3 Techniques to Retrieve & Save YouTube’s Iconic Images

How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac]

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A YouTube thumbnail is the minimized edition of a video that a viewer sees first when they are looking for relevant content that presents the desired satisfaction. The miniature clips with conspicuous images that one can click on to view the contents of a video are what YouTube thumbnails are. People have varying reasons to download YouTube thumbnail. One of them is that you may have already uploaded the video and want to save the thumbnail on your computer. Other people want to download YouTube thumbnail for work use, designing, blogging, or just to share it with friends. In this article, we are going to discuss three easy ways to download YouTube thumbnail. You will learn:

• 1. How to Download Thumbnail from Your Own YouTube Video?
• 2. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by Online Downloader?
• 3. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by a Custom URL?
• 4. Warning and Notice
• 5. Bonus Tip-Create YouTube Thumbnail for Free

1. How to Download Thumbnail from Your Own YouTube Video?

If you want to download the thumbnail from your own YouTube video, then all you need to do is:

• Simply open the video manager.
• You then need to click on the Edit button next to the video.

• Hover your mouse pointer over the thumbnail and some options will show up. Click on Download image

• The thumbnail image of your video will show up. Right click it, select Save Images As, and you will then have to choose the location that you would want to save the file in and that’s about all it takes to download YouTube thumbnails from your videos.

2. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by Online Downloader?

Alternatively, you can also download YouTube thumbnail from an online YouTube thumbnail downloaders. It’s free to use and you don’t need to register any service. Here are the steps:

• Click Here to open the online YouTube Thumbnail Downloader
• Copy the URL link of your YouTube video and paste it to the box. Then click Download Now button

• Once you click on download it will give you several resolutions to save it to your computer or Smartphone. This method also allows you to choose a variety of sizes that are going to be compatible with your device

• Upon clicking on download, you will get the save as prompt to choose the destination that the thumbnail to be stored in. Then it is up to you to decide on the name you would want the thumbnail to have or just leave it with the default name.

3. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by a Custom URL?

You can also download YouTube thumbnail by a direct url. Let us see how it can done using this method:

• Get the ID of the YouTube video. Just open that video on YouTube and a long address will appear has some random letters and numbers that come after the equals sign. This is the actual video ID that you need to use to download the thumbnail.

• All the YouTube thumbnails can be accessed using the same URL. You only need to go to the url in the picture below.

• Copy those random numbers that we said are the video ID and paste them in the part that says ID in the above URL then click on enter.

• When the video is open just right-click anywhere in your browser and select save image as to download YouTube thumbnail on your computer. This URL is the one that will give you the best resolution of the video that you want.

4. Warning and Notice

If the video belongs to someone else then the copyright belongs to that person. It is common for people to steal other people’s work and post it as their own and that is a breach. Even if you are to include a note that indicates the original creator it would still be their work and not yours. You will require having permission from the owner especially if you intend to use it for commercial purposes. Otherwise, you will be infringing on their rights and can be liable for legal action.

YouTube is very strict on works that infringe copyrights and is quick to block or pull-down such videos. If someone notices that you are using their thumbnail or video and reports it YouTube takes it down. It is possible for you to simply contact the owner of the video to ask for the permission with an explanation of the purpose.

5. Bonus Tip-Create YouTube Thumbnail for Free

There are various ways you can create YouTube thumbnails that captivate the attention of the intended viewers. We are going to look at how to simply do it with Canva that you could use to accomplish the task with perfection. It has a state of the art interface that is easy to use. Here is how:

• Pick a presentable template in the Canvas library that has hundreds of diverse YouTube thumbnail designs. You have a wide range to pick the design that best suits your desired taste or alternatively design the template from the scratch if you have the knowhow.
• Select the professional graphic design elements you would want to incorporate. There are an excess of 2 million images at your disposal here and you can add your own. You will find custom frames, icons and banners to create YouTube thumbnail here.
• In the placeholder that allows you to include a message there are countless fonts to make a choice from for free.
• You can easily customize your YouTube thumbnail by altering the colors, fonts or background to give it an irresistible appearance.
• Share or download the finished YouTube thumbnail.

Don’t want to switch between software to create your YouTube thumbnail? Try Filmora

For some of us, switching between different softwares can be troublesome. Then try Filmora! You can not only edit your video, but also create thumbnail with it. Learn how to create a thumbnail for free using Filmora and try out its editing features yourself.

Note:

The content of your video should feature as a snapshot in your YouTube thumbnail for it to create a sense of suspense thus curiosity. The caption you choose to go with your thumbnail must be captivating and relevant to the content. It is these minor details that you include to create YouTube thumbnail that draws a lot of traffic to your video.

You may also like: Top 10 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers

Conclusion

There is little difference in the method in the methods to download YouTube thumbnail as they are all easy to master. You will also come across some extensions that are added to the browser to perform the same function with similar results. The tricky part here is how to create YouTube thumbnails as it might require the touch of an expert. YouTube thumbnails play an important role in SEO thus the need to consult better-equipped people for that role if you are not up to it. The experts in the field are also aware of the trends and will advise you accordingly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A YouTube thumbnail is the minimized edition of a video that a viewer sees first when they are looking for relevant content that presents the desired satisfaction. The miniature clips with conspicuous images that one can click on to view the contents of a video are what YouTube thumbnails are. People have varying reasons to download YouTube thumbnail. One of them is that you may have already uploaded the video and want to save the thumbnail on your computer. Other people want to download YouTube thumbnail for work use, designing, blogging, or just to share it with friends. In this article, we are going to discuss three easy ways to download YouTube thumbnail. You will learn:

• 1. How to Download Thumbnail from Your Own YouTube Video?
• 2. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by Online Downloader?
• 3. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by a Custom URL?
• 4. Warning and Notice
• 5. Bonus Tip-Create YouTube Thumbnail for Free

1. How to Download Thumbnail from Your Own YouTube Video?

If you want to download the thumbnail from your own YouTube video, then all you need to do is:

• Simply open the video manager.
• You then need to click on the Edit button next to the video.

• Hover your mouse pointer over the thumbnail and some options will show up. Click on Download image

• The thumbnail image of your video will show up. Right click it, select Save Images As, and you will then have to choose the location that you would want to save the file in and that’s about all it takes to download YouTube thumbnails from your videos.

2. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by Online Downloader?

Alternatively, you can also download YouTube thumbnail from an online YouTube thumbnail downloaders. It’s free to use and you don’t need to register any service. Here are the steps:

• Click Here to open the online YouTube Thumbnail Downloader
• Copy the URL link of your YouTube video and paste it to the box. Then click Download Now button

• Once you click on download it will give you several resolutions to save it to your computer or Smartphone. This method also allows you to choose a variety of sizes that are going to be compatible with your device

• Upon clicking on download, you will get the save as prompt to choose the destination that the thumbnail to be stored in. Then it is up to you to decide on the name you would want the thumbnail to have or just leave it with the default name.

3. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by a Custom URL?

You can also download YouTube thumbnail by a direct url. Let us see how it can done using this method:

• Get the ID of the YouTube video. Just open that video on YouTube and a long address will appear has some random letters and numbers that come after the equals sign. This is the actual video ID that you need to use to download the thumbnail.

• All the YouTube thumbnails can be accessed using the same URL. You only need to go to the url in the picture below.

• Copy those random numbers that we said are the video ID and paste them in the part that says ID in the above URL then click on enter.

• When the video is open just right-click anywhere in your browser and select save image as to download YouTube thumbnail on your computer. This URL is the one that will give you the best resolution of the video that you want.

4. Warning and Notice

If the video belongs to someone else then the copyright belongs to that person. It is common for people to steal other people’s work and post it as their own and that is a breach. Even if you are to include a note that indicates the original creator it would still be their work and not yours. You will require having permission from the owner especially if you intend to use it for commercial purposes. Otherwise, you will be infringing on their rights and can be liable for legal action.

YouTube is very strict on works that infringe copyrights and is quick to block or pull-down such videos. If someone notices that you are using their thumbnail or video and reports it YouTube takes it down. It is possible for you to simply contact the owner of the video to ask for the permission with an explanation of the purpose.

5. Bonus Tip-Create YouTube Thumbnail for Free

There are various ways you can create YouTube thumbnails that captivate the attention of the intended viewers. We are going to look at how to simply do it with Canva that you could use to accomplish the task with perfection. It has a state of the art interface that is easy to use. Here is how:

• Pick a presentable template in the Canvas library that has hundreds of diverse YouTube thumbnail designs. You have a wide range to pick the design that best suits your desired taste or alternatively design the template from the scratch if you have the knowhow.
• Select the professional graphic design elements you would want to incorporate. There are an excess of 2 million images at your disposal here and you can add your own. You will find custom frames, icons and banners to create YouTube thumbnail here.
• In the placeholder that allows you to include a message there are countless fonts to make a choice from for free.
• You can easily customize your YouTube thumbnail by altering the colors, fonts or background to give it an irresistible appearance.
• Share or download the finished YouTube thumbnail.

Don’t want to switch between software to create your YouTube thumbnail? Try Filmora

For some of us, switching between different softwares can be troublesome. Then try Filmora! You can not only edit your video, but also create thumbnail with it. Learn how to create a thumbnail for free using Filmora and try out its editing features yourself.

Note:

The content of your video should feature as a snapshot in your YouTube thumbnail for it to create a sense of suspense thus curiosity. The caption you choose to go with your thumbnail must be captivating and relevant to the content. It is these minor details that you include to create YouTube thumbnail that draws a lot of traffic to your video.

You may also like: Top 10 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers

Conclusion

There is little difference in the method in the methods to download YouTube thumbnail as they are all easy to master. You will also come across some extensions that are added to the browser to perform the same function with similar results. The tricky part here is how to create YouTube thumbnails as it might require the touch of an expert. YouTube thumbnails play an important role in SEO thus the need to consult better-equipped people for that role if you are not up to it. The experts in the field are also aware of the trends and will advise you accordingly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A YouTube thumbnail is the minimized edition of a video that a viewer sees first when they are looking for relevant content that presents the desired satisfaction. The miniature clips with conspicuous images that one can click on to view the contents of a video are what YouTube thumbnails are. People have varying reasons to download YouTube thumbnail. One of them is that you may have already uploaded the video and want to save the thumbnail on your computer. Other people want to download YouTube thumbnail for work use, designing, blogging, or just to share it with friends. In this article, we are going to discuss three easy ways to download YouTube thumbnail. You will learn:

• 1. How to Download Thumbnail from Your Own YouTube Video?
• 2. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by Online Downloader?
• 3. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by a Custom URL?
• 4. Warning and Notice
• 5. Bonus Tip-Create YouTube Thumbnail for Free

1. How to Download Thumbnail from Your Own YouTube Video?

If you want to download the thumbnail from your own YouTube video, then all you need to do is:

• Simply open the video manager.
• You then need to click on the Edit button next to the video.

• Hover your mouse pointer over the thumbnail and some options will show up. Click on Download image

• The thumbnail image of your video will show up. Right click it, select Save Images As, and you will then have to choose the location that you would want to save the file in and that’s about all it takes to download YouTube thumbnails from your videos.

2. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by Online Downloader?

Alternatively, you can also download YouTube thumbnail from an online YouTube thumbnail downloaders. It’s free to use and you don’t need to register any service. Here are the steps:

• Click Here to open the online YouTube Thumbnail Downloader
• Copy the URL link of your YouTube video and paste it to the box. Then click Download Now button

• Once you click on download it will give you several resolutions to save it to your computer or Smartphone. This method also allows you to choose a variety of sizes that are going to be compatible with your device

• Upon clicking on download, you will get the save as prompt to choose the destination that the thumbnail to be stored in. Then it is up to you to decide on the name you would want the thumbnail to have or just leave it with the default name.

3. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by a Custom URL?

You can also download YouTube thumbnail by a direct url. Let us see how it can done using this method:

• Get the ID of the YouTube video. Just open that video on YouTube and a long address will appear has some random letters and numbers that come after the equals sign. This is the actual video ID that you need to use to download the thumbnail.

• All the YouTube thumbnails can be accessed using the same URL. You only need to go to the url in the picture below.

• Copy those random numbers that we said are the video ID and paste them in the part that says ID in the above URL then click on enter.

• When the video is open just right-click anywhere in your browser and select save image as to download YouTube thumbnail on your computer. This URL is the one that will give you the best resolution of the video that you want.

4. Warning and Notice

If the video belongs to someone else then the copyright belongs to that person. It is common for people to steal other people’s work and post it as their own and that is a breach. Even if you are to include a note that indicates the original creator it would still be their work and not yours. You will require having permission from the owner especially if you intend to use it for commercial purposes. Otherwise, you will be infringing on their rights and can be liable for legal action.

YouTube is very strict on works that infringe copyrights and is quick to block or pull-down such videos. If someone notices that you are using their thumbnail or video and reports it YouTube takes it down. It is possible for you to simply contact the owner of the video to ask for the permission with an explanation of the purpose.

5. Bonus Tip-Create YouTube Thumbnail for Free

There are various ways you can create YouTube thumbnails that captivate the attention of the intended viewers. We are going to look at how to simply do it with Canva that you could use to accomplish the task with perfection. It has a state of the art interface that is easy to use. Here is how:

• Pick a presentable template in the Canvas library that has hundreds of diverse YouTube thumbnail designs. You have a wide range to pick the design that best suits your desired taste or alternatively design the template from the scratch if you have the knowhow.
• Select the professional graphic design elements you would want to incorporate. There are an excess of 2 million images at your disposal here and you can add your own. You will find custom frames, icons and banners to create YouTube thumbnail here.
• In the placeholder that allows you to include a message there are countless fonts to make a choice from for free.
• You can easily customize your YouTube thumbnail by altering the colors, fonts or background to give it an irresistible appearance.
• Share or download the finished YouTube thumbnail.

Don’t want to switch between software to create your YouTube thumbnail? Try Filmora

For some of us, switching between different softwares can be troublesome. Then try Filmora! You can not only edit your video, but also create thumbnail with it. Learn how to create a thumbnail for free using Filmora and try out its editing features yourself.

Note:

The content of your video should feature as a snapshot in your YouTube thumbnail for it to create a sense of suspense thus curiosity. The caption you choose to go with your thumbnail must be captivating and relevant to the content. It is these minor details that you include to create YouTube thumbnail that draws a lot of traffic to your video.

You may also like: Top 10 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers

Conclusion

There is little difference in the method in the methods to download YouTube thumbnail as they are all easy to master. You will also come across some extensions that are added to the browser to perform the same function with similar results. The tricky part here is how to create YouTube thumbnails as it might require the touch of an expert. YouTube thumbnails play an important role in SEO thus the need to consult better-equipped people for that role if you are not up to it. The experts in the field are also aware of the trends and will advise you accordingly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A YouTube thumbnail is the minimized edition of a video that a viewer sees first when they are looking for relevant content that presents the desired satisfaction. The miniature clips with conspicuous images that one can click on to view the contents of a video are what YouTube thumbnails are. People have varying reasons to download YouTube thumbnail. One of them is that you may have already uploaded the video and want to save the thumbnail on your computer. Other people want to download YouTube thumbnail for work use, designing, blogging, or just to share it with friends. In this article, we are going to discuss three easy ways to download YouTube thumbnail. You will learn:

• 1. How to Download Thumbnail from Your Own YouTube Video?
• 2. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by Online Downloader?
• 3. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by a Custom URL?
• 4. Warning and Notice
• 5. Bonus Tip-Create YouTube Thumbnail for Free

1. How to Download Thumbnail from Your Own YouTube Video?

If you want to download the thumbnail from your own YouTube video, then all you need to do is:

• Simply open the video manager.
• You then need to click on the Edit button next to the video.

• Hover your mouse pointer over the thumbnail and some options will show up. Click on Download image

• The thumbnail image of your video will show up. Right click it, select Save Images As, and you will then have to choose the location that you would want to save the file in and that’s about all it takes to download YouTube thumbnails from your videos.

2. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by Online Downloader?

Alternatively, you can also download YouTube thumbnail from an online YouTube thumbnail downloaders. It’s free to use and you don’t need to register any service. Here are the steps:

• Click Here to open the online YouTube Thumbnail Downloader
• Copy the URL link of your YouTube video and paste it to the box. Then click Download Now button

• Once you click on download it will give you several resolutions to save it to your computer or Smartphone. This method also allows you to choose a variety of sizes that are going to be compatible with your device

• Upon clicking on download, you will get the save as prompt to choose the destination that the thumbnail to be stored in. Then it is up to you to decide on the name you would want the thumbnail to have or just leave it with the default name.

3. How to Download YouTube Thumbnail by a Custom URL?

You can also download YouTube thumbnail by a direct url. Let us see how it can done using this method:

• Get the ID of the YouTube video. Just open that video on YouTube and a long address will appear has some random letters and numbers that come after the equals sign. This is the actual video ID that you need to use to download the thumbnail.

• All the YouTube thumbnails can be accessed using the same URL. You only need to go to the url in the picture below.

• Copy those random numbers that we said are the video ID and paste them in the part that says ID in the above URL then click on enter.

• When the video is open just right-click anywhere in your browser and select save image as to download YouTube thumbnail on your computer. This URL is the one that will give you the best resolution of the video that you want.

4. Warning and Notice

If the video belongs to someone else then the copyright belongs to that person. It is common for people to steal other people’s work and post it as their own and that is a breach. Even if you are to include a note that indicates the original creator it would still be their work and not yours. You will require having permission from the owner especially if you intend to use it for commercial purposes. Otherwise, you will be infringing on their rights and can be liable for legal action.

YouTube is very strict on works that infringe copyrights and is quick to block or pull-down such videos. If someone notices that you are using their thumbnail or video and reports it YouTube takes it down. It is possible for you to simply contact the owner of the video to ask for the permission with an explanation of the purpose.

5. Bonus Tip-Create YouTube Thumbnail for Free

There are various ways you can create YouTube thumbnails that captivate the attention of the intended viewers. We are going to look at how to simply do it with Canva that you could use to accomplish the task with perfection. It has a state of the art interface that is easy to use. Here is how:

• Pick a presentable template in the Canvas library that has hundreds of diverse YouTube thumbnail designs. You have a wide range to pick the design that best suits your desired taste or alternatively design the template from the scratch if you have the knowhow.
• Select the professional graphic design elements you would want to incorporate. There are an excess of 2 million images at your disposal here and you can add your own. You will find custom frames, icons and banners to create YouTube thumbnail here.
• In the placeholder that allows you to include a message there are countless fonts to make a choice from for free.
• You can easily customize your YouTube thumbnail by altering the colors, fonts or background to give it an irresistible appearance.
• Share or download the finished YouTube thumbnail.

Don’t want to switch between software to create your YouTube thumbnail? Try Filmora

For some of us, switching between different softwares can be troublesome. Then try Filmora! You can not only edit your video, but also create thumbnail with it. Learn how to create a thumbnail for free using Filmora and try out its editing features yourself.

Note:

The content of your video should feature as a snapshot in your YouTube thumbnail for it to create a sense of suspense thus curiosity. The caption you choose to go with your thumbnail must be captivating and relevant to the content. It is these minor details that you include to create YouTube thumbnail that draws a lot of traffic to your video.

You may also like: Top 10 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers

Conclusion

There is little difference in the method in the methods to download YouTube thumbnail as they are all easy to master. You will also come across some extensions that are added to the browser to perform the same function with similar results. The tricky part here is how to create YouTube thumbnails as it might require the touch of an expert. YouTube thumbnails play an important role in SEO thus the need to consult better-equipped people for that role if you are not up to it. The experts in the field are also aware of the trends and will advise you accordingly.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Elevating Video Visibility Through Thumbnails

What’s the Best YouTube Thumbnail Size?

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Making better YouTube thumbnails will help you get more views, and knowing the best YouTube thumbnail size is part of that. There are millions of videos on YouTube, so if you want the audience to click on yours, then you need to make a great first impression.

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?
2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails
3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?

An essential thing that every YouTube video developer needs to know is about the selection of the right side of the thumbnail for any video. As per the guidelines circulated by Google itself, the most appropriate size for the thumbnail image is 1280x720 pixels, where the recommended minimal pixel width is 640 pixels. Generally, the 16:9 ratio is considered as an ideal choice for Most of YouTube previews and players.

Here is one interesting thing that you need to know; the thumbnail of videos appears smaller during searches, but it naturally grows to the full size of a video during suggestions. Now the fact is that upscaling of images often loses the quality of content, whereas it is much easier to downscale larger images into smaller ones. Hence, the best idea is to use large size images so that this search and suggestion based scaling needs can be well accomplished.

You May Also Like:
Top 12 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers >>
How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac] >>

2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails

So, if you are ready to add thumbnails to your videos, then it is time to learn a few essential tips to do this task with improved impact. You need to ignore the blurry details and boost the eye-catching ones. Here are a few essential tips for developing the best videos with an impressive selection of thumbnail images:

YouTube’s Default Thumbnails

When you upload your video on YouTube, the platform itself gives you suggestions about thumbnails, and they are directly picked up from your own video. Although the idea is good and original, these thumbnails use to be of low quality with blur details. Hope! You don’t want to lose your audience with this bad selection.

Custom Thumbnails

This is probably the best choice for your customized videos, and the interesting thing is that here you can control everything manually with lots of useful effects.

First of all, you need to open your video on YouTube and then scrub a useful still from your video that you wish to use as a thumbnail.

Now, you need to take a screenshot of this particular instance of your video file. The best part is that most of the operating systems allow users to enjoy several shortcuts to complete this task. For example:

Mac users need to press Command+Shift+4 and then simply highlight the area that you want to include in your screenshot with the help of a frame. The system will automatically save your selected area to your desktop in the form of an image.

Window users are advised to access Windows Key with Print Screen option to get their desired screenshot.

Once you are ready with your video specific still image, then simply get it uploaded on YouTube using the edit video page.

3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

The best part is to access some photo editing software tool to edit your image the way you like. You can use an advanced tool like Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva.

• Focus on Size:

It is always advised to create thumbnail images with standard video file size; the most commonly used standard size range is 1980x1080 or 1280x720. Images having a size smaller than this range may often appear blurry.

• Add Text:

The best idea is to use text-based editing for your thumbnail images and preferably add the title of your video to this image. It will naturally attract more viewers.

• Borders matter:

Professionals recommend adding borders around thumbnail images but do not try to make it too thick rather, try to make it noticeable with fine details.

• Background editing:

Most of the expert video thumbnail developers prefer to change the impact of thumbnail background by simply replacing the background color with solid colors. It will definitely attract more viewers and will bring major attention to the major subject.

• Test it before uploading:

Before uploading your customized thumbnail to your YouTube channel, prefer to check its final view. Zoom in to check the appearance of the thumbnail image on the larger screen, and it should also look fine when sized down.

Now that you know the best YouTube thumbnail size and how to design better thumbnails, do you think you’ll revisit the thumbnails of your existing YouTube videos?

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Making better YouTube thumbnails will help you get more views, and knowing the best YouTube thumbnail size is part of that. There are millions of videos on YouTube, so if you want the audience to click on yours, then you need to make a great first impression.

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?
2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails
3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?

An essential thing that every YouTube video developer needs to know is about the selection of the right side of the thumbnail for any video. As per the guidelines circulated by Google itself, the most appropriate size for the thumbnail image is 1280x720 pixels, where the recommended minimal pixel width is 640 pixels. Generally, the 16:9 ratio is considered as an ideal choice for Most of YouTube previews and players.

Here is one interesting thing that you need to know; the thumbnail of videos appears smaller during searches, but it naturally grows to the full size of a video during suggestions. Now the fact is that upscaling of images often loses the quality of content, whereas it is much easier to downscale larger images into smaller ones. Hence, the best idea is to use large size images so that this search and suggestion based scaling needs can be well accomplished.

You May Also Like:
Top 12 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers >>
How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac] >>

2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails

So, if you are ready to add thumbnails to your videos, then it is time to learn a few essential tips to do this task with improved impact. You need to ignore the blurry details and boost the eye-catching ones. Here are a few essential tips for developing the best videos with an impressive selection of thumbnail images:

YouTube’s Default Thumbnails

When you upload your video on YouTube, the platform itself gives you suggestions about thumbnails, and they are directly picked up from your own video. Although the idea is good and original, these thumbnails use to be of low quality with blur details. Hope! You don’t want to lose your audience with this bad selection.

Custom Thumbnails

This is probably the best choice for your customized videos, and the interesting thing is that here you can control everything manually with lots of useful effects.

First of all, you need to open your video on YouTube and then scrub a useful still from your video that you wish to use as a thumbnail.

Now, you need to take a screenshot of this particular instance of your video file. The best part is that most of the operating systems allow users to enjoy several shortcuts to complete this task. For example:

Mac users need to press Command+Shift+4 and then simply highlight the area that you want to include in your screenshot with the help of a frame. The system will automatically save your selected area to your desktop in the form of an image.

Window users are advised to access Windows Key with Print Screen option to get their desired screenshot.

Once you are ready with your video specific still image, then simply get it uploaded on YouTube using the edit video page.

3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

The best part is to access some photo editing software tool to edit your image the way you like. You can use an advanced tool like Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva.

• Focus on Size:

It is always advised to create thumbnail images with standard video file size; the most commonly used standard size range is 1980x1080 or 1280x720. Images having a size smaller than this range may often appear blurry.

• Add Text:

The best idea is to use text-based editing for your thumbnail images and preferably add the title of your video to this image. It will naturally attract more viewers.

• Borders matter:

Professionals recommend adding borders around thumbnail images but do not try to make it too thick rather, try to make it noticeable with fine details.

• Background editing:

Most of the expert video thumbnail developers prefer to change the impact of thumbnail background by simply replacing the background color with solid colors. It will definitely attract more viewers and will bring major attention to the major subject.

• Test it before uploading:

Before uploading your customized thumbnail to your YouTube channel, prefer to check its final view. Zoom in to check the appearance of the thumbnail image on the larger screen, and it should also look fine when sized down.

Now that you know the best YouTube thumbnail size and how to design better thumbnails, do you think you’ll revisit the thumbnails of your existing YouTube videos?

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Making better YouTube thumbnails will help you get more views, and knowing the best YouTube thumbnail size is part of that. There are millions of videos on YouTube, so if you want the audience to click on yours, then you need to make a great first impression.

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?
2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails
3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?

An essential thing that every YouTube video developer needs to know is about the selection of the right side of the thumbnail for any video. As per the guidelines circulated by Google itself, the most appropriate size for the thumbnail image is 1280x720 pixels, where the recommended minimal pixel width is 640 pixels. Generally, the 16:9 ratio is considered as an ideal choice for Most of YouTube previews and players.

Here is one interesting thing that you need to know; the thumbnail of videos appears smaller during searches, but it naturally grows to the full size of a video during suggestions. Now the fact is that upscaling of images often loses the quality of content, whereas it is much easier to downscale larger images into smaller ones. Hence, the best idea is to use large size images so that this search and suggestion based scaling needs can be well accomplished.

You May Also Like:
Top 12 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers >>
How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac] >>

2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails

So, if you are ready to add thumbnails to your videos, then it is time to learn a few essential tips to do this task with improved impact. You need to ignore the blurry details and boost the eye-catching ones. Here are a few essential tips for developing the best videos with an impressive selection of thumbnail images:

YouTube’s Default Thumbnails

When you upload your video on YouTube, the platform itself gives you suggestions about thumbnails, and they are directly picked up from your own video. Although the idea is good and original, these thumbnails use to be of low quality with blur details. Hope! You don’t want to lose your audience with this bad selection.

Custom Thumbnails

This is probably the best choice for your customized videos, and the interesting thing is that here you can control everything manually with lots of useful effects.

First of all, you need to open your video on YouTube and then scrub a useful still from your video that you wish to use as a thumbnail.

Now, you need to take a screenshot of this particular instance of your video file. The best part is that most of the operating systems allow users to enjoy several shortcuts to complete this task. For example:

Mac users need to press Command+Shift+4 and then simply highlight the area that you want to include in your screenshot with the help of a frame. The system will automatically save your selected area to your desktop in the form of an image.

Window users are advised to access Windows Key with Print Screen option to get their desired screenshot.

Once you are ready with your video specific still image, then simply get it uploaded on YouTube using the edit video page.

3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

The best part is to access some photo editing software tool to edit your image the way you like. You can use an advanced tool like Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva.

• Focus on Size:

It is always advised to create thumbnail images with standard video file size; the most commonly used standard size range is 1980x1080 or 1280x720. Images having a size smaller than this range may often appear blurry.

• Add Text:

The best idea is to use text-based editing for your thumbnail images and preferably add the title of your video to this image. It will naturally attract more viewers.

• Borders matter:

Professionals recommend adding borders around thumbnail images but do not try to make it too thick rather, try to make it noticeable with fine details.

• Background editing:

Most of the expert video thumbnail developers prefer to change the impact of thumbnail background by simply replacing the background color with solid colors. It will definitely attract more viewers and will bring major attention to the major subject.

• Test it before uploading:

Before uploading your customized thumbnail to your YouTube channel, prefer to check its final view. Zoom in to check the appearance of the thumbnail image on the larger screen, and it should also look fine when sized down.

Now that you know the best YouTube thumbnail size and how to design better thumbnails, do you think you’ll revisit the thumbnails of your existing YouTube videos?

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Making better YouTube thumbnails will help you get more views, and knowing the best YouTube thumbnail size is part of that. There are millions of videos on YouTube, so if you want the audience to click on yours, then you need to make a great first impression.

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?
2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails
3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?

An essential thing that every YouTube video developer needs to know is about the selection of the right side of the thumbnail for any video. As per the guidelines circulated by Google itself, the most appropriate size for the thumbnail image is 1280x720 pixels, where the recommended minimal pixel width is 640 pixels. Generally, the 16:9 ratio is considered as an ideal choice for Most of YouTube previews and players.

Here is one interesting thing that you need to know; the thumbnail of videos appears smaller during searches, but it naturally grows to the full size of a video during suggestions. Now the fact is that upscaling of images often loses the quality of content, whereas it is much easier to downscale larger images into smaller ones. Hence, the best idea is to use large size images so that this search and suggestion based scaling needs can be well accomplished.

You May Also Like:
Top 12 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers >>
How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac] >>

2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails

So, if you are ready to add thumbnails to your videos, then it is time to learn a few essential tips to do this task with improved impact. You need to ignore the blurry details and boost the eye-catching ones. Here are a few essential tips for developing the best videos with an impressive selection of thumbnail images:

YouTube’s Default Thumbnails

When you upload your video on YouTube, the platform itself gives you suggestions about thumbnails, and they are directly picked up from your own video. Although the idea is good and original, these thumbnails use to be of low quality with blur details. Hope! You don’t want to lose your audience with this bad selection.

Custom Thumbnails

This is probably the best choice for your customized videos, and the interesting thing is that here you can control everything manually with lots of useful effects.

First of all, you need to open your video on YouTube and then scrub a useful still from your video that you wish to use as a thumbnail.

Now, you need to take a screenshot of this particular instance of your video file. The best part is that most of the operating systems allow users to enjoy several shortcuts to complete this task. For example:

Mac users need to press Command+Shift+4 and then simply highlight the area that you want to include in your screenshot with the help of a frame. The system will automatically save your selected area to your desktop in the form of an image.

Window users are advised to access Windows Key with Print Screen option to get their desired screenshot.

Once you are ready with your video specific still image, then simply get it uploaded on YouTube using the edit video page.

3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

The best part is to access some photo editing software tool to edit your image the way you like. You can use an advanced tool like Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva.

• Focus on Size:

It is always advised to create thumbnail images with standard video file size; the most commonly used standard size range is 1980x1080 or 1280x720. Images having a size smaller than this range may often appear blurry.

• Add Text:

The best idea is to use text-based editing for your thumbnail images and preferably add the title of your video to this image. It will naturally attract more viewers.

• Borders matter:

Professionals recommend adding borders around thumbnail images but do not try to make it too thick rather, try to make it noticeable with fine details.

• Background editing:

Most of the expert video thumbnail developers prefer to change the impact of thumbnail background by simply replacing the background color with solid colors. It will definitely attract more viewers and will bring major attention to the major subject.

• Test it before uploading:

Before uploading your customized thumbnail to your YouTube channel, prefer to check its final view. Zoom in to check the appearance of the thumbnail image on the larger screen, and it should also look fine when sized down.

Now that you know the best YouTube thumbnail size and how to design better thumbnails, do you think you’ll revisit the thumbnails of your existing YouTube videos?

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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