Create an Irresistible YouTube Thumbnail for Your Video

Take advantage of professionally designed YouTube thumbnail templates

There’s a reason why one of the perks of having an official YouTube channel is getting to upload your own thumbnail. It acts as the face of your video and in no small part determines whether your video will be watched or not. So the last thing you want when you’re just bursting to get that video out is to skimp on attending to that one tiny but important detail.

But even if you’re in a rush to get that video out, you won’t have to sacrifice the effectiveness of your thumbnail. Canva lets you create a stunning video cover for your masterpiece with readily available and professionally designed templates that even non-designers can tweak and make their own using Canva’s easy drag-and-drop interface.

Create a team and collaborate together

Your YouTube thumbnail is the first thing your audience sees before watching your video. And with Canva, you can keep your creativity flowing and invite team members to collaborate on your YouTube thumbnail in real-time. Post comments, tag your team members, leave feedback, share designs, and resolve suggestions all within the Canva editor.

Upload and edit your own snapshots for a thumbnail that captures your video’s best moments

Your thumbnail would most likely include an element pulled from the video itself. For most people that’s likely to be a simple snapshot. But the channel master who really know what they’re doing are aware that you can take that a step further by turning some tone and contrast knobs here and there and make the colors really work for them.

Upload your own snapshot onto your design template and tweak it just like that. With Canva, your editing capabilities range from simply adjusting the brightness and contrast or choosing a preset, to creating a filter that you can re-use again and again on future thumbnails.

Choose from a wide selection of fonts and icons for a stunning YouTube thumbnail cover

A picture paints a thousand words, but adding a headline to your thumnail can make it speak volumes more. If you’ve browsed through the most popular channels on YouTube, you’ll notice that they usually render their headlines onto their thumbnails. The really good ones add a complementary copy that directly supports their image and makes for an effective scroll-stopper.

Adding text to your thumnail is a cinch with Canva. What’s more, you can choose from a wide selection of fonts that can complement your video’s subject matter — whether that’s a playful mashup or an informative lecture. Icons, photos, and illustrations are also readily available for bringing all your design ideas to life.

Get that awesome YouTube thumbnail on your channel and all your social media properties

Congratulations! You’ve designed the perfect YouTube thumbnail for your video! Now all you have to do is download that awesome design and load it up on your channel!

Simply head on over to the Download button and choose your preferred image format. Download it as JPEG file for a smaller file size or get it in PNG if you want your image in stunning high quality. Customize your video with your masterpiece of a thumbnail and publish for all the online world to watch and learn from your stellar example.

Collaborate with your team

Canva is built to help you grow your brand. If you’re creating a start-up, building a small business, or dreaming bigger, once you’ve created your Canva logo can help your team can create sleek, on-brand designs with shareable brand color palettes, logos, and elements within the editor. You can also collaborate together in real-time on any design, on any device, from any location.