Streamlining Your Edit with Jump Cut Tips

How To Use Jump Cuts in Your Vlog

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A common problem for new YouTubers and Vlogers is that they cannot get through a recording without feeling like they have messed up and need to restart. It can be extremely discouraging at first. More experienced vloggers know that mistakes happen and they are no reason to stop recording. Instead of trying to record a perfect clip it is common for vloggers to remove errors from their videos in editing using jump cuts.

How To Use Jump Cuts in Your Vlog

1. What is a Jump Cut?

A jump cut is when you jump from one part of your clip to a later part of that same clip, cutting out the section in-between.

In movies or tv shows jump cuts can be distracting. In vlogs it is the exact opposite; jump cuts are used to remove distractions. It is not strange for a YouTube video to contain a lot of jump cuts. If you go and re-watch a video by your favorite vlogger you will probably notice that every once in a while the vlogger is suddenly sitting differently or that something else has suddenly changed. That is a jump cut, and chances are you did not even think twice about it when you first watched the video.

2. When to use Jump Cuts in your Youtube Video

There are a lot of things you might want to take out of your clips using jump cuts. Here are some examples:

Repetition: You may have had to repeat yourself because you misspoke. Or, you might watch your clip back and realize that two sections you intended – perhaps even scripted – are very similar and you only need one.

Off-Topic Tangents: Once you get comfortable talking to the camera it is easy to find yourself getting off-topic while recording. These tangents might be funny or feel important, but you should still cut them out of your final video. Rather than scrapping them completely, though, consider giving your tangent its very own video. Successful vloggers post new videos frequently, after all.

Silence: Use jump cuts to take out any pauses in your video. Every period of silence is an opportunity for viewers to get distracted and decide to click on something else. Adding music to the background of your video can help with shorter pauses, but cutting out any silence is still a good way to go.

In the video tutorial below, we will share with you some practical and creative jump cuts tips that you can try in video editing. And most of the jump cuts are done with the cutting features in Filmora . You can download the free trial version below by clicking the Free Download button based on your system.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

3. How to Make Jump Cuts in Vlog & YouTube Videos

You can make jump cuts in almost every editing program, from free software like Windows Movie Maker to professional programs like Adobe Premiere. Remember no matter which video editing software you are using to edit your videos with jump cut, you need to ensure that the software can scroll through your video clips and audio files frame-by-frame. And some video editors may only allow you to scroll video footage frame by frame. This tutorial is for Filmora Video Editor (Now upgraded to Filmora), but many of the same steps will apply to other software.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

You may also like: How to trim and cut videos in Windows Movie Maker for Free

Open up Filmora Video Editor and add a clip into the timeline. Watch it through, and then revisit sections where you think you might want to make cuts.

Find a place in your clip that has silence and use the scissors icon to cut your clip into two. Then start playing your clip and pause as soon as you hear sound.

Make sure your clip is selected, and then go back frame by frame until you hear nothing.

Use the scissors icon to make another cut. You will now have three clips; one before the silence, the silent pause, and the section where sound starts again. Delete the quiet middle clip.

4. Keep video shorter for more views

The videos that get the most views on YouTube are an average of three minutes long. People will use the length of a video as a reason not to click on it. Viewers are also more likely to get distracted and stop watching longer videos before they are over. That does not mean you should not take as long as you need to properly explain your ideas, just that you should be careful your video is not longer than it needs to be. It is common for youtubers to use only about a third of the clip they record. The rest is removed using jump cuts.

Filmora video editor will help you to be more creative in video editing and saving your time at the same time. Download and leave a comment below about how do you like it.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A common problem for new YouTubers and Vlogers is that they cannot get through a recording without feeling like they have messed up and need to restart. It can be extremely discouraging at first. More experienced vloggers know that mistakes happen and they are no reason to stop recording. Instead of trying to record a perfect clip it is common for vloggers to remove errors from their videos in editing using jump cuts.

How To Use Jump Cuts in Your Vlog

1. What is a Jump Cut?

A jump cut is when you jump from one part of your clip to a later part of that same clip, cutting out the section in-between.

In movies or tv shows jump cuts can be distracting. In vlogs it is the exact opposite; jump cuts are used to remove distractions. It is not strange for a YouTube video to contain a lot of jump cuts. If you go and re-watch a video by your favorite vlogger you will probably notice that every once in a while the vlogger is suddenly sitting differently or that something else has suddenly changed. That is a jump cut, and chances are you did not even think twice about it when you first watched the video.

2. When to use Jump Cuts in your Youtube Video

There are a lot of things you might want to take out of your clips using jump cuts. Here are some examples:

Repetition: You may have had to repeat yourself because you misspoke. Or, you might watch your clip back and realize that two sections you intended – perhaps even scripted – are very similar and you only need one.

Off-Topic Tangents: Once you get comfortable talking to the camera it is easy to find yourself getting off-topic while recording. These tangents might be funny or feel important, but you should still cut them out of your final video. Rather than scrapping them completely, though, consider giving your tangent its very own video. Successful vloggers post new videos frequently, after all.

Silence: Use jump cuts to take out any pauses in your video. Every period of silence is an opportunity for viewers to get distracted and decide to click on something else. Adding music to the background of your video can help with shorter pauses, but cutting out any silence is still a good way to go.

In the video tutorial below, we will share with you some practical and creative jump cuts tips that you can try in video editing. And most of the jump cuts are done with the cutting features in Filmora . You can download the free trial version below by clicking the Free Download button based on your system.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

3. How to Make Jump Cuts in Vlog & YouTube Videos

You can make jump cuts in almost every editing program, from free software like Windows Movie Maker to professional programs like Adobe Premiere. Remember no matter which video editing software you are using to edit your videos with jump cut, you need to ensure that the software can scroll through your video clips and audio files frame-by-frame. And some video editors may only allow you to scroll video footage frame by frame. This tutorial is for Filmora Video Editor (Now upgraded to Filmora), but many of the same steps will apply to other software.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

You may also like: How to trim and cut videos in Windows Movie Maker for Free

Open up Filmora Video Editor and add a clip into the timeline. Watch it through, and then revisit sections where you think you might want to make cuts.

Find a place in your clip that has silence and use the scissors icon to cut your clip into two. Then start playing your clip and pause as soon as you hear sound.

Make sure your clip is selected, and then go back frame by frame until you hear nothing.

Use the scissors icon to make another cut. You will now have three clips; one before the silence, the silent pause, and the section where sound starts again. Delete the quiet middle clip.

4. Keep video shorter for more views

The videos that get the most views on YouTube are an average of three minutes long. People will use the length of a video as a reason not to click on it. Viewers are also more likely to get distracted and stop watching longer videos before they are over. That does not mean you should not take as long as you need to properly explain your ideas, just that you should be careful your video is not longer than it needs to be. It is common for youtubers to use only about a third of the clip they record. The rest is removed using jump cuts.

Filmora video editor will help you to be more creative in video editing and saving your time at the same time. Download and leave a comment below about how do you like it.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A common problem for new YouTubers and Vlogers is that they cannot get through a recording without feeling like they have messed up and need to restart. It can be extremely discouraging at first. More experienced vloggers know that mistakes happen and they are no reason to stop recording. Instead of trying to record a perfect clip it is common for vloggers to remove errors from their videos in editing using jump cuts.

How To Use Jump Cuts in Your Vlog

1. What is a Jump Cut?

A jump cut is when you jump from one part of your clip to a later part of that same clip, cutting out the section in-between.

In movies or tv shows jump cuts can be distracting. In vlogs it is the exact opposite; jump cuts are used to remove distractions. It is not strange for a YouTube video to contain a lot of jump cuts. If you go and re-watch a video by your favorite vlogger you will probably notice that every once in a while the vlogger is suddenly sitting differently or that something else has suddenly changed. That is a jump cut, and chances are you did not even think twice about it when you first watched the video.

2. When to use Jump Cuts in your Youtube Video

There are a lot of things you might want to take out of your clips using jump cuts. Here are some examples:

Repetition: You may have had to repeat yourself because you misspoke. Or, you might watch your clip back and realize that two sections you intended – perhaps even scripted – are very similar and you only need one.

Off-Topic Tangents: Once you get comfortable talking to the camera it is easy to find yourself getting off-topic while recording. These tangents might be funny or feel important, but you should still cut them out of your final video. Rather than scrapping them completely, though, consider giving your tangent its very own video. Successful vloggers post new videos frequently, after all.

Silence: Use jump cuts to take out any pauses in your video. Every period of silence is an opportunity for viewers to get distracted and decide to click on something else. Adding music to the background of your video can help with shorter pauses, but cutting out any silence is still a good way to go.

In the video tutorial below, we will share with you some practical and creative jump cuts tips that you can try in video editing. And most of the jump cuts are done with the cutting features in Filmora . You can download the free trial version below by clicking the Free Download button based on your system.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

3. How to Make Jump Cuts in Vlog & YouTube Videos

You can make jump cuts in almost every editing program, from free software like Windows Movie Maker to professional programs like Adobe Premiere. Remember no matter which video editing software you are using to edit your videos with jump cut, you need to ensure that the software can scroll through your video clips and audio files frame-by-frame. And some video editors may only allow you to scroll video footage frame by frame. This tutorial is for Filmora Video Editor (Now upgraded to Filmora), but many of the same steps will apply to other software.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

You may also like: How to trim and cut videos in Windows Movie Maker for Free

Open up Filmora Video Editor and add a clip into the timeline. Watch it through, and then revisit sections where you think you might want to make cuts.

Find a place in your clip that has silence and use the scissors icon to cut your clip into two. Then start playing your clip and pause as soon as you hear sound.

Make sure your clip is selected, and then go back frame by frame until you hear nothing.

Use the scissors icon to make another cut. You will now have three clips; one before the silence, the silent pause, and the section where sound starts again. Delete the quiet middle clip.

4. Keep video shorter for more views

The videos that get the most views on YouTube are an average of three minutes long. People will use the length of a video as a reason not to click on it. Viewers are also more likely to get distracted and stop watching longer videos before they are over. That does not mean you should not take as long as you need to properly explain your ideas, just that you should be careful your video is not longer than it needs to be. It is common for youtubers to use only about a third of the clip they record. The rest is removed using jump cuts.

Filmora video editor will help you to be more creative in video editing and saving your time at the same time. Download and leave a comment below about how do you like it.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

A common problem for new YouTubers and Vlogers is that they cannot get through a recording without feeling like they have messed up and need to restart. It can be extremely discouraging at first. More experienced vloggers know that mistakes happen and they are no reason to stop recording. Instead of trying to record a perfect clip it is common for vloggers to remove errors from their videos in editing using jump cuts.

How To Use Jump Cuts in Your Vlog

1. What is a Jump Cut?

A jump cut is when you jump from one part of your clip to a later part of that same clip, cutting out the section in-between.

In movies or tv shows jump cuts can be distracting. In vlogs it is the exact opposite; jump cuts are used to remove distractions. It is not strange for a YouTube video to contain a lot of jump cuts. If you go and re-watch a video by your favorite vlogger you will probably notice that every once in a while the vlogger is suddenly sitting differently or that something else has suddenly changed. That is a jump cut, and chances are you did not even think twice about it when you first watched the video.

2. When to use Jump Cuts in your Youtube Video

There are a lot of things you might want to take out of your clips using jump cuts. Here are some examples:

Repetition: You may have had to repeat yourself because you misspoke. Or, you might watch your clip back and realize that two sections you intended – perhaps even scripted – are very similar and you only need one.

Off-Topic Tangents: Once you get comfortable talking to the camera it is easy to find yourself getting off-topic while recording. These tangents might be funny or feel important, but you should still cut them out of your final video. Rather than scrapping them completely, though, consider giving your tangent its very own video. Successful vloggers post new videos frequently, after all.

Silence: Use jump cuts to take out any pauses in your video. Every period of silence is an opportunity for viewers to get distracted and decide to click on something else. Adding music to the background of your video can help with shorter pauses, but cutting out any silence is still a good way to go.

In the video tutorial below, we will share with you some practical and creative jump cuts tips that you can try in video editing. And most of the jump cuts are done with the cutting features in Filmora . You can download the free trial version below by clicking the Free Download button based on your system.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

3. How to Make Jump Cuts in Vlog & YouTube Videos

You can make jump cuts in almost every editing program, from free software like Windows Movie Maker to professional programs like Adobe Premiere. Remember no matter which video editing software you are using to edit your videos with jump cut, you need to ensure that the software can scroll through your video clips and audio files frame-by-frame. And some video editors may only allow you to scroll video footage frame by frame. This tutorial is for Filmora Video Editor (Now upgraded to Filmora), but many of the same steps will apply to other software.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

You may also like: How to trim and cut videos in Windows Movie Maker for Free

Open up Filmora Video Editor and add a clip into the timeline. Watch it through, and then revisit sections where you think you might want to make cuts.

Find a place in your clip that has silence and use the scissors icon to cut your clip into two. Then start playing your clip and pause as soon as you hear sound.

Make sure your clip is selected, and then go back frame by frame until you hear nothing.

Use the scissors icon to make another cut. You will now have three clips; one before the silence, the silent pause, and the section where sound starts again. Delete the quiet middle clip.

4. Keep video shorter for more views

The videos that get the most views on YouTube are an average of three minutes long. People will use the length of a video as a reason not to click on it. Viewers are also more likely to get distracted and stop watching longer videos before they are over. That does not mean you should not take as long as you need to properly explain your ideas, just that you should be careful your video is not longer than it needs to be. It is common for youtubers to use only about a third of the clip they record. The rest is removed using jump cuts.

Filmora video editor will help you to be more creative in video editing and saving your time at the same time. Download and leave a comment below about how do you like it.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Crafting Effective YouTube Thumbnails & Banners

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

The art on your YouTube channel – banners, thumbnails, icons, and watermarks – will help to determine how viewers feel about your vlog. If your art does not look like it all goes together then people will get a sloppy, amateurish, impression of your channel. However, if your different pieces of channel art all seem to complement each other and match the tone and theme of your channel then it will help viewers to have a pleasant browsing experience. They will get the impression that you take your YouTube channel seriously and that they can trust you as a source of information, comedy, or general entertainment.

How to Make YouTube Banners and Thumbnails

YouTube Banners and Thumbnails are two of the most important pieces of channel art you will need. This article will explain the best practices for both, and suggest sites where you will be able to build your own banners and thumbnails for free.

1. YouTube Banners

Quick Tips:

1. The image you upload for your YouTube banner should be 2560 x 1440px (pixels).
2. The ‘safe area’ for text, logos, and other important visual information (like faces) is 1546 x 423px.

Your banner is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about channel art. Banners are the headers that rest at the tops of channel pages on YouTube. Your banner should be 2560 x 1440 px, although not all of it will always be visible. On a desktop computer or mobile device only a 1546 x 423 px ‘safe area’ will be visible. When viewed on a TV screen your entire image will be visible. YouTube does support PNG, but if your PNG file does not upload properly (as has been the case for some YouTubers) then changing your file type to JPEG might help.

YouTube Banners are extremely important to the success of your channel. If you do not have a banner then it looks like you do not really care about your vlog. If you have a basic banner that is not at all personalized then it certainly looks like you care, but it might also look like you are new to YouTube.

The best banners are customized to reflect the kind of experience you want viewers to have on your channel. The banner of a comedic YouTube channel might use bright colors, where the banner for a gaming channel will probably use darker colors similar to the ones that are in the games the vlogger plays. Connecting your banner to the theme of your channel is part of how you define the style of your vlog. It is the difference between being a Beauty Guru and a general YouTuber who gives makeup tips sometimes.

Including a photo of yourself, or your logo if you have one, is a great way to personalize your banner.

2. YouTube Thumbnails

Quick Tips:

1. Search for your video’s topic to see the thumbnails your thumbnail will be competing against.
2. Make any text huge so people can read it on their smartphone screens.
3. Emojis, colored boarders, and graphics are all potential ways to stand out.

Thumbnails are often ignored by newer YouTubers. YouTube selects a thumbnail for every one of your videos and it is always a still image from that video. You can choose which frame you want to use and a lot of people feel like that is good enough. When you create a custom thumbnail, however, you get to not only choose your image but insert a title.

If you are choosing the images you are using for thumbnails you can make sure they are always similar frames. This will help people identify your videos quickly in searches. Using titles in your thumbnails will also help searchers identify your videos, if you always use the same title style. Another benefit of titles is that they capture the attention of people looking for your specific topic. Remember when building your thumbnails that they will appear smaller on YouTube than they probably are while you edit them. On mobile devices, they will look even smaller. So, if you are going to use text in your thumbnail, make sure it is huge.

One thumbnail taboo that you should never break is using an image that has nothing to do with your video. Using an image of a cute cat for a vlog post that has nothing to do with cats is misleading and will anger viewers. You may draw in a lot of viewers who want to see a cat video, but they will leave right away when they do not see a cat and they will never watch anything by you again.

3.Where To Create Banners and Thumbnails

There are sites online that will allow you to edit images and use them in templates for YouTube banners. You can also use these services to edit your thumbnails. Two of the most popular, free, online photo editors are PicMonkey.com and Canva.com.

Canva has templates you can use to create YouTube banners, as well as a variety of stock images you can use in combination with your own when creating channel art. It is free to edit images on Canva, but they do have some premium features which cost $1 each to access. This service has both a desktop version and an iPad app.

PicMonkey lets you import images from your computer or social media accounts, edit them, and use them in templates for YouTube banners or other kinds of social media graphics. PicMonkey is free to use, but you can only access their more advanced editing tools if you buy a paid subscription. Monthly subscriptions are $4.99 per month, and yearly subscriptions are $2.75 per month.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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