Your YouTube channel banner (also known as channel art) is one of the first things people will see when they visit your channel. It’s your opportunity to put forth a good impression, to show off your brand and or just put out there something awesome. If your current banner is outdated, or you haven’t got one yet, rearranging it couldn’t be easier. Below, we will guide you through what to consider, how to do it, and some tips to ensure its looks great on all devices.
Why Is Your YouTube Banner Important?
A banner is like the cover of a book – Set the tone. Something that looks professional helps visitors feel like you’re serious about your content. Sloppy/badly sized banner – on the other hand, sloppy or badly sized (for banner), people quit out early. The banner spans a large space at the top of your channel page, so it’s prime real estate for:
- Communicating about what your channel is about
- Promoting upcoming or flagship material
- Reinforcement of your brand identity (colors, logo and style)
Keeping that banners current is also a form of showing that you’re interested in keeping your channel up to date which can help when it comes to how the viewer perceive their own channel and your channel as well as even when it comes to subscribing.
What You’ll Need To Change Your Banner?
Prior to beginning, you’ll need the following:
- A good image file. It should be high-resolution so that it doesn’t look fuzzy on a large screen.
- Understanding of what YouTube needs: size, format, safe area (so your banner looks great across phones, tablets, desktops and TVs).
- Access your YouTube / Google account & channel edit (setting)
Some people use graphic design software like Photoshop, GIMP or online design tools (like Canva) to provide/multiple their banner image. Pick whatever you’re comfortable with.
How To Update/Change Your banner on YouTube ( Step by Step)?
Here’s how you edit your channel banner using the YouTube web interface:
- Go to YouTube & Log in using the account that owns the channel
- While in top right, click your profile picture and go to Youtube Studio:
- In Presentation dimensions in YouTube Studio, click Customization in the left hand side bar.
- Under Branding, search for “Banner Image” section. You’ll see your banner (if you have one) or a placeholder.
- Click “Change” or “Upload,” and select the picture file which you prepared.
YouTube will have an example of what the image looks on different devices. Adjust/crop as necessary to make sure you’re not removing anything important. With smaller screens the edges can get cut off so you want the “safe area” (center portion) to have your logo/text.
When you’re satisfied with the way it looks, click “Publish” or “Save.”
Things to Check & Make Your Good Banner Look Good
Since YouTube channels are on all kinds of devices (phones, tablets, computers, even TVs) your banner must work on all of them. Here are some things to watch:
- Make sure any text/logos are centered where they’re not cut off on smaller screens.
- Use an image that’s not blurry or pixelated. YouTube recommends certain dimensions (something like 2560*1440 px) but always check what YouTube’s current recommendations are because they change.
- Keep file size reasonable. Very large files are slower for uploading, and are shrunk by the YouTube.
- Think on the edges that it’ll look like – there are some devices that display wider than others. Don’t put anything important on the very edges.
Tips to Volunteering- Make Your Banner Stand Out
If you want your banner to not only work properly, but look great and represent your channel well, here are some design tips:
- Keep it simple. Too much writing or verbiage graphics can come out muddled.
- Use High-contrast colours to make text/logo readable against background.
- Seasonally or if has something major change ( new content theme, re brand, milestone) – update. Fresh banners tell you’re active.
Those are using visual cues or branding elements that connect with your video thumbnails or channel logo for consistency’s sake.
Conclusion
Changing your YouTube channel banner is very little work that makes big difference. It’s part of your channel’s impression and helps to set expectations for the new viewers. With the right image, some attention to layout and safe zones, and periodic updates your banner can become a strong part of your brand identity.
If you haven’t updated yours in a while (or ever), it’s worth the effort. It’s one of those “low cost, high return” tweaks that improve how your channel looks and how people see you.
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