YouTube Banner Size (2560 × 1440) and How to Resize It
The recommended YouTube banner size, the 1546 × 423 safe area that shows on every device, and how to resize any image to fit without cutting off your logo.
6 min read
Your channel banner is the first thing people see on your YouTube page, and it’s also the image most likely to get cut off. The same file is shown on TVs, desktops, tablets and phones, and each one crops it differently. A logo that looks perfect on your monitor can lose its edges on mobile.
This guide gives you the banner size YouTube recommends, shows which part of the image is visible everywhere, and walks through resizing any picture to fit with the free Image Resizer.
YouTube banner size at a glance
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Recommended size | 2560 × 1440 px |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Minimum upload size | 2048 × 1152 px |
| Safe area (visible on every device) | 1546 × 423 px, centered |
| Maximum file size | 6 MB |
These are the figures YouTube has published for some time. Check YouTube’s channel branding help page if you’re designing for a launch, because platforms do revise them.
Why the safe area matters
On a TV, YouTube can show the whole 2560 × 1440 image. On a desktop it shows a wide strip across the middle, and on a phone an even narrower one. The only region guaranteed to appear everywhere is the 1546 × 423 rectangle in the center.
- Put your channel name, logo, tagline and upload schedule inside the safe area.
- Use the space outside it for background only: color, texture or a wide photo that still works when cropped.
- Don’t put faces or text near the top or bottom edges. They are the first thing desktop and mobile cut off.
The safe area is a very wide strip, roughly 3.7:1. In practice that means short text, set large.
Step by step: resize an image for a YouTube banner
- Open the Image Resizer and drop in your image: a photo, a design exported from another app, or an old banner.
- Choose YouTube, then the YouTube channel banner (2560 × 1440) preset.
- Pick how the shape changes:
- Crop to fill for a wide photo. Drag the preview so the important part sits in the middle band.
- Fit + blur if your image is narrower than 16:9 and you don’t want to lose any of it. The empty space is filled with a blurred copy of the image.
- Fit + border for a logo or graphic on a flat brand color.
- Export as JPG at high quality for photos, or PNG for flat graphics with sharp text.
- If the file is over 6 MB, run it through the Image Compressor with a target size such as 2 MB. A 2560 × 1440 JPG is usually well under the limit.
Everything is processed in your browser, so your artwork isn’t uploaded to us. Upload it to YouTube Studio under Customization → Branding → Banner image, then use YouTube’s own preview to confirm how it looks on TV, desktop and mobile.
Banner design tips that survive every crop
Design from the center out
Start with the safe-area strip and build outward. If the banner still makes sense when everything outside the middle is covered, it will work on a phone.
Keep text big and short
On a phone, the banner is a thin strip at the top of the screen. A channel name and a five-word promise (“New tutorials every Tuesday”) read well. A paragraph won’t.
Leave room for the profile picture
Depending on the layout, your round profile picture and channel name may sit near or over the banner. Avoid putting key text in the lower-left area, and check the YouTube preview before you publish.
Match your thumbnails
Use the same fonts and colors as your thumbnails so the channel looks like one brand. The YouTube Thumbnail Maker makes it easy to keep a consistent style. See how to create better YouTube thumbnails for the design rules that carry over.
Common mistakes
- Uploading a small image. Anything under 2048 × 1152 is rejected, and upscaling a small image makes it soft. Start from the largest version you have.
- Designing to the full canvas. Text near the edges looks fine in your editor and disappears on desktop and mobile.
- Stretching instead of fitting. Forcing a 4:3 or square image to 16:9 distorts it. Use crop or fit.
Key takeaways
- Make the banner 2560 × 1440 (16:9), at least 2048 × 1152, and under 6 MB.
- Keep all text and logos in the centered 1546 × 423 safe area.
- Use the resizer’s YouTube banner preset with crop, fit + blur or fit + border.
- Check YouTube’s TV, desktop and mobile previews before publishing.
For every other platform size in one place, see the social media image size cheat sheet.