Size comparison
YouTube Image Sizes: Thumbnail, Banner, End Screen, Profile Photo, Watermark, and Community Post
YouTube has more image surfaces than most creators realize. Beyond the critical thumbnail, there is the channel banner that crops differently on TV, desktop, and mobile, an end screen that overlays on the final seconds of your video, a watermark that appears on every video, and community post images for engaging subscribers between uploads. Getting these dimensions wrong has real consequences — a thumbnail with text cropped off loses clicks, a banner with the logo hidden on mobile looks unprofessional, and a blurry watermark undermines brand recognition. This guide puts every YouTube image size in one place so you can audit your channel assets quickly.
| Format | Dimensions | Aspect Ratio | Best Export | Max Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Thumbnail | 1280 × 720px | 16:9 | JPG | 2MB |
| YouTube Channel Banner | 2560 × 1440px | 16:9 | PNG | 6MB |
| YouTube End Screen | 1920 × 1080px | 16:9 | PNG | — |
| YouTube Profile Photo | 800 × 800px | 1:1 | PNG | — |
| YouTube Watermark | 150 × 150px | 1:1 | PNG | 1MB |
| YouTube Community Post | 1080 × 1080px | 1:1 | JPG | — |
YouTube Thumbnail
1280 × 720px
YouTube recommends 1280×720 with a minimum width of 640px. Must be under 2MB. Thumbnails display at many different sizes across YouTube's UI.
YouTube Channel Banner
2560 × 1440px
Full banner is 2560×1440 but the safe area visible on all devices is 1546×423 (centered). TV shows the full image, desktop and mobile progressively crop more.
YouTube End Screen
1920 × 1080px
Full-HD 16:9 frame for end screen layouts. YouTube overlays clickable elements on top of this image.
YouTube Profile Photo
800 × 800px
Displayed as circles across YouTube. Shown next to comments, subscriptions, and search results.
YouTube Watermark
150 × 150px
A small branding overlay that appears in the bottom-right corner of videos. Transparency is important.
YouTube Community Post
1080 × 1080px
Community tab posts support images, polls, and text. Square images work well for consistent display.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ideal YouTube thumbnail size?
YouTube recommends 1280×720 pixels with a minimum width of 640 pixels. The file must be under 2MB and in JPG, GIF, or PNG format. This 16:9 ratio matches the video player exactly, so your thumbnail fills the preview without any letterboxing.
Why does my YouTube banner look different on mobile and TV?
YouTube banners are 2560×1440, but the visible area changes drastically by device. On mobile, only the center 1546×423 pixels show. On desktop, about 2560×423 is visible. On TV, the full 2560×1440 displays. Always design critical content (logo, text) within the mobile-safe center zone.
What size should a YouTube end screen element be?
End screen elements display within a 1280×720 area during the last 5-20 seconds of your video. Individual elements (subscribe buttons, video suggestions) are placed within this space by YouTube's editor. Design your video's final frame with clear open areas where these elements can sit without covering important content.
After resizing, you can also:
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