 2023 create a unique opportunity for creators to make money. The requirements to get monetized on YouTube are now relaxed. This implies that more creators can monetize their channels. By attaining YouTube monetization eligibility quickly, small YouTubers will now be motivated to create content with more value.

Who Benefits the Most from YouTube Monetization Rules 2023

Ad revenue is the most sustainable form of monetization. Creators don’t have to ask the community to support them financially. They only create good quality content and build a large following. The new YouTube policies for monetization will mostly benefit creators who create Shorts or stream on YouTube.

Streamers usually have a higher watch time than the number of subscribers they have. So, the new policy will allow YouTubers will a low following to earn from streaming their content. Short creators will benefit from the high number of views shorts tend to generate.

New Policies Make YouTube More Competitive

The new YouTube channel monetization rules will not only benefit creators. By making it easier for creators to earn on the platform, YouTube is becoming more competitive amongst other platforms. These policies will make YouTube dominate the traditional long-form videos, as well as the emerging shirt-form content. More creators find the new policies more friendly and are more willing to put their content on the platform.

Advertisers to Benefit

The new YouTube channel monetization rules will be great for advertisers. They will no longer have to worry about their ads showing up on videos that are inappropriate or fly-by-night. The quality of channels where the ads show will be much better. This means that advertiser will have their ads placed on channels of nano- and micro-influencers. These are more likely to have a loyal following and are more likely to act on the adverts.

Creators Ability to Monetize their Channels

The new policies make it easier for more creators to monetize their channels. Since this is the goal of every creator, it will be an opportunity for more people to start committing to their YouTube career. With the new ways of making money being introduced, more YouTubers will be able to generate revenues from their channels.

It’s interesting that watch hours from shorts will not count along the standard 4,000 public watch hours. This is a plus for many creators. You will find that many creators who post shorts on their channels have more views than their long views. With the new policies, it means that they can monetize their channels based only on the short’s figures.

Part 4. Editing YouTube Videos For Monetization with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a versatile video editing software that helps creators remain relevant. With specific editing features for various aspects of your video project, this software ensures that your videos will stand out on YouTube. It is also a great tool for making shorts using top YouTuber’s strategies.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora has all the features in one place, which makes it easy and quick to edit videos. From improving the quality of your audio to enhancing your visuals, here are 5 features you need to explore:

1. Preset Templates

Filmora gives you a quick and easy start to your creative video editing journey. Select from the readily available templates or save your own video templates for future use.

2. Add Text to Video

Quickly add relevant texts to your videos. You can include captions or subtitles, choosing the font style and other formatting as desired.

3. AI Smart Cutout

The AI Smart Cutout features allow you to easily edit out any unwanted background or objects in your clips. The AI-powered features help you edit your clips faster and finish your projects quickly.

4. Adjustment Layer

The adjustment layer is a great feature on Filmora that allows you to add effects to multiple video clips at once. No need to keep going back and forth when making your edits.

5. Text to Speech

The Text to Speech (TTS) feature on Filmora allows you to convert your text files to voiceovers. A great feature to bring more elements that enrich your video experience.

Conclusion

The new YouTube monetization policy 2023 has created more opportunities for creators to make money on the platform. Creators of Shorts or those who love to stream on the platform now have an easier way to monetize their channels. To get the best out of this opportunity, we recommend using Wondershare Filmora for your video editing projects. Explore the available features, and create long- or short-form videos that will stand out on YouTube.

Free Download Free Download Learn More

Part 1. Introduction to YouTube Monetization: What You Need to Know

YouTube monetization refers to earning money from the content uploaded on the platform. It is the ability to derive income from the videos you have uploaded on your YouTube channels. The YouTube policies for monetization clearly stipulate what you need to start making money on the platform.

After passing the YouTube requirement for monetization, your channel can generate revenue in several ways:

• YouTube Ads: The most common way of earning money from YouTube. After passing the eligibility criteria, YouTube displays ads on your videos. You then earn income every time a viewer watches it for a certain amount of time or clicks on it.
• Channel Memberships: Viewers to pay a monthly fee to support your channel. In exchange, they get unique perks like early access to new videos
• Merchandise Shelf: YouTubers with more than 10,000 subscribers can enable a merch shelf. It allows them to sell merchandise on videos.
• Super Chat: You can also earn money from YouTube through Super Chat and Super Stickers. They allow viewers to pay for their messages to be highlighted in the live chat. They can also pay for the animated images that appear on the screen.
• Brand Deals: YouTubers partner with brands to promote products or services. Brand deals can also include sponsorships and product placement.

Part 2. YouTube New Monetization Policies 2023: Key Updates

The YouTube monetization policies update on June 13th, 2023 provided a new opportunity for creators to earn money on the platforms. With the new updates, it is now easier for beginners to generate revenue on YouTube. The YouTube new monetization policy 2023 makes monetization more accessible to creators. It adds earlier access to the YouTube Partner Program.

YouTube New Policy for Monetization

The new eligibility criteria are more inclusive and require your channel to have:

• At least 500 subscribers
• At least 3 valid public video uploads within the last 90 days
• Either 3,000 public watch hours on long videos in the last 365 days or 3M public views on shorts videos in the last 90 days

With the new YouTube monetization policy 2023, creators enjoy the following benefits:

• Product promotion through YouTube Shopping
• Fan funding through channel memberships, super chats, super thanks, and super stickers
• Access to Creator Support

Applicability of the Old Standards

While the new YouTube monetization criteria create more opportunities for smaller creators to earn fan funding, the old standards are still applicable. The YouTube policy for monetization through ad revenue will remain the same. Channels are still required to have at least 1,000 subscribers with more than 4,000 public watch hours for long videos in the past 365 days or 10M public views for Shorts videos in the past 90 days.

That said, the 2023 new YouTube monetization requirements are a great addition to creators’ journey. Creators who have applied for early access to fun funding are not required to reapply after qualifying for full monetization.

Additional Policies and Guidelines

Apart from the new monetization rules for YouTube 2023, other policies and guidelines remain the same. Youtubers are required to adhere to the following YouTube channel monetization policies:

• Content Guidelines: Content must not violate YouTube’s Community Guideline. YouTubers are prohibited from uploading violent or harmful content.
• Copyright Guidelines: Content must not infringe on the copyright of others, including music or videos without permission.
• Monetization Policies: Content must not be designed to manipulate viewers into clicking on ads or performing other actions intended to generate revenue for the creator.

Part 3. How YouTube’s New Monetization Policy Will Impact Creators

The new monetization rules for YouTube 2023 create a unique opportunity for creators to make money. The requirements to get monetized on YouTube are now relaxed. This implies that more creators can monetize their channels. By attaining YouTube monetization eligibility quickly, small YouTubers will now be motivated to create content with more value.

Who Benefits the Most from YouTube Monetization Rules 2023

Ad revenue is the most sustainable form of monetization. Creators don’t have to ask the community to support them financially. They only create good quality content and build a large following. The new YouTube policies for monetization will mostly benefit creators who create Shorts or stream on YouTube.

Streamers usually have a higher watch time than the number of subscribers they have. So, the new policy will allow YouTubers will a low following to earn from streaming their content. Short creators will benefit from the high number of views shorts tend to generate.

New Policies Make YouTube More Competitive

The new YouTube channel monetization rules will not only benefit creators. By making it easier for creators to earn on the platform, YouTube is becoming more competitive amongst other platforms. These policies will make YouTube dominate the traditional long-form videos, as well as the emerging shirt-form content. More creators find the new policies more friendly and are more willing to put their content on the platform.

Advertisers to Benefit

The new YouTube channel monetization rules will be great for advertisers. They will no longer have to worry about their ads showing up on videos that are inappropriate or fly-by-night. The quality of channels where the ads show will be much better. This means that advertiser will have their ads placed on channels of nano- and micro-influencers. These are more likely to have a loyal following and are more likely to act on the adverts.

Creators Ability to Monetize their Channels

The new policies make it easier for more creators to monetize their channels. Since this is the goal of every creator, it will be an opportunity for more people to start committing to their YouTube career. With the new ways of making money being introduced, more YouTubers will be able to generate revenues from their channels.

It’s interesting that watch hours from shorts will not count along the standard 4,000 public watch hours. This is a plus for many creators. You will find that many creators who post shorts on their channels have more views than their long views. With the new policies, it means that they can monetize their channels based only on the short’s figures.

Part 4. Editing YouTube Videos For Monetization with Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a versatile video editing software that helps creators remain relevant. With specific editing features for various aspects of your video project, this software ensures that your videos will stand out on YouTube. It is also a great tool for making shorts using top YouTuber’s strategies.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Filmora has all the features in one place, which makes it easy and quick to edit videos. From improving the quality of your audio to enhancing your visuals, here are 5 features you need to explore:

1. Preset Templates

Filmora gives you a quick and easy start to your creative video editing journey. Select from the readily available templates or save your own video templates for future use.

2. Add Text to Video

Quickly add relevant texts to your videos. You can include captions or subtitles, choosing the font style and other formatting as desired.

3. AI Smart Cutout

The AI Smart Cutout features allow you to easily edit out any unwanted background or objects in your clips. The AI-powered features help you edit your clips faster and finish your projects quickly.

4. Adjustment Layer

The adjustment layer is a great feature on Filmora that allows you to add effects to multiple video clips at once. No need to keep going back and forth when making your edits.

5. Text to Speech

The Text to Speech (TTS) feature on Filmora allows you to convert your text files to voiceovers. A great feature to bring more elements that enrich your video experience.

Conclusion

The new YouTube monetization policy 2023 has created more opportunities for creators to make money on the platform. Creators of Shorts or those who love to stream on the platform now have an easier way to monetize their channels. To get the best out of this opportunity, we recommend using Wondershare Filmora for your video editing projects. Explore the available features, and create long- or short-form videos that will stand out on YouTube.

Make YT Previews Shine: With Splashy Neon Border

Your YouTube video, or any other clip published on any forum, gets a larger number of hits if it has an attractive thumbnail. And, the fact is, a thumbnail becomes 10x more attractive when the main character that the image has have a neon border around it.

With that said, in the following sections, you will learn a couple of methods on how to add a YouTube thumbnail border around the main characters and/or objects that are significant to the clip.

In this article

01 Add Glowing Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail with Filmora

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide .

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide .

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide .

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide .

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

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