YouTube Banner Size Guide (2026)
The correct YouTube banner size is 2560 × 1440 pixels, with a hard minimum of 2048 × 1152 and a 6MB file limit. But the number that actually decides whether your banner works is 1546 × 423 — the central safe area, the only part of the image guaranteed to appear on every device. Here is how the crops work, and how to design one image that survives all of them.
YouTube banner dimensions at a glance
| Placement | Visible area |
|---|---|
| TV (full bleed) | 2560 × 1440 px — the entire upload |
| Desktop | ≈ 2560 × 423 px wide strip |
| Mobile | ≈ 1546 × 423 px (slightly wider on some phones) |
| Text-safe area | 1546 × 423 px, dead center |
| Minimum upload | 2048 × 1152 px |
| Maximum file size | 6 MB |
One image, four different crops
Unlike a thumbnail, a banner is never shown the way you upload it — except on TV. YouTube takes your single 16:9 image and cuts a different window out of it depending on the screen:
- TV apps display the full 2560 × 1440 frame as a full-bleed background — this is why YouTube asks for such a tall image in the first place.
- Desktop browsers keep the full width but slice a short horizontal band out of the middle — roughly 2560 × 423 pixels.
- Phones and tablets trim the sides as well, showing a strip close to 1546 × 423 — essentially the safe area, sometimes a little wider depending on the screen.
All three windows share exactly one region: the central 1546 × 423 safe area. Anything you place there is visible to everyone. Anything outside it is decoration that some portion of your audience will never see — which is fine for background texture, and fatal for text.
Designing inside the safe area
Treat the banner as two layers: a full-frame background that can bleed and crop freely, and a compact message locked to the center strip.
- Put the essentials in the middle. Channel name, tagline and upload schedule ("New videos every Friday") all belong inside the 1546 × 423 strip — they are the reason a visitor stays or subscribes.
- Design the edges as atmosphere. Colors, patterns and photography can run to the full 2560 × 1440 frame so the TV view doesn't look empty, but nothing out there should carry meaning.
- Push the contrast. On desktop the banner is a thin strip competing with a busy page. Light text over a mid-tone photo vanishes; put text on a solid block or darken the photo behind it.
- Expect overlays on desktop. YouTube can place your social links over the bottom-right of the desktop crop — avoid parking anything important there.
- Test on a real phone. Upload, then open your channel on mobile before calling it done. The mobile crop is the harshest one, and it's where most of your visitors are.
Common mistakes that get banners cropped
- Spreading text across the full width. A headline that spans 2560 pixels loses both ends on mobile. If it doesn't fit in 1546 pixels, shorten it.
- Placing content near the top or bottom. Only TVs show those regions. A logo in the top corner simply doesn't exist for desktop and mobile visitors.
- Uploading below 2048 × 1152. YouTube rejects it outright — a common surprise for people reusing an old 2120 × 1192 or 1920 × 1080 file.
- Uploading a non-16:9 image. A square or panoramic image forces an awkward crop in YouTube's adjustment tool. Start from the right canvas instead of fighting the cropper.
- Blowing the 6MB limit. Rare, but possible with detailed photographic PNGs at full size. Switch that export to JPG rather than downscaling.
Banner done? The thumbnail is next
The banner sells the channel; thumbnails sell each video, and they follow completely different rules — a fixed 1280 × 720 frame with no cropping to worry about. Our YouTube thumbnail size guide covers the exact specs, and the free thumbnail maker opens a ready-to-go 16:9 canvas.
Frequently asked questions
What size should a YouTube banner be?+
Upload a 2560×1440 pixel image — that is the full size YouTube uses on TV screens. The minimum accepted upload is 2048×1152 pixels, and the file must be under 6MB. Crucially, only the central 1546×423 pixel area is visible on every device, so all text and logos need to sit inside that strip.
What is the YouTube banner safe area?+
A 1546×423 pixel rectangle in the exact center of the image. It is the only region guaranteed to show on phones, desktops, tablets and TVs alike. Everything outside it gets cropped away on at least one device, which is why channel names, faces and schedules belong inside it.
Why does my YouTube banner look cut off?+
YouTube crops one uploaded image differently per device: TVs show the full 2560×1440 frame, desktop browsers show a wide strip of roughly 2560×423, and phones show a strip close to the 1546×423 safe area. If text sits near the top, bottom or far edges of your upload, some devices will slice it off. Move it into the central safe area and re-upload.
Can I upload a 2048×1152 banner instead of 2560×1440?+
Yes — 2048×1152 is the minimum YouTube accepts and it keeps the same 16:9 ratio, so the crops behave identically. It will be scaled up slightly for TV screens, so if crisp TV rendering matters to you, export at 2560×1440. Below 2048×1152 the upload is rejected.
What is the maximum file size for YouTube channel art?+
6MB. That is a generous limit for a banner — a JPG at high quality or a typical PNG at 2560×1440 usually lands well under it. If a photo-heavy PNG tips over, export that design as JPG instead of shrinking the dimensions.
Is a YouTube banner the same thing as channel art?+
Yes. YouTube's own settings call it channel art or a channel banner interchangeably — it is the wide image across the top of a channel page. It is a different asset from the channel profile picture (800×800) and from video thumbnails (1280×720).
Make a banner on a correctly sized canvas
Graphtr opens a 2048 × 1152 banner canvas — YouTube's accepted upload size in the right 16:9 ratio — so the crop math is handled before you place a single element. Free, in the browser, no sign-up; export as PNG or JPG.