Why the banner canvas is 2560 x 1440
YouTube asks for a channel banner image at 2560 x 1440 pixels. That is a 16:9 canvas, so a standard widescreen photo or a design exported from a 16:9 template fits without stretching. If your source is smaller than 2560 pixels wide, the banner will look soft on large screens. If your source is much larger, resizing down to 2560 x 1440 keeps the file manageable.
A phone photo is often 2-5 MB and around 4000 pixels wide, so it usually has enough resolution. A screenshot or a logo exported at 800 pixels wide does not, and upscaling it will not add detail.
The safe area is what actually shows
YouTube crops the banner differently depending on the device. On a TV, most of the 2560 x 1440 canvas is visible. On a phone, only a narrow strip in the middle appears. YouTube's current guidance places the safe area at roughly 1546 x 423 pixels, centred on the canvas.
Everything that matters — channel name, tagline, upload schedule, social handles — belongs inside that rectangle. Background texture, gradients, and photos can extend to the full canvas because cropping them is harmless.
| Area | Approximate size | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Full canvas | 2560 x 1440 px | TV and desktop, cropped elsewhere |
| Safe area | 1546 x 423 px | All devices, including phones |
| Desktop crop | Wider than mobile | Desktop and laptop browsers |
| Mobile crop | Narrow centre strip | Phones in the YouTube app |
Setting up the resize
Start with the largest version of your image you have. In the tool, enter 2560 for the width and 1440 for the height. Choose the option that fits the whole image inside those dimensions if you want to keep every edge, or the option that fills the frame if you are happy to lose the outer edges.
Fitting the whole image adds empty bars on one axis when the aspect ratio does not match. Filling the frame crops instead. For a banner, filling usually looks better, provided the subject sits near the centre.
After resizing, check the result at 100% zoom. Text that was crisp in the original can turn soft if the image was scaled up. If the text is hard to read, rebuild the banner with larger type rather than resizing again.
File format and size
JPG suits photographic banners and keeps the file small. PNG suits flat colour, sharp edges, and logos, but produces larger files. WebP works on YouTube and is often smaller than JPG at similar visual quality.
YouTube sets a maximum banner file size, and it changes from time to time. Check YouTube's current guidance before you export. If your file is over the limit, lower the JPG quality a step or two, or export as WebP. Compression always trades some detail for a smaller file, so compare the result at 100% before uploading.
Placing text inside the safe area
Draw a rectangle 1546 x 423 pixels in the centre of your 2560 x 1440 canvas and treat it as the only place text can live. Keep a small margin inside that rectangle — around 40-60 pixels — because crops are not always pixel-exact.
Use a font size that stays readable when the banner is scaled down to phone width. A 100-pixel heading on the full canvas becomes very small in the mobile crop. Test by viewing the finished file at roughly 20% zoom; if you cannot read the text there, it is too small.
Avoid putting text near the left or right edges of the canvas. Those areas are the first to disappear on smaller screens.
Checking before upload
Preview the resized file at several widths — full size, half size, and phone width — to confirm the safe-area content stays visible. Then upload it in YouTube Studio and check the channel page on a phone and on a desktop browser. Platform dimensions and limits do change, so confirm the current numbers on YouTube's help pages before finalising a design you plan to reuse.
Questions
What size should a YouTube banner be?
YouTube's recommended canvas is 2560 x 1440 pixels. The area that shows on every device is a centred safe area of roughly 1546 x 423 pixels, so keep text and logos inside that rectangle.
Why does my banner get cut off on mobile?
YouTube crops the banner to a narrow centre strip on phones. Anything outside the safe area disappears there, even though it may be visible on a TV or desktop.
What file format and size should I use for a YouTube banner?
JPG, PNG, and WebP all work. JPG and WebP give smaller files for photos, while PNG suits flat graphics. Check YouTube's current maximum file size before exporting, since the limit can change.
Can I resize a small image up to 2560 x 1440?
You can, but upscaling does not add detail. A source image narrower than 2560 pixels will look soft, especially any text. Start from the largest original you have, or rebuild the design at the full size.