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YouTube: 185/100
Shown at the top of your PDF exports, and on the links you share.
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YouTube3840 × 2160 · 16:9
12:34
PostDecks
Free preview. Export a PDF or PNGs for sign-off.
YouTube thumbnail preview
A YouTube thumbnail is seen at four sizes before anyone clicks it: about 368 pixels wide on Home on a laptop, up to 500 in search, 242 beside the video someone is already watching, and the full width of a phone. The title is cut at the end of its second line in every one of them. PostDecks draws all four from YouTube's own measurements, in YouTube's own font, so you can see whether the small one still reads and where your title stops.
Specifications
Specifications
| Thumbnail size | 3840 × 2160 recommended, at least 640 wide |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Title limit | 100 characters |
| Title cut-off | The end of the second line, wherever it appears |
| Smallest it is shown | About 242 wide, beside a video on desktop |
Before you publish
Before you publish
Upload the thumbnail, type the title, and switch between phone and desktop and between light and dark. Export a PDF or PNG to send for sign-off. Everything runs in your browser, so the thumbnail is never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
- What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?
- YouTube recommends 3840 by 2160 pixels, a 16:9 ratio, and asks for at least 640 pixels of width. JPG and PNG both work. The 1280 by 720 that many guides quote is the older recommendation and is still accepted.
- How long can a YouTube title be?
- 100 characters. Fewer are seen, because a title is cut at the end of its second line. For a typical English title that leaves 70 to 80 characters on Home, 75 to 85 on a phone, and only 25 to 40 in the list beside a video. Search results on a wide screen show all 100. The exact point depends on the letters, which is why PostDecks draws it in YouTube's own font and sizes instead of counting.
- Where does YouTube cut off a title?
- At the end of the second line, with three dots, in every place a video is listed. Home gives a title 296 pixels of width at 16 pixel type. The list beside a video gives it 133 pixels at 14 pixel type, so that is where a long title loses the most. Put the words that matter first.
- What does the corner of the thumbnail get covered by?
- The video's length, in a small dark badge in the bottom right corner of every thumbnail. Keep text and faces out of that corner. PostDecks draws the badge so you can see what it covers.
- Is it free?
- Yes. The preview and the PDF and PNG exports are free, with no account needed, and your thumbnail is never uploaded. Sending it to a client to approve is free too, with a free account.