How to make a YouTube thumbnail in Figma
Make a 1280 × 720 frame in Figma, place one subject, add a short line, export it as a JPG at 1x, and upload it in YouTube Studio.
4 min read ThumbnailsYouTubeGuidesStudioFigma is a design tool a lot of creators already have open. You get frames, layers, and clean type in the browser or the desktop app. Figma can't put the image on your video for you, so you export a JPG and upload it yourself in YouTube Studio.
This post sticks to the Figma clicks. If you want the thinking behind a good thumbnail first, [how to make a YouTube thumbnail](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail) covers it. Prefer another editor? Try [how to make a YouTube thumbnail in Photoshop](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-in-photoshop), [Photopea](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-in-photopea), or [Canva](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-in-canva).
Start with a 1280 × 720 frame
Pick the **Frame** tool in the toolbar, or press **F**. Click and drag on the canvas to draw a frame.
With the frame selected, type **1280** into **W** and **720** into **H** in the right sidebar. Figma has frame presets, including a **Social Media** group, but typing the size yourself is the sure way to get 1280 × 720.
1280 × 720 at 16:9 is the safe pick. The full spec is in [YouTube thumbnail size](/blog/youtube-thumbnail-size), and [how to resize a YouTube thumbnail](/blog/how-to-resize-youtube-thumbnail) helps if you already made one at the wrong size.
Place one subject
Drag your photo from your computer onto the frame. You can also pick **Image/video** from the **Shape tools** menu in the toolbar, or press **Shift + Command + K** (**Shift + Ctrl + K** on Windows), then click to place it.
Figma treats images as fills, so your photo sits inside a layer you can resize like any shape. A face or one clear object works best, so make it big.
One subject reads at phone size, while two or three fight each other. Keep it out of the bottom right corner, where YouTube shows the video length. [YouTube thumbnail safe zones](/blog/youtube-thumbnail-safe-zones) shows everything YouTube puts over the image.
Cut the subject out
Select the image and click **Remove background** in the secondary toolbar. That's a Figma AI feature, and it leaves just the subject on top of your frame.
It works on paid plans and the Starter plan in Figma Design, and you need edit access to the file. Each use takes Figma AI credits.
Don't have Remove background? Pick a photo with a plain, clean background so the subject still stands out.
Add a 3 to 5 word line
Pick the text tool from the toolbar, or press **T**. Click once on the frame and type one short line. A single click makes a text layer set to **Auto width**, so the box grows as you type.
Set the font size and weight in the **Typography** section of the right sidebar. Three to five words is plenty. Say something the title doesn't, so the two work together instead of repeating each other.
Make it big, bold, and high contrast. [How to add text to a YouTube thumbnail](/blog/how-to-add-text-to-youtube-thumbnail) covers fonts, size, and contrast.
Check it at small size
Most people see your thumbnail at phone size, so look at it small before you export. Zoom out until the frame is about as small as a thumbnail in the feed. If the words or the face stop reading, make them bigger.
Keep the frame in your Figma file. Next video, duplicate it and change the words instead of starting over.
Export a JPG at 1x
Select the frame. In the **Export** section near the bottom of the right sidebar, click the plus to add an export setting.
Set the format to **JPG** and type **1x** into the scale field, so the file comes out at 1280 × 720. JPGs export at **High** quality by default, and you can change that in the **Export** section. Click **Preview** if you want to check it, then click **Export**.
YouTube takes JPG or PNG. The size limit is 2 MB when you upload from a phone and 50 MB from desktop YouTube Studio. The rest of the spec is in [YouTube thumbnail file size](/blog/youtube-thumbnail-file-size). If your file is too big for a phone upload, [how to compress a YouTube thumbnail](/blog/how-to-compress-youtube-thumbnail) gets it down without making it mushy.
Upload it in YouTube Studio
Sign in to YouTube Studio and select **Content** in the left menu, then click the video's title or thumbnail to open **Details**. Under **Thumbnail**, click **Upload file**, pick your JPG, and click **SAVE**.
Don't see **Upload file**? Your channel probably needs verification first, and [how to enable custom YouTube thumbnails](/blog/how-to-enable-custom-youtube-thumbnails) walks through it. To swap a thumbnail later, see [how to change a YouTube thumbnail](/blog/how-to-change-youtube-thumbnail).
One more look before you publish
Before you upload, run the JPG through Thumbly Score and watch the **Clarity** number. Clarity is whether someone gets the idea at a glance, which is exactly what one subject and a short line are for. [How to use Thumbly Score](/blog/how-to-use-thumbly-score) explains the numbers, or [open Thumbly Score](/thumbly-score) and drop the file in.
