How to make an effective YouTube Banner

January 7, 2022
Contents

Before we dive into today’s topic, congrats on starting your YouTube Channel! Many famous YouTubers started off googling the same issues as you are right now (ie. How to make a Youtube Banner). With more than 2 billion users worldwide, YouTube is one of the best ways to market your brand or increase your digital presence. 

While waiting for your channel to take off, though, you must leave a good impression on one-time visitors when they view your page to turn them into subscribers. One of the best ways to do that is to hook them in with a scroll-stopping YouTube banner that represents you and your brand.

Apart from generating quality content, one of the best ways to convert curious onlookers into fans is through branding your YouTube Channel. And with creating a YouTube banner, you’re one step closer to making your channel genuinely stand out from the rest.

In this article, we’ll let you know precisely how to create compelling YouTube banners properly and how you can do it hassle-free. Let’s get started.

What is a YouTube Banner?

YouTube banners serve as a background or banner at the top of your YouTube page. It is also called channel art. You can use it to brand your channel’s identity and give your page a unique look and feel.

YouTube Banner Size and Dimensions

Because users can access YouTube from various devices, your channel art will inevitably look different. For example, your channel art will most likely look different between a computer, mobile, and on a TV where YouTube may crop larger images. 

Don’t worry, though; we’ve compiled a list of everything you need to know about how big (or small) your YouTube banner should be so anyone can view them properly on any device. Use the guidelines and examples below to set up your design.

  • Minimum dimension for upload: 2048 x 1152 px.
  • YouTube banner safe area for text and logos: 1235 x 338 px.
  • The recommended size for a YouTube banner: 2560 x 1440 px.
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9.
  • File size: 6MB or smaller

How a YouTube Banner Looks Like on Different Displays

TV Display

On TVs, the image is displayed as channel art in the background and the aspect ratio is 6:1. For 1080p TVs, the display is 1764 x 288 and for 720p TVs, the display is 1176 x 192.

Computer Screen

Minimum width on computer screen:

On Mobile Devices

The “safe area” is scaled down to the width of the mobile screen, which varies by device.

As a general rule, keep your banner simple, with clear large text for users to easily understand.

How To Upload or Change a Youtube Banner?

  1. Sign in to YouTube.com.
  2. Select your profile picture Your Channel.
  3. Select Customize channel.
  4. New channel art: To add new channel art, click Add channel art near the top of the screen.
  5. Existing channel art: To replace your existing channel art, hover your cursor over the existing banner and click Edit Edit channel art.
  6. Upload an image or photo from your computer or saved photos. You can also click the Gallery tab to choose an image from the YouTube photo library.
  7. You’ll see a preview of how the art will appear across different devices. To make changes, select Adjust the crop.
  8. Click Select.

You can also learn how to add or change the background of your channel page by watching this video

Add Social Media Links To your YouTube Banner

Remember to add links to your social media sites on your channel banner to increase viewer engagement on other platforms.

  1. On a computer, go to your channel and click the About tab. If you’re in the new YouTube layout, click ‘Customize channel’.
  2. Hover over the “Links” section, then click edit.
  3. Click the ‘+Add’ button.
  4. Enter the title and URL of the site you want to link to. You can add up to five links.
  5. Click ‘Done’.

Links that you add here are featured just below your description and use the icon from the corresponding social media network when displayed.

YouTube Banner Case Studies

If you need some inspiration for YouTube banners, take a look at these 3 case studies we’ve created! We break down why these banners are successful and tips and tricks along the way.

Case Study 1: Pick Up Limes

The channel, Pick Up Limes, offers a collection of plant-based cooking video recipes, nutrition tips as well as lifestyle content that nourishes the soul. The well-chosen plant-inspired banner layout with large text is indicative of the channel content and style. The soothing green colour also ties in with the channel icon and produces a pleasant viewing experience for any new viewer.
Through these small visual touches, new viewers are convinced to hit that “Subscribe” button to get more of such content in their feed..

Case Study 2: CollegeHumor

CollegeHumor is an internet comedy company based in Los Angeles. It has helped to shape online comedy in its early years. In its banner, CollegeHumor advertises their latest YouTube episodes, with the release timings large and clear.
Given that a large portion of the channel is taken up by your banner, it is a good place to concentrate digital marketing efforts for any recent projects. The banner area is an eye catching location on a channel and would definitely be viewed by every user. It is an active market that marketers have the potential to tap into as well.

Case Study 3: Morgan Adams


Lifestyle vlogger Morgan Adam’s YouTube banner is sure to capture your attention. Her channel has it all, from hilarious challenge videos to honest moments. “The only thing I’m not joking about is that my life is a joke,” she claims, and thankfully she’s able to capture the fun on camera for us all.
Her videos are characterised by their relatability and honesty. If that doesn’t already turn viewers into fans, her channel art sure makes viewers want to smash that “Subscribe” button. Her spirited personality permeates every part of her channel including her banner too. Such tone consistency encourages users to follow your channel as they know what to expect.

Case Study 4: Unbox Therapy

Unbox Therapy keeps things simple in their banner with a textured background and bold capitalised words in the centre. It uses the same font in its channel icon, maintaining brand consistency.

It is effective at making plain to the viewer what this channel is all about. The lightly crumpled background hints at the unboxing experience which is what the channel revolves around. The channel produces niche content, unboxing and showcasing the coolest tech gadgets (even the ones you never knew existed) for everyone’s viewing.

Tips for creating an effective YouTube Banner

1. Be consistent in your brand

Keep the tone of your YouTube channel consistent. Be it your channel icon or your banner, stay consistent so users know what to expect.

2. Keep it simple and clear
The case studies presented above all feature simple banners with maximum 4 colours. The texts are displayed in legible font and in large font sizes to enable easy viewing.

Need More Help Creating A YouTube Banner?

If you want to quickly know how to make a YouTube banner on your computer, you can use OFFEO’s free online Youtube Banner Maker. Create amazing-looking banners from our ready-made templates. No design experience is required. 

Simply choose from our selection of professionally designed Youtube Banner templates, and you can create your 16:9 banner, or whatever size you need your banner to be, in minutes!

Written By
OFFEO Team

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