Videos · Glossary
YouTube banner size and the safe area for text
A YouTube channel banner must be at least 2048 by 1152 pixels at 16:9, and YouTube recommends 2560 by 1440 for TV. Only the centre strip, 1235 by 338 pixels at the minimum size, shows on every device, so text and logos go there. The file must be 6 MB or smaller.
The banner is the strangest image on YouTube because one upload is shown as three different crops. A TV shows the whole 16:9 frame, a computer shows a wide band, and a phone shows little more than the middle strip.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
4 min read · Published
| Measure | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum upload | 2048 x 1152 px | 16:9 |
| Recommended | 2560 x 1440 px | Especially for TV |
| Safe area for text and logos | 1235 x 338 px | At the minimum size; centred |
| File size | 6 MB or smaller | |
| Display | One image for computer, mobile and TV | Cropped differently on each |
| Profile picture beside it | Renders at 98 x 98 px | JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG, no animated GIF, up to 15 MB |
Why the upload is so tall
At 2048 by 1152 the banner is a full 16:9 frame, the same shape as a television screen, because a TV is the one place the whole image is shown. Computers show a much wider, shorter band cut from the middle, and phones show a band narrower still. YouTube's branding page names the 1235 by 338 pixel area in the centre as the part that is safe for text and logos at the minimum size. Everything outside that box is background: a texture, a photo or a colour field that can be cropped without losing meaning.
Working out the safe area at 2560 x 1440
The safe area is published for the 2048 by 1152 minimum. When the upload is the recommended 2560 by 1440, scale it by the same factor of 1.25, which gives a centred box of about 1544 by 423 pixels. The simplest way to avoid arithmetic is to design on the 2048 by 1152 canvas, draw a 1235 by 338 guide in the exact centre, and export. The blank PNG on this page is that canvas, ready for a guide to be drawn on top.
What goes inside and outside the box
Inside the safe area: the channel name or a short promise, an upload schedule if there is one, and a logo if the profile picture does not already carry it. Outside it: anything that only makes the TV and desktop views richer. Faces are risky outside the centre, because a phone may show only an eye or an ear. Social handles in the corners are a classic mistake; YouTube already shows channel links on the channel page, and the corners are cropped first.
Common mistakes
Designing on a 2560 by 1440 canvas but using the 1235 by 338 numbers as if they applied at that size, which puts text too close to the edges. Exporting a large PNG photo above 6 MB, which fails to upload. Placing the logo where the profile picture or channel name overlap on a narrow screen. Making the background so busy that the centred text loses contrast. Check the result on a phone after uploading, since that is the tightest crop.
Banners and the editor
The flyer editor's canvases are fixed sizes, and none of them is a 16:9 channel banner; the closest wide shape is the X header at 1500 by 500. The editor cannot make this size directly. A banner can be started from the blank 2048 by 1152 PNG here in any image editor, or a wide design can be refitted with the image resizer and the aspect ratio calculator, which shows what a fill crop removes. Keep a copy of the layered file so the text can be moved if YouTube changes its crops.
Questions people ask
Can a YouTube banner be animated?
No animated banner is offered; the branding page asks for a still image within the size and 6 MB limits. Motion belongs in the channel trailer instead, which plays on the channel page for visitors who are not yet subscribed.
Why is my banner text cut off on a phone?
The phone shows the narrowest crop of the banner, roughly the centre safe area. Text placed wider than 1235 pixels at the minimum size, or wider than about 1544 pixels on a 2560 by 1440 upload, falls outside what a phone displays. Move it inward and upload again.
Does the banner affect how videos rank?
There is no published link between a channel banner and search ranking. The banner helps visitors understand what the channel is about and when new videos arrive, which can affect whether they subscribe. Treat it as a sign over a shop door, not as a ranking factor.
Is the banner the same on an Official Artist Channel?
YouTube Help notes that on an Official Artist Channel the banner image is only used on computer and mobile devices. The size rules are the same, but the TV view does not use it, so the full 16:9 background matters less there.
How often can I change the banner?
As often as needed. Many channels update the banner for a launch, a season or a new upload schedule. Keeping the same layout and swapping only the text in the safe area makes those updates quick and keeps the channel looking consistent.
Make one with videos
The button opens the generator with this use case already described. Change the wording to match your own.
Create a video with OneCraftRelated questions
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- Instagram Reel size: 1080 x 1920 and the grid cropInstagram Reel size: 1080 x 1920 at 9:16, a 1080 x 1440 grid crop for the cover, and Meta's 14% top, 35% bottom and 6% side margins for Reels ads.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .