How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail (Completely Free)

Do you want to know how to make a YouTube thumbnail for your next YouTube video to grab some quick and easy views?

The good news is, it’s not too complicated.

A little bit of work on your YouTube video thumbnail can make a big difference in your click-through rate and the number of views you get.

Here’s how to do it in under five minutes, using Canva.

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How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail

The thumbnail image is the first thing viewers see on YouTube. It gives them a short idea of what your video is about.

Since it’s the first thing they see, it’s important to create a compelling and catchy thumbnail so that viewers will be interested in your video and continue watching.

How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail : YouTube thumbnail templates

Let’s see how to make your YouTube thumbnail in Canva:

  1. Go to Canva and sign up for Canva Pro 30-day free trial account to unlock all the features and premium templates for free (or you can continue with a free account).
  2. Search for “youtube thumbnail” and pick a template, just click on it to start customizing.
  3. Enjoy a range of features in Canva’s library with millions of photos, icons, and illustrations, or upload your own images or graphics to make your thumbnail stand out.
  4. Add your favorite fonts and choose color schemes to suit your branding.
  5. Once you’re happy with your final thumbnail design, download and save it to your desktop or mobile device, then add it to your YouTube video.

That’s it!

All your thumbnail designs can be downloaded in high-quality JPG, and PNG formats, and all the templates come in the recommended size of 1280 x 720 pixels so you don’t need to worry about that.

YouTube thumbnail

The best part is you can invite your 4 other team members to design your thumbnails together in Canva Pro. When you invited them, they can also unlock everything that Canva Pro has to offer.

If you want to continue after your 30-day free trial ends, it’s just $12.99 for 5 people.

And the coolest thing is that Canva also has a free YouTube video editor with dozens of customizable video templates without watermarks.

The editor is perfect for YouTube beginners and it allows you to improve your videos with typography effects and graphic animations using timeline editing tools like trim, crop, and more.

Final Thoughts

You’ve heard the adage that you should never judge someone by their appearance, but that’s precisely what attracts viewers to your YouTube videos.

If you’re a YouTuber, you know the importance of a good thumbnail image.

Your thumbnail is your first impression.

So make sure it stands out!

How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
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Minosh Wijayarathne

A content marketer and storyteller at heart. I have a deep interest in anything related to crafting better content, increasing productivity, and being happy.

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