Swift Guide: Image to YouTube Thumbnail Transformation Techniques

There is a saying that first impressions last, and this is proven true, especially when it comes to YouTube video viewership. For sure, you have experienced watching a video out of curiosity because of its thumbnail. That is why content creators take time to resize YouTube thumbnails or use a YouTube thumbnail size converter to customize the preview images that represent their videos.

This technique not only attract viewers to watch your video, but it also gives a glimpse of your content. In this article, we will provide you with a quick tutorial on how to resize a YouTube thumbnail and suggest handy tools you can use to create the perfect YouTube video thumbnail!

Best YouTube Thumbnail Size

According to YouTube’s help center, there are some things to remember when creating a thumbnail for your YouTube videos.

First, make sure that the thumbnail size is 1280 pixels by 720 pixels and 640 pixels wide. It is the best YouTube thumbnail size.
When it comes to the thumbnail dimension, make sure to use an aspect ratio of 16:9.
Also, your YouTube thumbnail image should not exceed 2MB and is in either JPG, GIF or PNG format.

How To Resize Your YouTube Thumbnail

The primary reason for changing the YouTube thumbnail size is to gain more audience. If you are a content creator, your main goal is to introduce your content to a wider range of viewers, right? So you have to pay attention to even the smallest detail, such as YouTube thumbnails to increase viewership and top YouTube SEO.

In fact, YouTube recommends this technique to get more viewers. Also, resizing your YouTube thumbnail will prevent you from getting the “file larger than 2MB error” which can cause your thumbnail to be discarded.

So, how can you use this technique? Check our tutorial below as we walk you through various recommended methods for resizing a YouTube thumbnail:

Method 1: Resize YouTube Thumbnail With Windows Default App

The easiest way to resize YouTube thumbnails is through the Windows default app. Within just a few modifications, you can resize your thumbnail to fit as a preview image for your YouTube video.

Please take note that your image should be at least 2 megabytes or less to achieve the perfect YouTube thumbnail fit. If your image exceeds the limit, your thumbnail will either be rejected, or your image will have a black screen around it-which is not ideal at all.

Now, let us start the tutorial.

Step1 Open an image you want to set as a thumbnail. Then, Right-click> Resize.

Step2 Select “Define custom dimensions.”

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Step3 Set the width to 1280 and the height to 720. Then tick the box for “Maintain Aspect Ratio “and click “Save Resized Copy.”

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Step4 Click the upload thumbnail button on YouTube and import your resized image.

Method 2. Online YouTube Thumbnail Size Converter

The second method you can use is the online YouTube thumbnail size converter. As it completely works in browsers, you do not need to worry about any app installation to access the feature. Furthermore, using online YouTube thumbnail size converters ensures you maintain your image resolution and prevents it from getting blurry or pixelated.

There are various YouTube thumbnail resizers available online. Some of the most popular are Fotor, Super Image Converter, Pixelied, Super Image Converter , Adobe Express , Newisty, and Promo . Let us focus on the last online tool and the steps on how to use it.

Promo is a free online software you can use to convert an image to a YouTube thumbnail. It is one of the best YouTube Thumbnail tools as it uses simple operation steps and automatically resizes your image without losing its quality.

Here are the steps on how to use the Promo YouTube thumbnail size converter:

Step1 Go to Promo’s official website and import your image

Step2 Scroll down and find the YouTube thumbnail size where your resized image is displayed. Then, click “Download.”

Method 3: Convert the Image to YouTube Thumbnail Using Wondershare Filmora

It is without a doubt that online YouTube thumbnail resizers are great tools for converting your image to an ideal YouTube thumbnail. But it would be much better if you resize your video using the same app you use for editing. That way, you will save time using two separate apps, and your task will be much more efficient using an all-in-one video editing tool.

Wondershare Filmora , one of the most well-known software for creating high-quality and compelling videos, combines these functions in one app. Filmora is not just an excellent software for crafting YouTube videos but also a reliable tool you can use in creating and resizing YouTube thumbnails.

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Here is the step-by-step tutorial on how to use Filmora in resizing your YouTube thumbnail. It is divided into two parts:

1. Take a Snapshot as the Thumbnail with Filmora

Step1 Open the video in the timeline, click the play icon in the player window, and pause when you reach the desired frame for the YouTube thumbnail. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot.

Step2 In the snapshot window, choose to save the snapshot as a PNG or JPG file.

Step3 Select the output storage location and click OK.

2. Resize the YouTube Thumbnail

Step1 Import the image into the app timeline.

Step2 Drag and drop the image into the timeline and click the green “Export“ button. In the popup Export window, select GIF. Next, click “Settings“ to adjust the resolution.

Step3 As the recommended size of a YouTube Thumbnail is 1280 * 720 pixels, you can set the resolution to 1280 * 720. Then click Apply and Export the GIF. You can now upload the GIF thumbnail to your YouTube account.

Method 4. Convert Images to YouTube Thumbnail Using Third-Party Software

In addition to using dedicated video editing software, several third-party image editing programs can be used to resize images for use as YouTube thumbnails. Programs like GIMP are popular for this purpose, as it offers a wide range of tools and features for editing and resizing images.

This program allows you to import an image, resize it to the dimensions required for a YouTube thumbnail (typically 1280 x 720 pixels), and save the edited version to your desired location. Using an image editing program can be a good option if you need more control over the appearance of your thumbnail or if you want to make more extensive edits beyond simply resizing the image.

To resize an image using an image editing program like GIMP, follow these steps:

Step1 Install and launch GIMP on your computer.

Step2 Click on “File“ > “Open,” then search for the file you want to resize.

Step3 Click on “Image“ > “Scale Image“ and make sure that the resolution is 1920 by 1080.

Step4 Click on “File“ > “Export As“ and toggle the “Select File Type (By Extension)“ option. Choose JPG/JPEG format because it can compress the thumbnail enough to stay within the limit of 2 megabytes.

Step5 You can change the quality of the image and click the “Export“ button to save the thumbnail.

Comparison of These 4 YouTube Thumbnail Resizing Methods

Now that we’ve explored the four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails, it’s time to compare the pros and cons of each method. In this section, we’ll consider factors such as ease of use, speed, quality, cost, and compatibility to help you determine the best option for your needs.

Take a look at the table below for a more detailed comparison.

| | Windows Default App | Online YouTube Thumbnail Size Converter | Wondershare Filmora | Third-Party Software | |
| ————————————————– | ——————————————- | ———————– | ———————— | ——– |
| Other Software Required or Not | No | Yes (Internet Browser) | Yes | Yes |
| Internet Connection Required | No | Yes | No | No |
| Complexity of Operations | Easy | Easy | Easy | Moderate |
| Support Other Editing of the YouTube Thumbnail | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| File Size Limit | None | 25MB | None | None |

Resizing YouTube thumbnails using the Windows default app is a quick and easy method that requires no additional software or tools. However, the quality of the resized thumbnail may improve if the original image is low resolution, and this method is only suitable for users on Windows operating systems.

Online YouTube thumbnail size converters are convenient and easy to use, and they can be accessed from any device with an internet connection. They also typically preserve the quality of the original image. However, some online converters may have size limits or require a subscription to unlock all features, and using an online converter can be slower than using a dedicated software tool.

Using Wondershare Filmora allows you to create and edit YouTube thumbnails within a single application, which can be a time-saving advantage if you’re already using Filmora for other video editing tasks. However, Filmora is a paid software, so there is a cost associated with using it, and it may have a steeper learning curve for users new to video editing.

Image editing programs like GIMP offer many features and tools for customizing your thumbnail, including adding text, applying filters, and making more extensive edits beyond simply resizing the image. They also typically offer more control over the quality and appearance of the resized thumbnail.

However, using a third-party image editing program may require a learning curve and maybe more time-consuming than other methods, and there may be a cost associated with purchasing the software.

Each of the four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails has its pros and cons, and the best method will depend on the user’s specific needs and preferences.

Conclusion

This article explored four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails: using the Windows default app, online converters, Wondershare Filmora, and image editing programs like GIMP. Each method has advantages and disadvantages; the best one depends on your specific needs and preferences. No matter your chosen method, you can resize YouTube thumbnails confidently with these tools and techniques.

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Here is the step-by-step tutorial on how to use Filmora in resizing your YouTube thumbnail. It is divided into two parts:

1. Take a Snapshot as the Thumbnail with Filmora

Step2 In the snapshot window, choose to save the snapshot as a PNG or JPG file.

Step3 Select the output storage location and click OK.

2. Resize the YouTube Thumbnail

Step1 Import the image into the app timeline.

Step2 Drag and drop the image into the timeline and click the green “Export“ button. In the popup Export window, select GIF. Next, click “Settings“ to adjust the resolution.

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Method 4. Convert Images to YouTube Thumbnail Using Third-Party Software

To resize an image using an image editing program like GIMP, follow these steps:

Step1 Install and launch GIMP on your computer.

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Step2 Click on “File“ > “Open,” then search for the file you want to resize.

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Step3 Click on “Image“ > “Scale Image“ and make sure that the resolution is 1920 by 1080.

Step5 You can change the quality of the image and click the “Export“ button to save the thumbnail.

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Comparison of These 4 YouTube Thumbnail Resizing Methods

Take a look at the table below for a more detailed comparison.

However, using a third-party image editing program may require a learning curve and maybe more time-consuming than other methods, and there may be a cost associated with purchasing the software.

Each of the four methods for resizing YouTube thumbnails has its pros and cons, and the best method will depend on the user’s specific needs and preferences.

Conclusion

Transform Your Videos: Simple Steps to Include YouTube Subtitles/CC

How to Easily Add Subtitles and Closed Captions to YouTube Video

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In this article, we are going to show you how important it is to add subtitle and closed captions in your YouTube video, and how to add them.

The best video editor for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , not only allows you to cut, crop, rotate, reverse videos, but also offers your advanced features like PIP, Green Screen, or audio mixing. What’s more, you can find lots of effects for Fashion, gaming, education, tutorial, sports, etc. Check this article to know more.

Why subtitle and closed captions are important for YouTube videos?

Forced closed captions and subtitles actually help the viewers to understand the content in your video if the audio quality of your video is bad, muffled or barely audible. Reading makes it easier for them to understand.
This also helps people with hearing impairments. People with troubled ears can still watch and understand your content.
It’s a great aid to such videos which have been recorded in other foreign languages that you don’t understand. Hence it will increase the number of viewers all around the world.
They both are generally added for easy accessibility to the viewers who wish to watch in sound sensitive environments.

So, here we are going to show you two ways to add subtittles to video: directly or uploading caption or transcript files

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Adding subtitles and closed captions manually

To add subtitles and closed captions to your YouTube video, fisrt, you should sign in to your YouTube account. On left right below ‘Home’ you will find ‘My Channel’. It will direct you to your personal YouTube page. On the top, right next to your subscribers lays the ‘Video manager’, giving you the list of your uploaded videos.

Select the video and click on edit to get a drop down menu. Click on subtitles and CC. This will take you to the subtitling interface. To the right of video select ‘add new subtitles’ and then ‘create new subtitles’. Select the subtitle language. Play the video to listen to the content and type down in the box. Click on ‘+’ button once you are done.

This will create a subtitle timeline right beneath the video. You can manage by dragging and expanding the subtitle duration according to the audio of the video. The subtitle will appear at the bottom of the video screen. Click ‘publish’ once done.

An interruption might occur with appearing of subtitles in accordance with video. Hence a lot precision is required while doing so.

Uploading Caption or Transcript Files automatically

To upload Caption or Transcript Files to YouTube Videos you first need to create a format on a text editor. For windows use Notepad and for Mac you may use TextEdit. Create a format of putting the number of subtitle first, time stamp and then text of the subtitle. For example

1\

00:02:34:12 using a format of (hour : minute : second : millisecond)

2. text

This is the sample text for first subtitle at zero hours, two minutes, thirty four seconds and twelve milliseconds. Once done with this. Go to file, select ‘save as’. Write the file name with an extension of .srt and select ‘All files’ for type of file. Click encoding menu and select UTF-8. Once saved, sign in to your YouTube account.

On left right below ‘Home’ you will find ‘My Channel’. It will direct you to your personal YouTube page. On the top, right next to your subscribers lays the ‘Video manager’, giving you the list of your uploaded videos.

Select the video and click on edit to get a drop down menu. Click on subtitles and CC. Go to ‘add subtitles’ and then ‘upload a file’. A pop-up menu will appear select ‘subtitles file’. Click upload. The file will send subtitles to your video.

3 Best Tools for add/managing video Subtitles/CC

1. Amara

Amara is a smart video editor which helps insert captions and subtitles to videos. It also helps in transcribing the videos. It takes help of crowd sourcing to subtitle any YouTube video. They take help from viewers to subtitle the videos. By making crowd subtitling available for any YouTube creator, they are allowing them to reach more viewers in more languages

2. DIY Captions

DIY captions help you to transcribe the YouTube videos, if not in most accurate manner, then in a little easier way. All you have to do is just paste the URL of the YouTube video and it will provide you all the subtitles. These may not be accurate but will provide you major base material which can be tweaked a bit here and there and is far better than making all the subtitles starting from scratch.

3 Subtitles for YouTube

Subtitles for YouTube is a Google Chrome extension which provides subtitles for YouTube videos. For this you will have to provide a subtitle file with .srt extension. The attractive feature of this is that you won’t have to download the video and still run the subtitles on it. This is very much helpful for people who work on YouTube or watch movies without subtitles.

Richard Bennett

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

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