Resize an Image for a YouTube Thumbnail
Free, with no daily limit. Fit a picture inside 1280 by 720 pixels, the thumbnail size YouTube documents. It scales the whole picture. It does not crop to 16:9 and it does not upload the file.
Image → JPG
Drop images or a folder
Or paste a picture. The file is not uploaded. On an iPhone, Choose photos may hand you a JPEG instead of the original HEIC. This page accepts that too.
Used for JPG and WebP. PNG does not use this slider. 85 is the starting point.
Each file is fitted on its own. JPG and WebP try a lower quality first. PNG is made smaller, because it has no quality step.
More settings2strip GPS · white
How to convert
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1. Add the picture
JPG, PNG, and WebP are accepted. 1280×720 starts selected. 1920×1080 is the other button if you want a larger still of the same shape limit.
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2. Leave JPG selected unless the image has transparency
A thumbnail is almost always a JPG. Switch to PNG only when see-through areas matter. Quality starts at 85.
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3. Download and check the shape
A landscape photo becomes at most 1280 by 720. A portrait photo becomes 720 tall and narrower than 1280. YouTube may add bars or crop when you upload a file that is not 16:9. This page does not guess that crop.
Questions
Why not force 1280 by 720 with bars?
Bars are a design choice, and the wrong background ruins a thumbnail. This page only guarantees the picture fits inside the box. You keep every pixel of the original framing.
YouTube rejected my thumbnail. Did the size fail?
YouTube asks for 1280×720 and a file under 2 MB. Fitting inside 1280×720 makes a smaller image when the source is not already 16:9. Make the canvas 16:9 in an editor if the upload form demands the exact size.
Is the image uploaded?
No. Resizing happens on this device. Uploading the result to YouTube is a separate step on YouTube.
What about a channel banner?
That is a different, much wider size. This page is only the thumbnail box and the 1920×1080 option. It does not build the safe area for a channel banner.
Related tools
- Instagram size Free, with no daily limit. Fit a picture inside 1080 by 1350 pixels, the tall Instagram feed size. It scales. It does not crop. Nothing is uploaded.
- JPG to WebP Free, with no daily limit. Turn a JPG into a WebP on this device. WebP is often smaller at a similar quality. Nothing is uploaded.
- Compress image Free, with no daily limit. Make a JPG, PNG, or WebP smaller on this device. You see an estimate first and the real savings after.
- PNG to JPG Free, with no daily limit. Turn PNG into JPG on this device. Choose the background behind see-through areas, the quality, and whether location stays.