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YouTube Thumbnail Maker

Design your own YouTube thumbnail on a 1280×720 canvas — add a background image or gradient and a big outlined headline, drag it into place, then download a PNG.

Make a YouTube thumbnail from scratch on a full 1280×720 canvas. Start from a background image, a gradient or a solid color, then add a bold headline with an outline and drop shadow so the words read even at small sizes. Drag the text where you want it, tweak the size and colors, and export a ready-to-upload PNG. This is a thumbnail maker for designing your own artwork — if you instead want to grab the thumbnail from a video that already exists, use our YouTube Thumbnail Downloader. Everything here runs on your device.

Drag the headline to place it, or use the position sliders.

Background

How it works

  1. 1

    Set the background

    Upload a photo, or pick a gradient or solid color to build the thumbnail on.

  2. 2

    Write the headline

    Type your title, choose a font, and add an outline and shadow so it stays readable when small.

  3. 3

    Place it and export

    Drag the text into position, then download a 1280×720 PNG ready for YouTube.

Instant & 100% private — nothing is uploaded

Your images are processed instantly on your own device and are never sent to a server — so there are no upload waits, no size limits from us, and no copies kept anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What size is the thumbnail?
The canvas is 1280×720, which is the 16:9 size YouTube recommends. The exported PNG matches, so it fills the thumbnail slot without cropping.
How is this different from the YouTube Thumbnail Downloader?
The downloader fetches the existing thumbnail from a video you paste a link to. This maker is for designing a new thumbnail of your own, with your background and headline. Different jobs — use whichever fits.
Can I use my own photo as the background?
Yes. Upload any image and it fills the canvas. Then add your headline on top, and drag the text to sit clear of faces or busy areas.
Why add an outline and shadow to the text?
Thumbnails show up small in feeds and on phones. A dark outline and a soft shadow keep light text readable over a busy photo, so the title still lands at a glance.
Is my image uploaded?
No. The thumbnail is drawn in your browser and the PNG is created there, so your background photo never leaves your device.

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