YouTube
YouTube Banner Size and Safe Area
Quick Answer
Use a 16:9 image for a YouTube channel banner. YouTube currently recommends 2560 × 1440 px, especially for TV, and requires at least 2048 × 1152 px for upload. At that minimum size, YouTube identifies a centered 1235 × 338 px safe area for text and logos.
The same banner image appears differently on computers, mobile devices, and TVs. Keep critical text and logos centered, avoid placing essential information near the edges, and inspect every preview in YouTube Studio before publishing.
Quick Reference
| Item | Current YouTube guidance | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended canvas | 2560 × 1440 px | Prepare the full banner at this size when possible, particularly for larger displays. |
| Minimum upload | 2048 × 1152 px | Do not upload below this size. |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | Keep the complete banner canvas in this ratio. |
| Text and logo safe area | 1235 × 338 px at the minimum dimensions | Keep essential identity elements inside the centered safe region. |
| Maximum file size | 6 MB | Compress or export again if the file exceeds this limit. |
| Cropping | Varies by view and device | Check computer, mobile, and TV previews before publishing. |
YouTube also advises against additional file embellishments such as shadows, borders, and frames.
What the Safe Area Means
The banner canvas is the complete image. The safe area is the smaller centered region intended for text and logos. Content outside that region can still supply background color, texture, or photography, but it may be cropped in some views.
Full 16:9 banner canvas
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Background may extend across the complete canvas │
│ │
│ ┌──────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Essential text and logos │ │
│ │ stay in the centered area │ │
│ └──────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘This diagram is conceptual and not to scale. The official 1235 × 338 px figure is explicitly stated for the minimum 2048 × 1152 px canvas. Do not infer a different official safe-area measurement for another canvas size without current YouTube guidance.
Step-by-step Preparation
- Create a 16:9 canvas. Use the recommended
2560 × 1440 pxdimensions when your source image supports them. - Center the channel name, logo, and any other information that must remain visible.
- Keep edge areas expendable. Use them for background material that can tolerate cropping.
- Export an accepted still-image file at
6 MBor less. - Open YouTube Studio and go to Customization, then Profile.
- Select Change for the banner image and upload the file.
- Review the available crop previews. Reposition or revise the source file if essential content is cut off.
- Select Done, then Publish.
- Check the live channel on more than one device or viewport after the update appears.
A Fast Quality Check
- The canvas is 16:9 and at least
2048 × 1152 px. - Essential text and logos are centered.
- No required information depends on the outer edges.
- Text remains readable at a small preview size.
- The file is no larger than
6 MB. - The image has no added border or frame.
- Every YouTube Studio preview preserves the intended identity.
Common Mistakes
Designing only for desktop
A wide computer preview does not represent every display. The same source image is cropped differently across device views.
Putting a logo near an edge
Outer content may disappear. Keep identity-critical elements in the centered safe region and use the edges only for nonessential background.
Treating recommended size as the safe area
2560 × 1440 px describes the recommended full canvas. It does not mean the complete canvas is safe for text and logos.
Scaling from a small source
Increasing pixel dimensions cannot restore detail that was absent from the original. Start with a source image that remains clear at the intended export size.
Skipping the crop preview
Pixel dimensions alone do not show the final device crops. The YouTube Studio preview is part of the preparation check.
Important Limitations
- This guidance applies to a YouTube channel banner, not a profile picture, thumbnail, video frame, or watermark.
- Official Artist Channels can have different banner behavior for TV and YouTube Music; consult the current YouTube instructions for that channel type.
- YouTube can change upload requirements or interface labels. Recheck the official source before production or after a branding-interface change.
- A correctly sized banner does not affect channel approval, discovery, ranking, or audience growth.
Source transparency
Official sources
The first-party sources below were checked while preparing this guide. Platform rules can change, so review the source again before final publishing.
Content last reviewed: