# YouTube banner size: dimensions, safe area and how to upload

Canonical: https://postmesh.app/blog/youtube-banner-size

By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-31; updated 2026-10-31.

YouTube recommends a 2560 × 1440 pixel channel banner, with a minimum upload size of 2048 × 1152 (16:9) and a file of 6 MB or smaller. Keep text and logos inside the safe area, which YouTube gives as 1235 × 338 pixels at the minimum size, because the rest of the image is cropped on some devices.

A YouTube banner is an odd shape to design for. You upload a 16:9 image the size of a TV screen, but YouTube crops it on many views and devices, and its safe area for text is a wide, short strip. That's why so many banners have names cut in half or logos sliced off at the edge. This guide gives you YouTube's current numbers from its own help pages, shows how the safe area scales when you design at the recommended size, and walks through designing, uploading and fixing a banner. Everything was checked on October 31, 2026.

## The short answer

Design at 2560 × 1440 pixels. Put your channel name, logo and any text in a strip in the middle of the image, about 1544 × 423 pixels at that size, and fill the rest with background that can be cropped away. Save it at 6 MB or less and upload it in YouTube Studio under Customization, then Profile. Check the device previews before you publish.

- 2560 × 1440: Recommended banner size, especially for TV
- 2048 × 1152: Minimum upload size (16:9)
- 1235 × 338: Safe area for text and logos at the minimum size
- 6 MB: Largest file you can upload

*From YouTube Help's channel branding page, checked October 31, 2026.*

| Spec | YouTube's figure | What it means for you |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Minimum size | 2048 × 1152 px, 16:9 | Smaller images won't upload |
| Recommended size | 2560 × 1440 px, especially for TV | Design at this size |
| Safe area | 1235 × 338 px at the minimum size | About 1544 × 423 px on a 2560 × 1440 canvas |
| File size | 6 MB or smaller | Usually easy as a JPG |
| Embellishments | No shadows, borders or frames | Let the image run edge to edge |

## What size is a YouTube banner?

YouTube's [channel branding page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10456525) lists a minimum upload size of 2048 × 1152 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a recommended size of 2560 × 1440 pixels, especially for TV. Its [banner and profile picture tips](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12950272) say the same thing from the other direction: make the banner at least 2560 × 1440 for the best display on all devices.

### Minimum or recommended: which should I use?

Use 2560 × 1440. The minimum is the smallest image YouTube accepts, not a target. A banner made at 2048 × 1152 has to be scaled up to fill a large TV, which softens it. Starting at 2560 × 1440 gives YouTube more pixels to work with, and it's still a normal size for any design tool. If your source photo is smaller than 2560 pixels wide, scale it up only as far as you must, and keep the important detail large so a little softness doesn't matter.

### Why is it 16:9 when it shows as a thin strip?

Because the same image is used everywhere. YouTube says the banner is used across computer, mobile and TV displays but shows differently depending on the device, and that images should fill the entire screen for larger devices but will be cropped on certain views and devices. Larger screens such as TVs can show the whole picture, while other views and devices crop it, which is why the safe area YouTube gives is a wide, short strip. One file has to work for all of them, so you design the full 16:9 canvas but treat most of it as background.

## What is the YouTube banner safe area?

The safe area is the part of the banner meant for text and logos. YouTube gives it as 1235 × 338 pixels at the minimum dimension of 2048 × 1152. Anything you need people to read, such as your channel name, a tagline or an upload schedule, belongs inside it. Everything outside it is background that may be cut off.

### How big is the safe area on a 2560 × 1440 banner?

YouTube only states the safe area at the minimum size, so if you design at the recommended size, scale it yourself. 2560 is 1.25 times 2048, and 1440 is 1.25 times 1152, so multiply the safe area by 1.25 too: 1235 × 1.25 is about 1544, and 338 × 1.25 is about 423. On a 2560 × 1440 canvas, plan for a text-and-logo area of roughly 1544 × 423 pixels. That's about 60% of the width and 29% of the height.

| Canvas | Safe area | Margin left and right if centered | Margin top and bottom if centered |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2048 × 1152 (minimum) | 1235 × 338 | About 407 px each side | About 407 px each side |
| 2560 × 1440 (recommended) | About 1544 × 423 | About 508 px each side | About 509 px each side |

**Minimum canvas**
- 2048 × 1152 px
- Safe area 1235 × 338
- Safe area is about 60% wide, 29% tall
- Upload only if you can't go bigger

**Recommended canvas**
- 2560 × 1440 px
- Safe area about 1544 × 423
- Same proportions, 1.25 times larger
- Design here

*The 2560 × 1440 safe area is our arithmetic from YouTube's figure at the minimum size.*

### Where on the banner does the safe area go?

YouTube's page gives the safe area's size but doesn't say where it sits. The common practice, and the placement that keeps text furthest from every edge, is the exact center of the image. Set up guides in your design tool for a centered box of about 1544 × 423 on a 2560 × 1440 canvas, then confirm the placement in the crop preview YouTube shows when you upload. If the preview cuts into your text, move it toward the middle rather than making it smaller.

### What if I design at a different canvas size?

The safe area keeps the same proportions at any 16:9 size: about 60.3% of the width and 29.3% of the height. Multiply your canvas by those numbers. Some designers work at 3840 × 2160 so they have extra room to edit; there the safe area is about 2316 × 634. If you do, export the finished banner at 2560 × 1440. That's YouTube's recommended size, and a 4K export makes a heavier file that's more likely to run into the 6 MB limit without looking any better.

| Canvas (16:9) | Safe area for text and logos |
| --- | --- |
| 2048 × 1152 | 1235 × 338 (YouTube's figure) |
| 2560 × 1440 | About 1544 × 423 |
| 3840 × 2160 | About 2316 × 634 |

> Treat the safe area as a hard edge for text, not a suggestion. Leave a little padding inside it too, so letters don't touch the boundary on devices that crop tightly.

## How does a YouTube banner look on TV, desktop and mobile?

You upload one image and YouTube decides how much of it each screen shows. YouTube's page says the same banner is used on computer, mobile and TV, with different crops on certain views and devices, and that the recommended 2560 × 1440 size matters especially for TV. In practice that gives you three rules:

- Anything outside the safe area may be hidden on some screens, so it should be decoration: color, texture, a photo that still makes sense when cropped.
- The safe area is the only part you can count on, so the channel name and any words go there.
- Large screens can show the whole image, so the background should look finished all the way to the corners, not like an empty margin.

YouTube's current help page doesn't list the exact pixel crop for each device, and older numbers you find online don't all agree. Rather than designing for a specific device crop, design for the safe area and check YouTube's own previews when you upload, which show the crop that applies today.

> Official Artist Channels work differently. YouTube says their banner image is only used on computer and mobile devices, and the banner for TV and YouTube Music is changed separately in YouTube Studio.

## What file size and format does a YouTube banner need?

The file has to be 6 MB or smaller. YouTube's branding page doesn't list accepted banner formats; it names formats only for profile pictures (JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG). Most banners are saved as JPG or PNG. A 2560 × 1440 JPG at good quality is usually well under 6 MB. A PNG with a photograph in it can be much larger, so if a PNG fails, save the same design as a JPG.

YouTube also says not to include extra embellishments such as shadows, borders and frames. A border drawn around the edge of the canvas is exactly the part that gets cropped on most screens, so it ends up looking like a random line along the top or bottom.

### How do I get my banner under 6 MB?

1. Save as JPG instead of PNG if the banner contains a photo or gradients.
2. Lower the JPG quality one step at a time, checking the text edges at 100% zoom after each step.
3. Make sure the canvas is 2560 × 1440, not a larger size you started from. A 4K or print-sized canvas makes a much heavier file for no visible gain.
4. Remove hidden layers or embedded color profiles your editor may be saving into the file.

## How do I make a YouTube banner, step by step?

You can make a banner in any photo editor; YouTube's tips page names Canva as a popular option. Whatever you use, the process is the same.

1. **Set up the canvas**: Create a 2560 × 1440 pixel canvas. Add guides for a centered safe area of about 1544 × 423.
2. **Lay down the background**: Fill the whole canvas with a color, pattern or photo that still looks right when only the middle strip shows. Avoid putting a face or key object near the top or bottom edge.
3. **Add the essentials inside the safe area**: Your channel name or logo first. Then, only if it helps, a short line about what the channel is or when you upload.
4. **Check hierarchy and contrast**: The channel name should be the biggest, clearest element. Text needs strong contrast with what's behind it.
5. **Export**: Save as a JPG (or PNG for flat graphics) at 2560 × 1440, and confirm the file is 6 MB or less.
6. **Upload and preview**: Upload it in YouTube Studio, check each device preview, adjust the crop if needed, then publish.

1. Canvas at 2560 × 1440
2. Background fills every edge
3. Name and text in the center strip
4. Export at 6 MB or less
5. Check the device previews

*The order matters: background first, text inside the safe area last.*

### Use a test image to see the crop first

If you're unsure how much each device shows, make a quick test image before you design anything: a 2560 × 1440 canvas with a few labeled boxes drawn from the center outward, for example the 1544 × 423 safe area, then a wider box, then a taller one. Upload it in YouTube Studio and look at each preview, but don't click Publish. The previews tell you which boxes survive on each screen. Cancel, then design your real banner with that knowledge. It takes five minutes and saves a round of fixing text that turned out to be cut off.

### What should I put on my YouTube banner?

Start from the question a new visitor has: what is this channel? YouTube's tips page says your brand starts with your channel name but extends to visuals like the banner and profile picture, and that strong brands keep a consistent look, feel and voice. In practice the useful elements are:

- Your channel name, large and readable, especially if your profile picture is a symbol rather than a name.
- A short line saying what the channel covers, if the name doesn't make it obvious.
- Your upload schedule. YouTube's tips page suggests adding it so viewers know when to come back. Only include it if you'll keep to it, and update the banner when it changes.
- Visuals that match your thumbnails and branding elsewhere, so people recognize you across YouTube and off it.

### How big should the text be?

Bigger than feels natural on a monitor. On a phone, the whole safe area is shown at a small size, so a line of text that looks fine at full size can become unreadable. A good starting point is to make the channel name fill a third or more of the safe area's height, use one bold, simple typeface, and keep any second line much shorter than the first. Then shrink the exported file on your screen to about the width of a phone and check you can still read every word. If you can't, cut words before you shrink the type.

### Should I use a photo or a graphic?

Either works if you plan for the crop. A graphic banner, built from flat color, shapes and type, stays sharp at any size and is easy to keep inside the safe area. A photo banner can show your face, your studio or your work, but photos have their subject in a particular place, and that place has to land inside the middle strip. If you use a photo of yourself, put your face in the center of the frame, not near the top, and leave plenty of background on every side so the crop has something to remove. Busy photos also make text hard to read, so add a darker or lighter panel behind any words.

### What should I leave off my banner?

- Long sentences. On a phone, the safe area is small, and a paragraph turns into tiny text.
- Anything important outside the safe area, such as a face at the top of the frame or a logo in a corner.
- Borders, frames and drop shadows around the canvas, which YouTube asks you not to add.
- Arrows pointing at buttons on the channel page. The banner is cropped differently on each device, so an arrow can end up pointing at nothing.
- Content that breaks the Community Guidelines. YouTube's tips page reminds you that branding elements must follow them.

## How do I upload or change my YouTube banner?

These steps are from YouTube's channel branding help page.

### On a computer

1. **Open YouTube Studio**: Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. **Go to Customization**: In the left menu, select Customization, then Profile.
3. **Choose the image**: Under the banner image, click Change and select your file.
4. **Adjust the crop**: Select a preview to change the crop, then click Done.
5. **Publish**: Click Publish. Nothing changes on your channel until you do.

YouTube Studio (computer): Customization › Profile › Change › Done › Publish

*Changing the banner on a computer, from YouTube Help.*

### In the YouTube app

YouTube app: Profile picture › View channel › Edit › Banner image › Save

*From YouTube Help's Android instructions.*

Tap your profile picture, then View channel. Tap Edit, then tap your banner image. Take a photo or choose one to upload, then tap Save. If your banner has text, check the result on a computer afterward as well.

### In the YouTube Studio app

Tap your profile picture, then Edit profile. Tap the picture you want to change, add or choose an image, and tap Save.

## How do I check my banner on every device before publishing?

Use the preview step on a computer. When you upload, YouTube lets you select a preview and change the crop before you click Done. Go through each preview and look for three things: text touching an edge, a logo cut off, and an important part of the photo missing. If any preview fails, fix the design file rather than squeezing the crop, because the crop affects every device at once.

After you publish, look at the live channel on a phone, on a computer browser at a normal window size, and on a TV app if you have one. Then shrink the browser window to see how the banner behaves on a narrow screen. If you can read the channel name in every case, the banner works.

## Why does my YouTube banner look wrong?

| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Text or logo cut off | Placed outside the safe area | Move it inside a centered 1544 × 423 area on a 2560 × 1440 canvas |
| Upload rejected for size | Image smaller than 2048 × 1152 | Rebuild at 2560 × 1440 |
| Upload fails | File over 6 MB | Save as JPG or lower the quality |
| Banner looks stretched or squashed | Source wasn't 16:9 | Crop to 16:9 before uploading |
| Banner is blurry on TV | Made at the minimum size or scaled up from a small image | Use a larger source and 2560 × 1440 |
| A line appears along the top or bottom | A border or frame around the canvas | Remove borders; YouTube asks for none |
| Change doesn't show | Publish wasn't clicked, or the page is cached | Click Publish, then reload in a private window |

**What's wrong with your banner?**
- Words or logo are cut off → Move them into the centered safe area and check the previews.
- YouTube won't accept the file → Check it's at least 2048 × 1152 and 6 MB or smaller.
- It looks soft or blurry → Rebuild at 2560 × 1440 from a larger source image.
- It hasn't changed → Make sure you clicked Publish, then reload the channel.

*Four banner problems and where to start.*

### Why is my YouTube banner blurry?

Usually because the source image was smaller than the banner and got enlarged, or because heavy JPG compression smeared the detail. Enlarging can't add detail, so a small photo stretched to 2560 pixels looks soft on a big screen. Start from a larger photo or use a design with flat shapes and clean text that stay sharp at any size, and export at a high JPG quality while staying under 6 MB.

### Why is my channel name cut off on mobile?

Because it's outside the safe area, or right at its edge. Phones show a narrow slice of the banner, so anything near the left, right, top or bottom of the full image disappears. Keep the name inside the centered safe area with some padding, and make it large enough to read on a small screen.

### Why does the live banner look different from the preview?

The previews show the crop for each device type at the moment you upload, but real screens vary: browser windows are resized, phones differ in width, and apps change their layouts over time. That's why the safe area matters more than any single preview. If something is close to the edge in a preview, assume some screen will cut it, and move it further in. Recheck the live channel now and then, especially after YouTube redesigns the channel page.

## What size is a YouTube profile picture and watermark?

The banner is one of three branding images on the same Customization page. YouTube's branding page lists the other two:

**Banner image**
- 2560 × 1440 recommended
- At least 2048 × 1152
- 6 MB or smaller
- Text inside the safe area

**Profile picture**
- Shown at 98 × 98 px
- JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG
- No animated GIFs
- Up to 15 MB

**Video watermark**
- At least 150 × 150 px
- Square, under 1 MB
- Set on a computer only
- Not on made for kids videos

*All three are managed under Customization, then Profile.*

The profile picture appears on your channel, your videos and your public actions across YouTube, such as comments. It renders at 98 × 98 pixels, so upload a larger square and keep the face or logo centered and simple. The tips page recommends a square or round image. YouTube says a new profile picture may take a few minutes to update across YouTube.

Design the profile picture and banner together. They appear next to each other on your channel page, so a profile picture in the same colors as the banner looks deliberate, and one in clashing colors looks like two different channels. If your banner already shows your name in large type, the profile picture can be a simple mark or your face; if the profile picture is a logo, the banner doesn't need to repeat it.

The video watermark is a small image viewers can click to subscribe. You can show it for the last 15 seconds of a video, from a custom start time, or for the entire video. YouTube says it shows when a video is played horizontally on computers and mobile devices, isn't clickable on mobile, and isn't available on videos set as made for kids. YouTube reports its subscriptions in the Subscription source report in YouTube Analytics.

## How do I resize an image to the YouTube banner size?

If you already have artwork, the free [YouTube banner resizer](/tools/youtube-banner-resizer) crops and resizes it in your browser. It has a banner preset and a profile picture preset, and your image never leaves your device.

1. **Choose a wide source**: Pick artwork with room around the subject. A tight portrait is hard to turn into a wide banner without cutting off the top of a head.
2. **Pick the banner preset**: Open the [banner resizer](/tools/youtube-banner-resizer), choose the banner size, and move the crop so the subject sits in the middle.
3. **Download**: You get a JPEG for photos, or a PNG if the image has transparency.
4. **Add text in your editor if needed**: The resizer crops and resizes; it isn't a layout editor. Add your channel name inside the safe area in any image editor.
5. **Upload and preview**: Upload in YouTube Studio and check each device preview before you publish.

Making matching headers for other networks? There are free resizers for the [LinkedIn banner](/tools/linkedin-banner-resizer), the [X header](/tools/x-header-resizer) and the [Facebook cover photo](/tools/facebook-cover-photo-resizer), and [social media image sizes](/blog/social-media-image-sizes) lists every network's numbers side by side.

## What should I do after my banner is live?

**Banner checklist**
- [ ] Canvas is 2560 × 1440, never under 2048 × 1152
- [ ] Name, logo and text inside a centered 1544 × 423 area
- [ ] Background reaches every edge, no borders or frames
- [ ] File is 6 MB or smaller
- [ ] Checked every device preview before publishing
- [ ] Looked at the live channel on a phone and a computer
- [ ] Editable source file saved for the next update

*Keep it for the next time you update the banner.*

Keep the editable design file, not just the exported JPG, so you can change a schedule or tagline without rebuilding the whole banner or recompressing an old export. Save each exported version with a date in the file name so you can go back if a change doesn't work.

Repeat anything important as text too. Words that are part of an image can't be searched, can't be copied, and aren't available to people who can't see the image. If your banner shows an upload schedule or what the channel covers, put the same information in your channel description so it's there in plain text.

YouTube's tips page says your banner and profile picture can change with you, and suggests asking viewers which visuals they like through the Posts tab or Shorts. Update the banner when your focus or schedule changes, and keep it consistent with your thumbnails: the [YouTube thumbnail size guide](/blog/youtube-thumbnail-size) covers the 3840 × 2160 thumbnail and how to design for small screens, and the [thumbnail resizer](/tools/youtube-thumbnail-resizer) prepares the images.

### When should I update my banner?

- When your upload schedule changes, if the banner shows one. An out-of-date schedule tells visitors the channel is less active than it is.
- When you start a new series or shift the channel's focus, so the banner describes what new visitors will actually find.
- When your thumbnails get a new look, so the channel page and the videos still feel like one brand.
- When you notice a problem on a device you didn't check before, such as text near the edge on a new phone layout.

If you're still settling on the channel's identity, the [YouTube channel name generator](/tools/youtube-channel-name-generator) and [YouTube bio generator](/tools/youtube-bio-generator) help with the words, and the [channel name character counter](/tools/youtube-channel-name-character-counter) checks the length.

If your banner promises an upload schedule, the schedule has to hold. [PostMesh can schedule YouTube uploads](/platform/youtube) up to 30 days ahead through the YouTube API, with the title, tags and thumbnail set; the video uploads as private and YouTube makes it public at the time you pick. [How to schedule YouTube videos](/blog/how-to-schedule-youtube-videos) covers YouTube Studio's own scheduler as well, and [the best time to post on YouTube](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-youtube) helps you choose the day to put on the banner.

## Questions

### What is the best size for a YouTube banner?

2560 × 1440 pixels. YouTube recommends it, especially for TV, and its tips page says at least that size gives the best display on all devices.

### What happens if my banner is smaller than 2048 × 1152?

It's below YouTube's minimum upload size. Rebuild it at 2560 × 1440 rather than stretching a small image, which looks blurry.

### Where exactly is the safe area?

YouTube gives its size, 1235 × 338 pixels at the minimum canvas, but not its position. Center it, which keeps text away from every edge, and confirm in the upload preview.

### Can I use a GIF or animated banner?

YouTube's branding page doesn't list banner formats or mention animated banners. Use a still JPG or PNG to be safe.

### Why does my banner look different on my phone and TV?

YouTube uses one image on every device but crops it differently. TVs can show the full 16:9 image while phones show a strip across the middle.

### Can I change my YouTube banner from my phone?

Yes. In the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, View channel, Edit, then the banner image, and save. Check text placement on a computer afterward.

### Is the YouTube banner the same size as a thumbnail?

No. Both are 16:9, but a banner is 2560 × 1440 with a small safe area, while a thumbnail is 3840 × 2160 and shown whole.

### How big can the banner file be?

6 MB or smaller. A 2560 × 1440 JPG at good quality usually fits easily.

### Do Official Artist Channels use the same banner on TV?

No. YouTube says their banner is only used on computer and mobile, and the TV and YouTube Music banner is changed separately in YouTube Studio.

## Sources

- [YouTube Help: Manage your channel's branding](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10456525)

- [YouTube Help: Channel banner and profile picture tips](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12950272)