How to create YouTube thumbnails

[LandyVlad]

Thumbnails are very important when it comes to attracting views of your YT videos.

I'm an advocate / fan of Justin at Primal Video. Their content to help YouTubers is really helpful.
(I'm not associated with them in any way).

Anyway Justin has just released a new video on how to create thumbnails - which might be helpful for quite a few people here.

 

[scooterwuf]

I’ve had a lot of success with canva.com for making my thumbnails.

- Wolf

 

[LandyVlad]

Yeah that;'s what Ive been using lately too.

 

[Moto Mengy]

I use a free program called Inkscape to make my thumbs, it's a program I'm used to using for graphics in game development. I also use GIMP to pretty up pics for the thumbs now and then too.

 

[LandyVlad]

Yep I mentioned inkscape in my editing & creative thread.
Didn't occur to me to use that for thumbnails - but sure,, why not!

 

[Meifesto]

I use an old photoshop elements, which works great.
For continuity, i have a basic template that i can work around with, with the main part being my logo in there.

I for some reason don't like the thumbnails described i above video, with people's face on them in a weird pose/flex.
I tend to skip those xD
Even the channels that i follow, like SmarterEveryDay or TheSlowmoGuys don't actively do that

But i do think that continuity is important in your thumbnails, without making them look all the same (old mistake i did).
Upgrading old thumbnails to newer standards can also help, haven't done it because it takes so much time xD

 

[LandyVlad]

Meifesto I just had a look on your channel and the thumbnails (to me) don't seem to have any sort of base template ???

 

[scooterwuf]

My rule for thumbnails is the image has to be something from my video. If not (for me) it comes across as misleading or clickbate.

- Wolf

 

[Meifesto]

Meifesto I just had a look on your channel and the thumbnails (to me) don't seem to have any sort of base template ???

With edge, logo, filter. That is also the base template is

The reviews and first ride have that in common as well, added with the text of what it is

My rule for thumbnails is the image has to be something from my video. If not (for me) it comes across as misleading or clickbate.

- Wolf

Same here, 95% time it is somewhere out of the footage or a photo taken during said ride.

 

[UncleL]

My rule for thumbnails is the image has to be something from my video. If not (for me) it comes across as misleading or clickbate.

- Wolf

same with me, but the problem is that there is too many colourful shouting thumbnails everywhere and it's getting harder and harder to compete with those even if the most videos behind those thumbnails are pretty terrible (at least in motorcycle topic). I can see plenty of wonderful thumbnails nowadays with not that many wonderful videos tbh...

 

[LandyVlad]

Thumbnails are only designed to get people to click.
Only useful content will keep them there.

But you make a good point in that a decent but not 'shouty' thumbnail can stand out from the rest - as its different to what other people are doing.

 

[WaltInPA]

I usually edit the photo in Snapseed (iphone App that lets me adjust and add filters) then I’ll create the Thumbnail with Canva.com

 

[MMVNJ]

Recently just started with Canva, also just started here. Had no idea this place existed.

 

[Moto Mengy]

My rule for thumbnails is the image has to be something from my video.

I do this too. Sometimes I'll grab a frame from the video itself, sometimes I stop while out on the ride to purposefully take pics for the thumbnail (and Instagram).

 

[CVentures]

My first couple were in Canva as well as a few posters, however I’m not making them right in lumafusion itself.

 

[Meifesto]

So, bringing this one back to the game.
Thumbnails seem to be more important than ever.

Let's see what tips we as a collective have.
And what things to avoid.



Avoid for sure;
Small text. Or text that fades into the background due to similar colors.

 

[Hippo-Drones]

I've been having good results matching my text colour to the bike colour:

and adding the name of the bike too seems to help.

 

[Theodor]

My rule for thumbnails is the image has to be something from my video. If not (for me) it comes across as misleading or clickbate.

- Wolf

OMG, but it's so hard difficult to get big tits in to every video...

 

[scooterwuf]

I’m pretty flat chested, so that’s an additional challenge for me.

- Wolf

 

[YBGuy]

I use Canva. It makes it super easy to make Thumbnails, plus they already had some templates that go well my color scheme.