How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail

Step by step

1. Start with a 1280 × 720 canvas.
2. Use one main subject and remove unnecessary visual clutter.
3. Add a short headline with large, high-contrast text.
4. Check the design at a smaller zoom before exporting.
5. Export as JPG for photographs or PNG for crisp graphic elements.

Practice with Bacon Services

Try the workflow with your own image. Bacon Services processes utility images locally and keeps editor objects on separate layers while you work.