Use a 2560 × 1440 pixel canvas for a YouTube channel banner. Keep your channel name and logo in its narrow center so they remain visible when YouTube crops the image for different screens. The official 1235 × 338 pixel safe-area figure applies to the smaller, minimum 2048 × 1152 pixel upload—not directly to a 2560 × 1440 canvas.
In YouTube’s banner image guidelines, the minimum upload size is 2048 × 1152 pixels, the recommended size is 2560 × 1440 pixels, and the maximum file size is 6 MB. Scale the minimum safe-area dimensions by 1.25 for a practical centered guide of about 1544 × 423 pixels on the recommended canvas. That guide is a calculation from YouTube’s minimum-size rule, not a separate dimension published by YouTube.
Set up the canvas before you decorate it
Create a 2560 × 1440 canvas first. Reserve about 1544 × 423 pixels in the center for the channel name, logo, and any brief positioning line. This leaves roughly 508 pixels at each side and 509 pixels at the top and bottom. On a minimum-size 2048 × 1152 canvas, use YouTube’s stated 1235 × 338 safe area instead. Put an even color field or another low-detail area behind the words.
Everything outside the protected center can support the channel mood. A cooking channel might put herbs and cookware near the edges. A travel channel might use distant mountains or a rail line. A maker channel might use tools and material textures. These details can add personality without carrying information that a visitor must read.
For ideas on the overall design, see CapCut’s YouTube banner maker. Keep this size guide beside that broader creation workflow when placing essential text.
Place the title where it can survive the crop
Imagine a fictional channel called Slow Sunday Baking. Place its name in the protected center first, then add the subtitle “simple bread and pastry at home” only if it remains readable at a smaller size. The background behind the title should be quieter than the objects at the edges.
Avoid putting the only logo on a far left or far right detail. Avoid splitting a channel name across the center and an edge. A wide image can look balanced in a design window yet still lose its most important words when it appears on a smaller screen.
Use this order:
- 1
- On a minimum 2048 × 1152 canvas, put the channel name inside the 1235 × 338 safe area. 2
- On a recommended 2560 × 1440 canvas, use the approximately 1544 × 423 centered guide for the name and logo. 3
- Add a logo or short line only when it still has room to breathe. 4
- Use the outer canvas for details that enrich the scene but are not essential.
This gives you a banner that has a readable center before it has a decorative frame.
Check the banner at two scales
First inspect the full 2560 × 1440 image: edge details should make the composition feel complete. Then check the centered guide at a smaller display size. The channel name should remain readable before any surrounding detail.
If the title is hard to read, reduce background detail behind it or move it farther inside the center. Finally, upload the draft in YouTube Studio and check its crop preview before publishing; the banner can appear differently on computer, mobile, and TV.
Keep text short. A channel name and a concise promise are easier to protect than a paragraph. Let the banner establish recognition; let the channel description and videos carry the longer explanation.
Turn the size rule into a visual brief
Once the dimensions and central clearance are clear, write a brief around the protected center. For Slow Sunday Baking, you might use: a warm stone counter with a single round loaf just below the center, a pale cream central field for the channel title, and flour, herbs, and baking tools limited to the outer edges. The scene supports the name without competing with it.
If you need an original background for the concept, use the CapCut AI image generator to explore the scene. Describe the quiet central space in the prompt, then place the final channel text separately so you can position it precisely.
In CapCut, make or import a 16:9 background and set the finished canvas to 2560 × 1440 pixels. Add the channel name with the Text tool and keep its full footprint within the approximate 1544 × 423 centered guide. Check the saved image at a smaller size, then use YouTube Studio’s upload preview for the final crop check. Keep the export at 6 MB or smaller.
For more ways to create a suitable background, browse CapCut’s AI image creation guides.
FAQ
What is the recommended YouTube channel banner size?
Use a 2560 × 1440 pixel canvas and place essential text and logos in an approximately 1544 × 423 pixel centered guide. Check the result in YouTube Studio’s banner preview.
What is the YouTube channel banner size for text and logos?
YouTube specifies 1235 × 338 pixels at the minimum 2048 × 1152 upload size. For a 2560 × 1440 canvas, scale those proportions to about 1544 × 423 pixels in the center.