[Updated] [Tools & Methods] How To Resize YouTube Thumbnail

[Tools & Methods] How To Resize YouTube Thumbnail

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!

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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.

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Step2 Select “Define custom dimensions.”

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

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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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.

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.

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

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Captions, like subtitles, can be a great way to improve the engagement of your video by reaching more and more audiences. But adding captions to your video is not an easy thing to do and without the right video caption maker, it can seem like an impossible task.

But it is important to add captions to your video, not just so you can target people who don’t understand the language or those who prefer to read rather than watch the video, but also to improve SEO and visibility.

Here, we will be looking at some of the best tools that you can use to add captions to your video.

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Best Video Caption Makers

The following are the top video caption makers that you can choose from;

YouTube Automatic Caption

If you already have your own YouTube channel, you can use the built-in speech recognition feature to generate accurate captions for your video. This feature can generate captions in a number of languages including English, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Korean, French, Italian, and Dutch which is more than some of the premium caption generators in the market.

The main reason most people choose this solution is that it is fairly simple to use. You don’t have to do much; just upload the video and the automatic caption generator will create the captions you need.

Key Features

It is easy to use and freely accessible
You can use it to generate captions in a number of different languages
It is very accurate
You can use it to generate transcripts for the video

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Kapwing Auto-Subtitle Maker

Kapwing is an online solution that will generate subtitles and captions for most videos. But it does limit the size of the video that it can generate subtitles on to about 500 MB. There is a free version of the program that although limited in functionality will not add a watermark to the generated captions file. But free users can only get captions for up to 7 minutes of video, making it a less ideal solution when you have a longer video.

Key Features

You can generate captions and subtitles for free
It is accessible online and you don’t have to install software on your computer to get the captions
It has a very simple user interface, making the caption generation process quick and easy
In addition to generating subtitles and captions, you can edit existing files.

Adobe Premiere Pro CC

You may know Adobe Premiere as one of the most popular video editing programs on the market, but most people are unaware that it can also be used to generate captions for the video. This tool can be very useful in the creation of high-quality videos and you can generate an accurate caption or subtitle for the video as well.

But Adobe Premiere is not an easy solution to use for both video editing and adding captions, particularly for beginner users. But it is certainly one of the best ways to create and edit videos on your computer.

Key Features

Even though the interface is not easy to use, it is clear and flexible
You have numerous options to add the captions including font style and color
The captions that you add using this tool will be very accurate
It can also be used to edit existing subtitle and caption files

Amara Subtitle Editor

Amara subtitle editor will not be able to help you create or generate captions for your video, but it can be a good solution to edit a subtitle file that you already have. It can be very useful in syncing the subtitles with the video and you can use it to make minor changes to the subtitle.

While editing the subtitle file is easy, creating a caption file using Amara can be a lengthy process since you would have to type in the text.

Key Features

It can be used to edit caption and subtitles files easily
The user interface is pleasant and easy to use
It is completely free

Aegisubs

Aegisubs is another tool that you can use to create subtitles for your video. But we must warn you right off the bat that this tool is not very user-friendly and you may find that you will spend a lot of time trying to generate subtitles for your video. But it is a free solution and widely accessible on most platforms.

Key Features

It can be used to create subtitles and captions in different languages
It supports numerous video and audio formats
It has a simple user interface that is easy to navigate
It doesn’t have speech recognition and you’ll have to enter all the text manually

AHD Subtitle Maker

AHD subtitle maker is a Windows program that can be used to create subtitles and captions for your video in a variety of formats such as SRT. It is a completely free solution that can also be used to edit subtitle files in numerous ways, even changing the format of the file.

Among other things, you can use AHD subtitle maker to translate, change, copy and delete selected text from a subtitle file and even replace the text with something else.

Key Features

It is a free program that works on all versions of Windows
It can generate subtitle and caption files in a variety of formats
You can use it to generate subtitle files or edit existing files in various ways
It can also be used to generate various types of content including ID3 tags for music files

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To generate captions and subtitles on your Mac for free, the best option is Video Caption Maker. The full version of the program is available for free and it can be used to create a subtitle file or make changes to a subtitle file you already have.

Key Features

You can use it to add text to a video in a simple and straightforward way
It can also be used to make changes to existing subtitles by changing the fonts, styles, backgrounds, positions, and more
It will also add a visual waveform to an audio file to identify the start and end time
It supports numerous video formats including .mov, .mp4, .mpeg, .3gpp, .3gpp2

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Jubler

Jubler is a program that can edit subtitles and captions for videos. It can also be used to create new subtitles although it doesn’t automatically generate the captions and you will have to type them in. But when it comes to editing subtitles, this tool is very effective, allowing you to change the font style, color, and even positioning of the subtitles.

Key Features

It works on all platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux
It will graphically display the subtitles so you can easily move them to the desired location
It supports all subtitle and caption file formats
It allows you to edit the subtitles in many ways
It can be used to translate the subtitles to various languages

**How Do I Make a Caption for a Video?

Making a caption for your video can be easy depending on the type of program you choose to use. A good rule of thumb is to choose solutions that auto generates the captions as they save you a lot of time. If there are issues after the captions have been generated, you can then use a subtitled editor to fix them, more preferable to typing in the subtitles or captions yourself.

**How Do I Get Automatic Captions for my Video?

If you are uploading your video on YouTube, you can easily generate automatic captions from the YouTube studio. Just use these simple steps;

Step 1: Sign in to YouTube Studio and in the left menu, select “Subtitles.”

Step 2: Click on the video that you want to add subtitles

Step 3: Select “More” under Subtitles and then go through the captions to make sure they are correct. If not, you can edit them on this page.

If you are not using YouTube to share your video, you can use one of the solutions we have outlined in this article to generate automatic captions.

**How Long Does It Take to Caption a Video?

The amount of time that you spend creating a caption for your video is entirely dependent on the captioning tool that you use. Automatic caption generators can create captions in a few seconds but manual subtitle tools can lengthen the process, especially for a longer video.

Conclusion

Captions are a great way to get users to engage with your videos. Studies have shown that a captioned video is far more likely to get more engagements and shares on social media. And since it can be very easy to make caption for you video, why not utilize this little known resource and get your videos to stand out a little bit more.

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