Your YouTube channel art is one of the nearly important parts of your YouTube channel—aside from your actual video content, of course.

Information technology's basically a giant billboard for your brand at the height of your YouTube contour.

It'due south the start matter people encounter when they visit your channel, and it links potential followers to your other social channels.

Hootsuite's YouTube channel art

But y'all don't need to be a professional designer to brand your YouTube channel fine art look professional. We've included five customizable templates in this article that anyone—designer or not—can use to create their own YouTube banner.

And we've broken downward the procedure into 8 easy steps. Read on to showtime creating your own designer YouTube aqueduct fine art.

Bonus: Attract more views and subscribers in minutes with i of our v free customizable YouTube channel art templates. Download them now.

The 5 elements of engaging YouTube channel art

1. Your logo, in the right place

Start things beginning. Who are you? Make certain that's clear right off the bat. New visitors to your page will desire to know.

Place your logo in an obvious, visible spot against a colour that makes it pop. As well, brand sure it's within the "safe area" (more on that below).

Non certain where to put your logo? Our templates offering suggestions.

2. Simple image with a clear focal indicate

Like any billboard ad, the simpler the message, the easier it volition exist received. Don't attempt to do too much with your YouTube channel art.

Instead, use this pocket-sized space wisely to convey what yous desire viewers to focus on about your brand. Stick to one paradigm and a logo against a simple background.

Or maybe it's simply your logo against a background that makes information technology clear what your brand is all almost, every bit Epicurious does.

Epicurious YouTube channel art

If y'all're a really well known brand with acme YouTube talent, y'all could even skip the logo, and simply feature the stars of your channel. It seems to work for Bon Appetit.

Bon Appetit YouTube channel art

Whichever direction you choose to go in, call up: the rest of your YouTube page already has a lot going on. If yous want people to take an activity—subscribe, follow you on another social channel, or watch one of your videos—don't let your imprint overwhelm them.

Adobe YouTube home page

iii. Optimization for both desktop and mobile

Seventy percent of YouTube views come from mobile. That means although your YouTube banner is technically 2,560 x 1,440 px, most people volition see an area much smaller than this.

Brand sure to include the most important information (similar your logo) in the "safe expanse" of your YouTube banner, i.e., within an area of 1,546 x 423 px. Our templates mark out this area very conspicuously, so you lot don't have to worry most missing annihilation of import.

4. Consequent make colors

This nigh goes without saying, merely make sure your YouTube imprint is consistent with the way you present your brand elsewhere online. Otherwise, viewers will get confused.

This rule stands fifty-fifty if your YouTube presence is more laid dorsum or wackier than your other social channels. You don't desire to disorient viewers who are more probable to click that follow button if they know they've got the "right" version of you on YouTube.

Pro tip: Brand sure to update your channel fine art when you refresh your make, or run a special entrada. WIRED magazine updates their YouTube channel fine art for every new consequence they put out.

WIRED YouTube banner

5. Social media and website links

Your YouTube banner includes the option to link to your other social platforms and website. This is smashing! Considering chances are if someone has taken the fourth dimension to visit your YouTube page, they're also interested in the rest of your online presence.

It'll be important to design your YouTube channel fine art with nada important in the right hand corner—except for a background color that helps your icons stand out.

YouTube aqueduct art dimensions

Your YouTube aqueduct art will appear on desktop, mobile, and fifty-fifty Telly displays. This means larger images may go cropped.

Brand sure to include all the near important visual elements in the "safe area" of your prototype (dimensions noted below).

Bonus: Attract more than views and subscribers in minutes with i of our 5 gratuitous customizable YouTube channel fine art templates. Download them now.

Go the templates now!

Use the following YouTube channel art dimensions to ensure your epitome shows upward correctly:

  • For best results on all devices: ii,560 x 1440 px
  • Minimum dimension for upload: 2,048 x 1152 px
  • Minimum safe surface area for text and logos: 1,546 ten 423 px
  • Maximum width: 2,560 x 423 px
  • File size: 6MB or smaller

If you lot're not sure about the width and height of an image, don't worry. Yous can always start by customizing one of our YouTube channel art templates, which are pre-populated with the correct dimensions.

How to make YouTube channel fine art

Starting with a professionally designed template makes it easier to create your own YouTube channel fine art. Hither's how to customize our templates for your brand. You lot will demand Adobe Photoshop to get started.

Bonus: Concenter more views and subscribers in minutes with ane of our 5 free customizable YouTube channel art templates. Download them now.

one. Afterwards you've downloaded the YouTube channel art templates, y'all'll notice that the fonts and image files are separate. Double click on the font file of your selected theme to upload the font to your computer. Click install font.

downloading fonts for YouTube banner templates

ii. Double click the prototype file to open it in Photoshop.

3. Select the YouTube channel fine art template that you'd similar to work with first.

four. To edit text: double click the text you would like to edit. You can modify fonts and colors in the carte on the left-hand side.Editing colors on YouTube channel art templates

v. To edit a colour block or background: double click the colour block yous would like to edit. Change the size or use the carte on the left-hand side to change the color.

editing colors in YouTube channel art

half dozen. To edit a photo or prototype: double click the photo you would like to edit and click insert new image. Resize image equally necessary.

editing text on YouTube banner art templates

seven. To save the template: Select the template you would like to apply and go to Salve>Export Every bit>Artboard to Files. Brand sure to save every bit a .jpg or .png.

saving YouTube channel art

viii. Upload your YouTube channel fine art past following the steps below.

How to upload or alter YouTube channel art

  1. Sign in to YouTube on your desktop.
  2. Select My Channel from the meridian-right menu.
  3. Click Add channel art. (If y'all're just editing existing channel art, hover your cursor over the existing banner and click Edit).
  4. Upload an image or photo from your computer or click the Gallery tab to cull an paradigm from the YouTube photograph library.
  5. From here, you lot can preview how the art will appear on unlike devices. To make changes, click Adjust the crop.
  6. Click Select.

And that'due south all there is to it. Now y'all have a beautiful, branded graphic prominently displayed on your channel. The next pace is making certain your content is equally compelling. Check out our consummate guide to crafting a winning YouTube strategy for more on that.