Resize image to 2560 × 1440 for a YouTube banner
2560 × 1440 is the banner size YouTube recommends, especially for TV. The catch is that phones only show a narrow strip from the middle, so where you put the text matters as much as the size.
Set to: Width (px): 2560 · Height (px): 1440 · Fill and crop the edges
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Resize image to 2560 × 1440 in 3 steps
- Select your banner image. 2560 × 1440 px with Fill and crop the edges is already set.
- Click Resize image. The picture is scaled and trimmed evenly to 16:9.
- Download the file and upload it in YouTube Studio under Customization, Branding.
YouTube banner image requirements
| Recommended size (especially for TV) | 2560 × 1440 px |
|---|---|
| Minimum size for upload | 2048 × 1152 px, 16:9 |
| Safe area for text and logos | 1235 × 338 px at the minimum size (about 1544 × 423 px at 2560 × 1440) |
| File size | 6 MB or smaller |
| Design | No shadows, borders or frames added to the image |
The safe area: why text gets cut off on phones
YouTube shows the banner differently on each screen. A TV shows the whole 16:9 image, a computer shows a wide band across the middle, and the phone app shows an even narrower strip. The only part that is visible everywhere is the safe area, which YouTube gives as 1235 × 338 pixels at the minimum 2048 × 1152 size.
At 2560 × 1440 that is a box of roughly 1544 × 423 pixels right in the centre. Put your channel name, tagline and upload schedule inside it. Everything outside it is background: it can be cut on a phone or a laptop, so do not put faces, words or logos there.
Design at 2560 × 1440 from the start if you can, with a guide box of about 1544 × 423 in the middle. If you resize an existing picture here, the trim is centred, so text that was in the middle of the original stays in the middle.
Why crop and not borders
YouTube asks you not to add shadows, borders or frames, which is why this page uses Fill and crop the edges. A 4:3 phone photo loses a band at the top and bottom; a wide panorama loses its sides. Fit the whole picture would add white or transparent bars, which look like a frame on TV and are better avoided here.
Never use Stretch to fill for a banner with people or text in it. The squashed shape is obvious on a big screen.
Staying under 6 MB
A 2560 × 1440 JPG is usually well under 6 MB. A detailed PNG at the same size can go over. If YouTube refuses the file, run it through Compress Image with Under 2 MB or Under 1 MB; the banner keeps its pixels and still looks sharp on a TV.
Upscaling a small image to 2560 × 1440 meets the size rule but looks soft on a TV. Start from the largest version of your artwork you have, and at least the 2048 × 1152 minimum.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a YouTube banner?
YouTube recommends 2560 × 1440 px, with a minimum of 2048 × 1152 px at 16:9 and a file of 6 MB or less.
Why is my banner text cut off on mobile?
Phones only show the safe area in the middle: 1235 × 338 px at the minimum size, about 1544 × 423 px at 2560 × 1440. Keep text inside it.
Will my image be stretched?
No. Fill and crop the edges keeps the proportions and trims the edges evenly.
Is my image uploaded?
No. It is resized in your browser on your own device.