Design is all around us, and YouTube is no exception. YouTube banners are one of the newer components in the expansive social media landscape, and they can’t be ignored as an essential part of any brand’s marketing mix.
To help you get a handle on creating and using banners, also known as YouTube channel art, we’ve put together this guide to YouTube banner ideas, including tools, templates, and examples. The following is covered:
- What is a YouTube banner?
- YouTube banner ideas and examples
- Best free YouTube banner makers
- Free YouTube banner templates
- How to make a YouTube banner
- Tips on Designing the Best YouTube Banners
Your YouTube banner image is the equivalent of your website homepage or Facebook cover image, stretching horizontally across the top of your YouTube channel page.
The YouTube banner design is the first thing someone sees when they visit your page. It’s the first (and perhaps only) chance you have to show off your company. Arguably, it’s the most important part of your channel and must represent you and your brand accordingly.
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Before you set out to create your own unique banner, enjoy browsing these cool YouTube banners, which we call out for their creativity and ingenuity.
We've included banners from top brands and channels that are thriving on YouTube.
1. Dude Perfect
At 25 million subscribers, this channel is one of the most followed on YouTube. We love the playfulness of their banner.
At 22 million subscribers, this is another very popular channel. They do a great job of capturing the lively feel of the TV show in a collage style of images.
3. GoPro
The makers of GoPro are arguably also one of the best video content creators. Their banners reflect the seasons/video trends on their channel, which we really like.
This is one of the best channels for HD travel videos. The use of the sharp clean image as a banner for Youtube, perfectly complements their content.
We love how they have used bold colors and typography to include multiple CTAs and put across their USP through their Youtube banners.
6. Tasty
One of the most followed food channels, "Tasty" shows us how to be eye catching without being OTT. Their channel art is always on point !
7. Versace
Versace is one of the few fashion brands that have managed to get some traction on YouTube in a domain that is completely dominated by vloggers.
8. Airbnb
Using multiple images in a very small space can be quite tricky. Popular travel brand Airbnb, however, does a good job of nailing it.
Makeup is another popular YouTube category that is heavily dominated by individual content creators making it really difficult for brands to survive. NYX is one of the few brands that have made their mark.
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10. BMW
We love the sleek and sharp look of popular automobile brand BMW's banner for YouTube.
11. Lego
At 4 million subscribers, Lego is doing a pretty good job at creating content for kids. Their banner matches the kid-friendly nature of their content.
12. Star Wars
The extremely popular all-American series "Star Wars" definitely has a banner to get inspired from.
13. Google
When it comes to design that perfectly combines brand, appeal, and simplicity, who better than Google to look up to? As expected they've perfectly nailed their design.
14. The Fumble
This popular sports channel banner is definitely giving us some great design ideas.
15. Target
We found it really interesting how retail brand "Target" has incorporated their logo so creatively in the design of their banner.
16. Big Think
This channel banner shows us how it's not always about the design. Text combined with a powerful image can sometimes be equally impactful if not more.
17. Ebay
How can you not love this colorful piece of art by Ebay?
18. Sprint
The telecom giant Sprint has definitely put some thought into their YouTube design. A very interesting take!
19. ESPN
We love how the images on ESPN's banner represent the passion behind their content. Very clever, we must say!
20. Ubisoft
This popular video game maker definitely knows their audience. They also keep refreshing their Youtube channel to reflect their latest games.
21. Linkedin
This one-liner on Linkedin's YouTube banner had to get them in our top 25 list.
22. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has dominated the advertising world for decades and their YouTube banner design definitely shows that!
23. Wendy's
We think popular restaurant chain Wendy's banner art is really unique and enticing.
24. VISA
Another design with a one-liner that really strikes a chord with the audience.
25. ASUS
We thought it was a really cool idea for Asus to have a holiday-themed banner. A subliminal message pushing their product as the ideal holiday gift.
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With a myriad of YouTube banner creators online, it can be challenging to sort through all of them to decide which is best for you.
In general, you want a service that provides premade YouTube banner templates, gives you access to stock photos and other graphic design elements and allows you to edit photos. You can of course use these services to make custom YouTube banners too.
We’ve compiled 10 of the top YouTube channel art makers, listed in no specific order, with our thoughts about why you should check them out:
Fotor
This free all-in-one photo editing toolkit tops or makes most “best of” lists. With editable templates or the option to start from scratch, users can easily create complete professional-looking banners. Fotor Banner Maker offers a host of advanced features, including a huge number of effects and filters. Fotor was named one of the Android Excellence Apps of 2017 by the Google Play Store.
BeFunky
A free photo collage maker, BeFunky uses a simple drag-and-drop interface. You can create banners in a four-step process. BeFunky provides photos or you can use your own. Some features require payment.
iPiccy
The powerful, easy-to-use photo editor’s features, such as the ability to add text, allow for highly customizable designs. However, it has some limits, such as not permitting images to be edited within a collage. iPiccy is free.
Visme
Visme is an intuitive and simple interface, backed by templates that can be customized in three steps. Fifty YouTube banner backgrounds are presented with step-by-step instructions. Free and paid subscription versions.
Canva
Canva boasts real simplicity, which accounts for its popularity. Its templates are attractive and professional, for eye-catching looks. Canva is free, but some high-quality images and graphic components must be paid for, starting at $1.
Fotojet
FotoJet is super accessible and free, requiring almost no technical expertise. This option is ideal for beginner do-it-yourself designers. It offers plenty of stock photos and templates to choose from, and also allows photo editing.
iKomee
With a step-by-step tutorial, iKomee is designed for those who are new to banner design. The drag-and-drop interface creates customizable banners across all social media platforms. iKomee is free.
PicMonkey
PicMonkey is an online photo editor with free basic and paid premium services. PicMonkey appeals to creative design tinkerers, with hundreds of filter and editing options.
Adobe Spark
Spark consolidates Adobe’s Post, Voice and Slate apps for the non-professional designer. It’s relatively easy to use and has an automation feature that updates the design when themes, fonts or layouts are changed. Adobe Spark is free with an additional paid component designed to help small businesses create branded media content.
Crello
Crello offers 10,000 ready-to-use templates in an appealing interface. The free graphic design editor boasts real ease of use for basic designs. Images must be purchased for 99 cents each and are reusable.
We’ve done some searching to help you find free YouTube banner ideas and templates. The majority of these services will allow you to customize their templates and download your YouTube banner for use. Check out this list:
Canva
Canva’s marketplace offers 50,000 templates for all kinds of graphics, including YouTube channel art templates. Easy to search and edit.
FotoJet
FotoJet provides dozens of YouTube channel art templates to unleash user creativity, and also allows editing, for customized stunning designs.
Mybannermaker
Easy instructions make Mybannermaker appealing for first-time banner designers. Many of the templates have a whimsical touch.
Visme
Simple step-by-step instructions guide users on using one of Visme’s 50 banner templates. Suggested uses such as business marketing and blog promotion (or posting pictures of cute dogs!) are noted.
Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark offers a range of free design templates, including designs for YouTube banners. Check out their list of 17 banners that you can edit directly in their app.
Template.net
Template.net is a no-frills catalog of 25+ YouTube banners to download. Some of the downloads require a fee.
Snappa
Snappa promises speed, boasting banner creation in an easy 60 seconds, giving users access to thousands of high-res, 100% royalty-free stock photos, along with customizable graphics, shapes and text.
Bannersnack
A quick guide steers users to a somewhat limited selection of YouTube banner templates. Users can also create a template from scratch.
Crello
Users can choose from thousands of free templates made by professionals and customize them. The simple interface appeals to both pros and beginners.
PicMonkey
PicMonkey has a modern, hip touch in its professionally-designed templates, which tend to feature strong photography. All are customizable, after a slight learning curve.
Photovisi
Photovisi’s focus is collage banners, and its simple interface provides templates and easy photo uploads. Terrific for personal use.
Just how easy is it to create a banner? We visited YouTube (naturally!) to learn. Here’s a quick video that will walk you through the process of simply creating YouTube banners without using Photoshop and rather a free online Photoshop alternative PIXLR which allows your to make your own custom YouTube banners and more:
What is the YouTube Banner Size and Dimensions?
Before you start thinking about how your YouTube banner will look, you should first understand how it needs to work. You need a banner that displays properly across different platforms, including mobile devices, tablets, desktop computers, and televisions.
To ensure display consistency, use these guidelines for YouTube banner dimensions from Google:
- Size for YouTube banner: 2560 x 1440 pixels
- Minimum dimension for upload: 2048 x 1152 pixels
- Minimum "safe area" that ensures text and logos will not be cut off: 1546 x 423 pixels
- Maximum width that ensures the “safe area” is visible, regardless of screen size: 2560 x 423 pixels
- File size: 4MB or smaller
We’ll explain more about how important these dimensions are later, but keep them in mind as you start considering content for the center of your YouTube banner template, which is the sweet spot for a terrific banner.
Remember these tips as you get started on your eye-catching YouTube banner art.
- Graphics should include your company logo or slogan, combined with an image from behind the scenes at your company or another visually-appealing shot. This is your first impression and you want to make it count.
- Remember to include social media links in your account. They show up in the banner’s lower right-hand area.
- Find a perfect image that can scale to accommodate all platforms. Use the YouTube preview function to see how the banner looks on each device.
- If you don’t have a perfect larger image, build one by combining multiple images. Many of the sites we’ve mentioned permit doing so.
- Make sure the cropped portion of your banner stands alone. This is the space that will always be displayed, regardless of monitor or device size.
- This is marketing. Include a call to action so that your viewers know what to do next, such as “Subscribe to our channel,” or “Visit our website.” After all, sales and conversions are the point.
- Don’t neglect your channel. Refresh your channel banner regularly to keep your brand look and feel dynamic.
30 Million Reasons to Pay Attention to Your YouTube Banner
You can’t afford to not be on the interactive marketing bandwagon. YouTube rules that particular world, with nearly 30 million visitors who watch nearly five billion videos each day. YouTube has made videos mainstream and they boast almost one-third of all total internet usage. On mobile alone, YouTube reaches more 18-34 year olds than any cable network in the United States.
Take some time to create YouTube channel art that represents your business. Use it to reinforce your video content strategy and present your brand, maintaining good design principles and clear messaging.
Tap Superside's Graphic Design Services
As you can see, you have plenty of online options to create an effective banner. But if you are looking for that extra design boost, we can help.
Superside's graphic design services can custom design a YouTube banner that best fits your brand and makes your channel stand out. We’re ready to get started.
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