The YouTube banner size is 2560 x 1440 pixels, a 16:9 image, and the smallest file YouTube Studio accepts is 2048 x 1152. The part that catches almost everyone: only the middle 1546 x 423 strip of that image is shown on every device. A banner designed edge to edge looks fine on a TV and loses its title on a phone. This resizer takes any image you already have, a Canva export, a photo, a logo on a colour, and outputs the exact 2560x1440 frame with the safe area drawn over the preview so you can move the focus point before you download. It also has presets for the 2048x1152 minimum and the 800x800 profile picture, and it draws a blank template with the guides for your design app. Nothing is uploaded; the crop, resize, and export run on the HTML canvas in your browser. For a video thumbnail rather than channel art, use the YouTube thumbnail resizer instead, which outputs 1280x720.
YouTube banner size and specs in one table
| Spec | Value |
|---|
| Recommended banner size | 2560 x 1440 pixels (the size YouTube's own channel art template uses) |
| Minimum size YouTube accepts | 2048 x 1152 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Safe area for text and logos | 1546 x 423 pixels, centred, on a 2560 x 1440 banner (YouTube quotes 1235 x 338 for the 2048 x 1152 minimum) |
| Maximum file size | 6 MB |
| Format | JPG or PNG (the tool exports both) |
| Profile picture | 800 x 800 pixels, displayed as a 98 x 98 circle |
The numbers scale together: 1546 divided by 2560 is the same fraction as 1235 divided by 2048, so whichever width you design at, the safe strip is about 60 percent of the width and 29 percent of the height, dead centre. The resizer draws it for the preset you pick. A video thumbnail has a different spec, 1280x720 under 2 MB, covered in the YouTube thumbnail size guide.
Why the banner is cropped: what each device shows
YouTube uploads one 2560x1440 image and then shows a different slice of it on each screen. That is the whole reason the safe area exists.
- TV apps show the full 2560 x 1440 image. This is the only place the corners are visible.
- Desktop browsers show a wide strip across the middle, about 2560 x 423 on a wide window and narrower on a small one.
- Tablets show roughly the middle 1855 x 423.
- Phones show roughly the central 1546 x 423, which is why that rectangle is the safe area. Everything you need people to read, the channel name, a tagline, an upload schedule, a logo, belongs inside it.
Tick Show safe-area guides in the tool and the preview overlays the three crops on your image: the green box is the phone-safe strip, the orange box the tablet view, the blue band the desktop view, and the dimmed top and bottom are TV-only. The guides are drawn on a separate layer, so the file you download is clean. The same idea for a video thumbnail, the corner the duration badge covers and the edges the feed clips, is mapped in the thumbnail safe zone guide.
How to resize an image to the YouTube banner size
- Choose your image. Click Choose image and pick a JPG, PNG, or WEBP from your device. Wider than 2560 pixels is ideal; the tool scales it down without losing sharpness. Smaller images are scaled up and will look softer.
- Keep the 2560x1440 preset. Switch to 2048x1152 only if you want the smallest file YouTube accepts, and to 800x800 for a profile picture.
- Pick a fit mode. Crop to fill scales the image until it covers the whole frame and trims the overflow; the two focus sliders move the crop so the subject lands inside the green safe box. Fit with padding keeps the entire image visible and fills the rest with the padding colour, which suits a logo or a wordmark on a flat background.
- Click Resize. The tool draws the frame, exports it, and if the format is JPG it lowers the quality until the file is under 6 MB. The stats line shows the final width, height, format, and file size, and turns green when the file passes.
- Download and upload. Click Download banner. In YouTube Studio go to Customization, then Branding, then Banner image, choose Change, select the file, and use YouTube's own crop preview to confirm the safe strip before you publish.
Crop to fill vs fit with padding for a banner
Photos and artwork should use crop to fill. A 4:3 photo or a square graphic becomes a clean 16:9 frame with nothing distorted, and because a banner is only ever seen as a strip, the sliders matter more than they do for a thumbnail: drag the vertical focus until the horizon, the face, or the product sits in the green box, then check the orange and blue boxes for anything awkward at the edges.
Fit with padding is the right choice for a logo, a wordmark, or any image that cannot lose an edge. The whole image is scaled to fit inside the frame and the empty space is filled with the padding colour, so pick the colour of your logo's background and the join is invisible. Neither mode stretches the image; a squashed banner is the one mistake the tool refuses to make.
The blank YouTube banner template
If you would rather design the banner from scratch, click Download blank 2560x1440 template with guides. The tool draws a PNG at the full banner size with the text-safe area, the tablet view, and the desktop view filled in and labelled with their pixel sizes. Open it as the bottom layer in Canva, Photoshop, Figma, or GIMP, set the canvas to 2560 x 1440 if the app does not read it from the file, design on top, hide the template layer, and export a JPG. The equivalent starting canvas for a video thumbnail is in the YouTube thumbnail template guide.
YouTube profile picture size
The profile picture, the circle next to your channel name, should be uploaded at 800 x 800 pixels; YouTube displays it at 98 x 98 and accepts JPG, PNG, BMP, or a non-animated GIF. Because it is shown as a circle, anything in the corners of the square is cut off. The 800x800 profile picture preset crops your image to a square, and with the guides on it shades the corners that the circle removes, so a face or a logo can be centred before you download. Upload it in the same Branding tab as the banner.
Why a banner upload fails, and the fix
| What YouTube Studio says or does | Cause | Fix in the resizer |
|---|
| Rejects the file as too small | Image below 2048 x 1152 | The output is always at least 2048 x 1152; for sharpness start from a larger source |
| Rejects the file as too large | Over 6 MB, usually a PNG or a huge photo | Choose JPG; the tool steps the quality down until it is under 6 MB |
| Crops the image itself and the result looks wrong | Source is not 16:9 | Crop to fill with the focus sliders, or Fit with padding |
| Title missing on phones | Text placed outside the 1546 x 423 safe area | Turn the guides on and move the text into the green box, or redesign on the template |
| Blurry on TV | Small image scaled up | Use a source at least 2560 pixels wide, or accept that the TV view will be soft |
A video thumbnail that is refused for size is a different limit, 2 MB rather than 6 MB, explained in YouTube thumbnail too large.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube banner size?
2560 x 1440 pixels, a 16:9 aspect ratio, is the size YouTube's own channel art template uses and the size to design at. The smallest image YouTube accepts is 2048 x 1152 pixels, and the file must be 6 MB or smaller. Only the middle 1546 x 423 pixels of a 2560 x 1440 banner are shown on every device, so text and logos belong there.
Why does my banner look cut off on phones?
Because YouTube does not show the whole banner on most screens. A TV shows the full 2560 x 1440 image; desktop and tablet browsers show a wide strip across the middle; phones show roughly the central 1546 x 423 area only. Anything placed outside that centre strip disappears on a phone. The resizer's safe-area overlay shows the strip so you can move the focus point before you download.
Does this banner resizer upload my image?
No. The resize, crop, and export run on the HTML canvas inside your browser. The image never leaves your device and there is nothing to sign up for.
What happens if my image is smaller than 2048 x 1152?
YouTube Studio refuses banners below 2048 x 1152, so the tool always outputs a frame that clears the minimum. Scaling a small image up cannot add detail, so a 1280 x 720 photo enlarged to 2560 x 1440 will look soft. For a sharp banner start from an image at least 2048 pixels wide, or use Fit with padding so the original stays at its own size on a solid background.
How do I keep the banner under 6 MB?
Export as JPG. A 2560 x 1440 JPG is normally 500 KB to 2 MB, and if a busy image comes out over 6 MB the tool steps the JPG quality down until it is under the limit. PNG cannot be compressed by quality, so an oversized PNG needs a switch to JPG.
What size is a YouTube profile picture?
800 x 800 pixels is the size YouTube recommends; it is displayed as a 98 x 98 pixel circle. JPG, PNG, BMP, or a non-animated GIF are accepted. The 800x800 profile picture preset in the resizer crops any image to that square and shows the round crop as a guide.
Is the blank banner template free?
Yes. The Download blank template button draws a 2560 x 1440 PNG in your browser with the text-safe, tablet, and desktop areas marked and labelled. Open it as the bottom layer in Canva, Photoshop, Figma, or GIMP, design on top, hide the guide layer, and export.
