processed in your browser · never uploaded
A maker for the custom thumbnail image you set on a YouTube video. The output is fixed to YouTube's recommended 1280×720px (16:9, landscape) true size. The background can be a plain color or an image that fits (cover) to fill the frame. You can also pick a video file (mp4 and others): a time slider appears, and scrubbing to any moment grabs that frame as the background — so you can use the best single frame from your footage (it reads your local video file, it does not fetch from a YouTube URL). Type a title (heading) and an optional smaller caption line, then set the text position (top, center, bottom), alignment (left, center, right) and font (sans or serif). Text auto-shrinks to fit the width at a large size and can carry a thick outline (the classic thumbnail look) so it stays crisp over a photo; you can also lay a soft shaded band behind the text for readability. Background, text and outline colors are each adjustable. Turn on the safe-area guide to see the inner frame that may be cropped on some surfaces and where the bottom-right duration badge overlaps, so you can keep important text and faces clear (the guide is not included in the exported PNG). Export the thumbnail with Save PNG and upload it as a custom thumbnail from YouTube Studio. Your image, video and text are never sent to a server — everything runs in your browser (only settings like position, colors and outline are stored on your device for next time and can be cleared with Reset).
How to use
- Use a plain background color, add an image, or pick a video and scrub the time slider to grab a frame.
- Type a title and an optional caption, then set position, alignment, font, colors and the outline.
- Check the safe area for edge crop and the duration badge, then press Save PNG to export at 1280×720.
FAQ
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
The recommended size is 1280×720px (16:9, landscape). This tool fixes the output to that exact size, so you don't have to worry about matching dimensions — the exported PNG can be uploaded straight to YouTube Studio as a custom thumbnail.
Can I use a frame from my video as the thumbnail?
Yes. Use Add image / video to pick a video file (mp4 and others); a time slider appears, and scrubbing to the moment you want grabs that frame as the background. It reads your local video file — it does not fetch a frame from a YouTube URL.
How do I make the text readable over a photo?
Text can carry a thick outline so it stays crisp over busy images (the classic thumbnail style), and you can also lay a soft shaded band behind it. Text color and outline color are each adjustable.
What is the safe area guide?
Depending on where a thumbnail is shown, the edges can be slightly cropped and the bottom-right corner is covered by the video duration badge. Turning on the safe-area guide shows that inner frame and the badge position so you can keep important text and faces out of the way. The guide is not included in the exported PNG.
Is my image, video or text uploaded?
No. Your background image, video, title and caption are never sent to a server — everything is processed inside your browser, and the exported PNG is saved only to your device. Only settings like position, colors and outline are stored locally for next time and can be cleared with Reset.