How To Make A Youtube Banner Step By Step With Photos

YouTube is great for publishing videos, growing an audience, and gaining followers. But people notice your account, you’ll need to make a custom banner and apply it to your YouTube channel.

Creating a YouTube banner is simple and fun. All you need is the right resources and some creativity! The following sections will teach you all the steps to making and using a YouTube banner.

A YouTube banner is an interesting or informative image applied to the top of your YouTube channel. Unlike your profile picture, the YouTube banner has more surface area. So, you can include more details, about your niche (gaming, music, self-help, etc.) and your name.

Canva, PicMaker, and even Microsoft Paint are useful in creating banners. You can also use any third-party service you like, but we’re using Canva because it has great templates and a lot of functionality and is user-friendly.

Helpful hint: Make a 2048 x 1153 image less than 6MB.

Navigate to a third-party site of your choice. Then, create and save the banner. We’re using Canva for our tutorial, but feel free to use Adobe or any software you like.

Step 1: Log Into Canva

First, let’s create a YouTube Banner, then you can upload it to your YouTube channel.

After logging into your Canva account (or creating a new one), use the search box at the top and type YouTube Banner.

Step 3: Select Your Template

Scroll through the extensive template list and click one that suits your YouTube channel. Or select the option to create one from scratch.

Step 4: Click Customize this Template

When you find a YouTube banner template you like, click Customize this template to make it your own.

Start out by clicking the template’s existing text and typing your own.

Then, drag the text where and any other imagery where you’d like it to appear on the banner.

Finally, use the menu at the top of the editing screen to change the font, colors, animations, and anything else you like.

Helpful Hint: If you aren’t using Canva’s premium service, you can’t resize the image. But you can crop it using a third-party service. However, if you want the entire text to appear in your banner on all devices, keep it to only one line.

When you have perfected your YouTube banner, click Share at the top.

Step 7: Click Download

The share menu allows you to download Canva creations and save them to our computer’s storage. Click Download.

Helpful hint: Download the image in JPG rather than PNG to make the following section easier.

Now that you created your fully-customized banner, it’s time to upload it to your YouTube channel. Head over to YouTube and log into your account. Then, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click Your Channel

Click your Profile icon in the upper right corner of the web page. Then, select Your Channel in the dropdown menu that appears.

Step 2: Click Customize Channel

A new window will open with the videos you posted and a few other options. On the right side of this page, click Customize channel.

Step 3: Click Branding

A new YouTube window opens, taking you to the Creator’s Studio. This page lets you customize your channel, keep up with analytics, and more.

At the top of the page, you’ll see Layout, Branding, and Basic Info. Click Branding to apply the banner you made to your channel.

Step 4: Click Upload

Now, click Upload.

Helpful hint: On this page, you can also change your profile picture or add a watermark that YouTube will apply to your videos.

A new window will open and let you access your computer’s files. Select the banner you created in the first section of this article. Then, click Open.

Helpful hint: If you can’t find the banner you made, search the file name or check the Downloads and Recents folders.

Step 6: Click Done

After uploading your banner, you can position it where it looks good by dragging the corners.

If you need to update your YouTube banner on your mobile app, you can. The steps are pretty similar to those on a web browser.

Follow these steps to upload your banner to your YouTube channel on the mobile app:

Helpful hint: The web instructions above show gridlines that indicate how your banner will look on a computer and the mobile app. It’s best to change your banner on the web browser when possible.

Step 1: Tap Your Profile Icon

Open the YouTube app and ensure you are logged into the right account. Then, tap your Profile icon in the upper right corner.

Step 2: Tap Your Channel

Tap Your Channel in the new menu that appears.

Step 3: Tap the Pencil Icon

A small pencil icon will appear to the right of Manage Videos. This button takes you to the options to customize your channel, so tap it to move forward.

At the top of this screen, you’ll see your banner and your profile picture with small camera icons. Tap the camera icon in your banner to change it.

Now, you can select the file and upload your new banner straight from your smartphone.

As with the web browser steps, you may need to make some adjustments to make it look right.

A Fresh New Look

It’s easy to make a YouTube banner and upload it to your channel. Third-party sites like Canva can help you create the perfect image, but be mindful of the dimensions to ensure it fits your channel.

We hope you love how your channel looks after you make your own YouTube banner and apply it to your channel. But if you don’t, create another one and apply it using the same steps outlined above.

How To Make A Youtube Banner Step By Step With Photos