{"id":1947,"date":"2021-03-14T11:50:48","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T11:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new-blog.artlist.io\/?p=1947"},"modified":"2024-01-11T06:34:12","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T06:34:12","slug":"how-to-make-a-youtube-banner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new-blog.artlist.io\/blog\/how-to-make-a-youtube-banner\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a YouTube Banner"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been reading through the Artlist blog, you will have seen our recent article about\u00a0how to start a YouTube channel<\/a>. In this article, we take you through every step from start to finish, including the mention of adding some channel art. However, we wanted to give you a definitive, thorough tutorial on exactly\u00a0how<\/em>\u00a0to make a YouTube banner from scratch.<\/p>\n

Why make a banner for YouTube?<\/h2>\n

Basically, a YouTube banner is the equivalent of your website homepage or any other social media cover image (think Facebook and Twitter). It stretches horizontally across the top of your YouTube channel page, and it\u2019s the very 1st thing that someone is going to see when they visit your channel. So, it\u2019s a pretty big deal. You want to use this banner to reflect who you are and what your channel is about. It may let people know what your upload schedule is about and what type of content you\u2019re creating. Furthermore, the quality of the design reflects on the quality of your videos.<\/p>\n

This simple information could well make all the difference in someone choosing to scroll further down and watch one of your videos. So, read on below for everything you need to know on how to make a banner for YouTube!<\/p>\n

Cropping and safe space<\/h2>\n

First off, let\u2019s understand the cropping requirements and the so-called \u2018safe space\u2019. Depending on the type of device you\u2019re viewing YouTube on, YouTube will crop the image for your banner. On a TV screen, it will show the whole image. On other devices such as mobile phones, it will crop out most of the image and only show the middle area. Bear in mind\u00a070% of YouTube views come from the mobile app<\/a>. So make sure your banner is optimized for mobile.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s this middle area that\u2019s called the \u2018safe space\u2019. No matter what device your channel is being viewed on, you can rest assured that whatever is in the \u2018safe space\u2019 will be shown on screen. So, while the whole TV image is 2560px x 1440px, the actual safe space is just 1546px X 423px. These are the most important dimensions to remember for your YouTube banner.<\/p>\n

What program should I use to design my YouTube banner?<\/h2>\n

While you could use Adobe Photoshop to create a YouTube banner from scratch by yourself, we actually think it\u2019s smarter, quicker and easier to utilize a YouTube banner maker such as\u00a0Canva<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Snappa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We love most about these sites because even if you\u2019re not a graphic designer, you can cook up some brilliant designs for social media banners, ads, posters and much more. They make it very easy and best of all, it\u2019s free!<\/p>\n

What proves most useful is the fact that these sites provide you with a YouTube banner template. Straight away, you no longer have to worry about staying in the dimensions and \u2018safe space\u2019. They\u2019ve provided you with the correct dimensions to get started, leaving you free to focus on the design. In Snappa, this has been built in with the click of a button that overlays the guidelines (it\u2019s brilliant). Meanwhile, on Canva, all you have to do is upload and overlay the YouTube banner template. This can be found on the Google support page:\u00a0create or edit channel art<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"image<\/p>\n

image of snappa<\/p>\n

Simply scroll down to the \u2018YouTube banner template and size guidelines\u2019, then click the drop-down arrow and choose \u2018Channel Art Templates\u2019 to download. Once the image is on your system, you can upload it to Canva and overlay it onto your design, using the opacity slider to ensure you can still see your design.<\/p>\n

Designing your YouTube banner<\/h2>\n

With sizes and guidelines taken care of, it\u2019s time to focus on what your YouTube banner will look like. Firstly, ensure that all of the important details feature inside the \u2018safe space\u2019.<\/p>\n

Background & color scheme<\/h3>\n

Before you do anything else, you need to pick a background image as your banner design foundation. Think about what images tie into your brand and channel. For example, if your videos are about travel, consider a beautiful background image that\u2019s a photo you snapped on one of your travels. If your channel is focused on gaming, consider taking a screengrab from one of your favorite games or something that\u2019s focused on consoles and controller pads. You can find some great stock images to use for free on sites such as\u00a0Unsplash<\/a>,\u00a0PixaBay<\/a>,\u00a0FreePik<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Pexels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you may just want to keep things very clean and simple with a \u2018block\u2019 of color. Go for yellow, blue, green or whatever else you fancy. Just remember to keep in mind that it will need to fit with the text, graphics and logos you overlay. It\u2019s an excellent idea to keep these color schemes on point and aligned with your brand\u2019s color palette.<\/p>\n

Text<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You want to display the channel name on your banner. Below this, incorporate a tagline that gives people an idea of what your channel is about and what content they can expect. It\u2019s also a good idea to include an upload schedule. For example, if you\u2019re creating a new banner for a gaming channel, you may want to write something underneath your channel name such as: \u2018Multiplayer madness every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday!\u2019. For travel: \u2018new adventures around the world every Sunday 8pm EST.\u2019<\/p>\n

Ensure that the font type you choose is A) readable and B) reflects your brand and channel content. Remember, many people browse YouTube on their phones, so all of the text must be as big, bold and clear as possible.<\/p>\n

Graphics<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Alternatively to text, you may have a logo designed for your channel and brand that you wish to upload to your template. Make sure this is big, remaining front-and-center.<\/p>\n

Next, think about any other images or graphics you may want to add. If you\u2019re focusing on creative for a travel vlog channel, you may want to add an image of you blogging with your camera or icons and graphics of travel-related items such as a backpack, a camera, sunscreen and whatever else may take your fancy. Meanwhile, if it\u2019s a gaming channel, perhaps you want to overlay an image of you playing or icons and graphics such as a controller pad, a console or some of your favorite characters.<\/p>\n

This is the part where you can really get creative and show off your brand and personality. Give people an idea of what your channel is all about and why they should subscribe. Just remember – don\u2019t go overboard. Sometimes, less is more. If your YouTube banner is too cluttered and has too much going on, it can be a turn-off that distracts viewers from the key information and brand ethos.<\/p>\n\t\t

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Uploading<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Once you\u2019re happy with your YouTube banner, it\u2019s time to upload. Like everything else on YouTube, this is a straightforward process.<\/p>\n