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Cutouts for YouTube thumbnails

A thumbnail is mostly read at a small size, so the cutout has to carry it: one face or product, big, with a clear edge against a simple background. YouTube recommends 3840 x 2160 px at 16:9 with a minimum width of 640 px, JPG or PNG, up to 50 MB from a computer but only 2 MB from the mobile app. Cut the subject out as a transparent PNG and build the thumbnail around it.

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At a glance

Video thumbnail size3840 x 2160 px recommended, minimum width 640 px, 16:9
Shorts thumbnail size2160 x 3840 px recommended, minimum height 640 px, 9:16; added in YouTube Studio on a computer
FormatsImage formats such as JPG or PNG
File sizeUp to 50 MB on desktop; 2 MB for video thumbnails from mobile
Who can uploadVerified accounts only; others get auto-generated options
Test & compareUp to 3 thumbnails; any under 1280 x 720 px downscales the whole test to 854 x 480 px

How to do it

  1. Shoot a still for the cutoutTake a photo for the thumbnail instead of grabbing a frame from the video: video frames are often motion-blurred and soft. Light your face from the front, make the expression bigger than feels natural, and leave space around your head and hands so nothing is cut off at the frame edge.
  2. Remove the backgroundRemove the background and download a transparent PNG at full size. Zoom in on hair, fingers and the edges of any product you're holding. For a product shot, cut out the product on its own so you can scale it independently.
  3. Build the thumbnail at 3840 x 2160Place the cutout on a 16:9 canvas in your editor, add a simple background and a few words at most, then export JPG or PNG. Stay under 2 MB if you'll upload from your phone; desktop uploads allow up to 50 MB.

Tips and common mistakes

  • The outline trickA white or bright stroke a few pixels wide around the cutout separates you from the background even at small sizes. Add it in your editor on the transparent PNG. Keep it even all the way round; a jagged stroke shows a rough cutout.
  • Contrast over detailPut a light subject on a dark background or the other way round, and avoid backgrounds that share your hair or shirt colour. If the thumbnail still reads when you shrink it to the size of a phone feed, it works.
  • Faces: big and looking somewhereOne large face reads better than several small ones. Eyes toward the camera, or toward the product or text you want people to look at, guide the viewer.
  • Keep the bottom right clearYouTube draws the video length over the bottom-right corner of the thumbnail. Don't put a face, product or key word there.
  • Test it instead of guessingUse Test & compare in YouTube Studio with up to 3 versions, for example cutout with and without an outline. Make every version at least 1280 x 720 px. YouTube picks the winner by watch time, not click-through rate.
  • Don't misleadThumbnails must follow YouTube's Community Guidelines. Ones that break them can be rejected and can earn a strike.

Questions

What size is a YouTube thumbnail?

YouTube recommends 3840 x 2160 px at 16:9, with a minimum width of 640 px. For Shorts, 2160 x 3840 px at 9:16.

Why won't YouTube let me upload a custom thumbnail?

Custom thumbnails need a verified account. Until you verify, YouTube offers auto-generated thumbnails only. Each channel also has a daily upload limit.

My thumbnail is too big to upload from my phone. What now?

The mobile limit for video thumbnails is 2 MB. Export as JPG instead of PNG, or upload from a computer, where the limit is 50 MB.

Should the cutout be PNG or JPG?

Keep the cutout itself as a transparent PNG so you can place it on any background. Export the finished thumbnail as JPG or PNG; JPG is usually smaller.

Do faces get more clicks?

YouTube doesn't publish a rule on faces. Run Test & compare with a face and without, and let watch time decide for your channel.

Try it on your own image

New accounts get 50 free credits. One credit per image, no subscription, and credits never expire.

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Sources

Updated October 23, 2026