One banner, three crops
A YouTube banner is uploaded once but shown three different ways. TVs show nearly the full 16:9 image. Computers show a wide, short strip across the top of the channel page. Phones show an even narrower slice. That is why a banner that looks great in the editor can lose its text on a phone, and why this tool gives you both the full file and the desktop crop.
| Spec (YouTube Help) | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum upload size | 2048 × 1152 px, 16:9 |
| Recommended size (especially for TV) | 2560 × 1440 px |
| Safe area for text and logos | 1235 × 338 px, centered |
| Maximum file size | 6 MB |
Learn from banners that work
The best way to see the safe area in practice is to download banners from big channels in your niche and look at the full image next to the desktop strip. You will notice the pattern quickly: the name, tagline and upload schedule sit in a band across the middle, and the outer parts carry only background that can be cropped away without losing anything.
Look at how the banner works with the profile picture and the thumbnails too. Strong channels use the same two or three colors and the same type style in all three, so a visitor who lands on the channel page recognizes the videos they just saw in the feed.
Making your own banner
Start from a 2560×1440 canvas, keep everything that matters inside the 1235×338 center, and export under 6 MB. If your design is a different shape, the resizer has a channel banner preset that crops it to 2560×1440 in your browser. Then match your thumbnails to it: Thumbo makes thumbnails in your channel’s style, so the banner and the videos look like one brand.
Fair use of downloaded banners
Banners often include logos, artwork and photos that belong to the channel. Saving one to study the layout, show it in a review or credit a collab partner is normal. Reusing it as your own banner is not, and it confuses the viewers you are trying to win.
