Alexis Kestler
Your YouTube channel‘s banner is going to be one of the first things new viewers will see when landing on your channel page for the first time. This is why it becomes important to have a killer channel banner to attract a new viewer‘s attention.
While making your YouTube banner, you must make sure it looks good and is appropriately sized. So, If you have recently created a YouTube channel and want to make a banner for it or want to update the existing one, you are at the right place. Here, we will explain how you can easily create a YouTube banner.
What is a YouTube Banner?
Before we dive into creating the banner, let‘s first quickly understand what a YouTube banner is. A YouTube banner is a horizontal header image that appears on the top of a Youtube Channel page. Think of it like a Facebook or Twitter cover photo.
For example, the image you see on top of Microsoft‘s YouTube channel is the banner.
Why Should a Youtube Channel Use a Banner?
Let me quickly explain the benefits of having a YouTube channel banner:
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You can use your YouTube banner to convey what videos viewers can expect from you. For example, a cooking channel can show ingredients or finished dishes in the banner.
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Suppose you have planned new content on your channel. You can use the banner to inform visitors about upcoming content. This builds excitement and gets viewers to subscribe for notifications.
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A YouTube banner helps in branding, much like a channel logo. It creates an identity for yourself and consistency across your content. Unique, high-quality banners stand out.
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Banners allow customization and personality that plain channel pages lack. You can showcase your style, color scheme, and niche interests through banner design.
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For established channels with lots of existing subscribers, the banner can advertise affiliated products, partnerships, live events and more to generate revenue.
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Analytics show banners have a significant impact on clickthrough rates, viewer retention and subscribers gained. An eye-catching banner improves all major growth metrics.
In summary, a banner acts as a billboard to draw in viewers, informs them what your channel is about, and helps build subscriber relationships through custom design. All top YouTubers utilize banners to enhance their brand.
Examples of Good YouTube Banners
Now when you know why a YouTube channel should use a banner. Let‘s quickly look at some examples of good YouTube banners I have found. These examples will give you an idea about how exactly you should proceed while creating your YouTube banner.
#1. Marques Brownlee
The first YouTube banner example I have for you is Marques Brownlee. If you follow Tech, then most likely, you may already know Marques. He is a very famous Tech reviewer with over 16M subscribers. The YouTube banner is simple yet attractive. It primarily focuses on his short name MKBHD followed by his channel Tagline, “Quality Tech Videos.”
He has intelligently targeted both his existing audience returning to the channel and the new viewers. If someone already knows him by seeing his short name on the YouTube banner, they will immediately understand it. When new viewers arrive on his channel by visiting Quality Tech Videos, they can easily get that it is a Tech channel. 👨💻
#2. Ryan Shirley
The second example for all of you is Ryan Shirley’s channel banner. He is a famous Travel vlogger. His channel art has used a landscape picture of a mountain. He is standing at the top of one of the peaks. It will give new users a clear idea that it is a travel channel.✈️🧳
If some are still unsure, then the Travel text in the middle of the banner will confirm it for them. You can also take ideas from Ryan‘s YouTube banner and use the picture and text that explains your niche.
#3. Ali Abdaal
Probably the best example of a YouTube banner is Ali Abdaal’s channel. He is a doctor-turned-YouTuber with close to 3.8 Million subscribers. On his channel, he mainly talks about time management, productivity, books, and making money online.
If you take a look at his channel art, it has two elements going on. On the right side, he has used three small pictures of himself posing as an ex-Doctor, YouTuber, and then a Podcaster. On the right side of the YouTube banner, he has explained what he discusses on his channel.
He has used the little amount of space so brilliantly that I don’t think a YouTube banner can be better than this. 😃
YouTube Banner-Making Tools
I am sure you have a good idea about how you should plan the design of your YouTube banner. Now is the time to make a YouTube banner for your channel.
The easiest way to create a YouTube banner is by using an online tool. There are dozens of tools available online. We used them and picked some of the best ones you can use to create your YouTube banner.
Canva
If you have ever tried creating graphics online, you must have heard about Canva. It is the most popular online graphic design tool for designers. Due to its simple and intuitive user experience, Canva is very popular among beginners.
When you login into your Canva account, the first thing you will see is a question asking What will you design today? Below it, you will find a search box in the search box type YouTube banner. In the results, you will find over 2800 different YouTube banner templates. You can either pick one of those templates or select the Create a blank YouTube banner option.
If you are new to designing YouTube banners, I highly suggest you go with one of the pre-designed templates. They will be much easier to work with, and you will get desired results in the end. While going through the templates, you may find that not all are free.
It is because Canva offers a premium subscription to access its entire library. If you don‘t plan to pay for a Canva Premium subscription, you can start with the free plan and pick one of the free templates.
Picmaker
Picmaker is an online tool that you can access from any device. Like Canva, the Picmaker interface is very user-friendly, making it suitable for beginners and pro designers.
When you login into your Pickmaker dashboard, you will find a search box in the center. In the search bar, enter “YouTube banner” and search for it. As a result, you will find a ton of pre-designed YouTube banners. On the same page, Picmaker will list several categories. You can pick between the categories based on your liking.
Alike, Canva, you may notice some templates are marked with stars. Those are the premium ones and will require a Picmaker subscription. You can get started with the free ones, as they will do the job.
Fotor
Fotor is very convenient to use because it doesn’t require signing up. You can start creating a YouTube banner right away from the homepage. You can use your own images and texts to design a banner.
However, if you want to use the pre-built templates, you must log in to your Fotor account. In my usage, I found most YouTube banner templates are part of the Fotor Pro subscription. So, if you are not planning to pay for your YouTube banner, Fotor may not be the right choice for you.
Visme
In my usage, I found the Visme dashboard to be very professional. As soon as you login into your Visme account, you are greeted with a Create New Project button. Tapping on it will bring you to the All templates page. In your case, as you want to create a YouTube banner, tap on Social Media, then scroll right to find the YouTube banner and select it.
Now Visme will show you tons of different YouTube banner templates. If you want to start with a blank canvas, you will also get an option for blank templates. But my recommendation will be to go with a template for the sake of comfort. After selecting a template, customize it to your liking and download the final result.
Placeit
Placeit is a tool offered by Envato, the famous theme and plugin marketplace company. Placeit will give you a bunch of options in the menu bar. From them, select Designs and then Social Media. Under Social Media, select the YouTube Banners option.
Now you will see a list of templates available in Placeit. You can choose a banner to your liking. The next screen will be an editing screen. From there, you can start customizing the banner as per your requirements.
For downloading the design, Placeit either requires its monthly subscription that costs $1.95 a month or, if you want just one design, then $2.95. If you like a design from Placeit, only then is it worth paying a premium for it. Otherwise, you have some great tools mentioned in the list.
Best Practices For Making YouTube Banners
You can easily make a professional YouTube banner using the abovementioned tools. However, Before you jump in and start making a banner for your channel, here are some best practices you can follow to create an attractive and impactful banner.
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Make sure your channel banner is perfectly sized. YouTube has set a recommended size for banners which is 2560×1440 pixels. It is to ensure that the banner appears equally good on different devices. If you use any of the tools and the templates they offer, the banner size shouldn’t be an issue.
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One common problem many users face with their YouTube banners is that some parts get cut on different devices. It happens because they put the text and logo content on the left or right side of the banner. YouTube suggests putting text or logo in the center of the area as it is considered logo and text safe. So, remember it while creating your banner.
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Many users complain that the channel banner is blurry. It is mainly due to low-quality graphics. You should always use a high-quality image with no compression artifacts to get a banner that looks great and leaves an impact on new viewers.
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If your brand uses a particular color code or palette, then using the same colors as your banner background will give your viewers a sense of connection and consistency with your content.
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Last but not least, keep your banner as simple as possible. Avoid using too many unnecessary elements here and there. The more simple your channel banner is, the better impact it will have on your viewers. Focus on 1-2 strong visuals and text.
How to Upload Your Banner on YouTube?
Once you have used one of the above tools to create your YouTube banner, the next thing you would want is to upload your banner on YouTube so the world can see and admire it. Follow the below steps to upload your banner on YouTube:
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First of all, open your favorite browser and visit YouTube.
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Click on your channel logo in the top right corner of the screen.
- From the context menu, select Your channel option. It will take you to your channel page.
- From there, tap on the Customize channel button. Doing so should take you to the Channel customization section in the YouTube creator studio.
- By default, you will be in the Layout tab. Switch to the Branding tab.
- The second option will be Banner image with an Upload button, tap on it.
Note: If your channel already has a banner, then instead of the Upload button, you will get two options: Change and Remove. Tap on Change, and then you can upload the newly created banner.
- Now select the YouTube banner you just created.
- In the bottom right corner, you will find an option called DONE. Tap on it.
- After it, click on the PUBLISH button in the top right corner to save the changes.
That’s it; you have successfully uploaded your banner on YouTube. If you don’t immediately see it, then please don’t worry. It may take a few minutes for the changes to appear across different pages.
FAQs
Why is my YouTube banner blurry?
Your YouTube banner may be blurry because of the lower resolution. Make sure you have a properly created Youtube banner at the recommended 2560×1440 size and it shouldn‘t be blurry. Avoid compressing images as this introduces artifacts.
What is the best tool to make my own YouTube banner?
In my experience, the best tool to make your own YouTube banner is Canva. When it comes to seamless user experience, extensive templates and easy customization, Canva is much ahead of the competition. It‘s also free to use with a huge library of graphics.
Conclusion
A YouTube banner is a great way to give a clear idea about your content to the audience coming to the channel. For beginners, creating a YouTube banner may seem a daunting task, but trust me; it isn’t. The above guide will help you create a YouTube banner and give you the steps to upload it to your channel.
You may also look at these general-purpose design tools to create your banner. The most important thing is to have a high-quality, simple banner that represents your brand and content. With a customized banner, you can attract more viewers, subscribers and take your channel to the next level.
