How to make a YouTube thumbnail in Photopea
Start from Photopea's YouTube thumbnail preset at 1280 × 720, cut out one subject, add a short line, export a JPG from Save for web, and upload it in YouTube Studio.
4 min read ThumbnailsYouTubeGuidesStudioPhotopea is a free photo editor that runs in your browser and works a lot like Photoshop. You get layers, masks, and layer styles without installing anything or paying for Photoshop. Photopea can't put the image on your video for you, so you export a file and upload it yourself in YouTube Studio.
This post sticks to the Photopea 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. Want a simpler editor? Try [how to make a YouTube thumbnail in Canva](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-in-canva) or [how to make a YouTube thumbnail in CapCut](/blog/how-to-make-a-youtube-thumbnail-in-capcut).
Start from Photopea's YouTube thumbnail preset
Go to [Photopea](https://www.photopea.com/) and click **Start using Photopea**, then **New Project**. Open the **Social** tab, click **Youtube Thumbnail**, and click **Create**. That gives you a 1280 × 720 px canvas, which is 16:9.
If the preset ever moves, type **1280** into **Width** and **720** into **Height**, keep **Pixels**, and click **Create**. You get the same canvas.
YouTube asks for 16:9 and at least 640 pixels wide, and it recommends going as large as 3840 × 2160. Starting at 1280 × 720 clears the minimum with room to spare. 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.
Add one subject
Click **File > Open & Place...** and pick your photo. It lands on the canvas as its own layer, which you can see in the **Layers** panel. 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
The quick way is **Select > Remove BG**, which removes the background behind your subject in one click.
The cleaner way takes two steps. Use **Select > Subject** to select your subject, then **Layer > Raster Mask > Reveal Selection**. The mask hides the background without deleting it, so you can fix mistakes later.
If hair or soft edges look rough, run **Select > Refine Edge...** on the selection before you add the mask.
Add a 3 to 5 word line
Pick the Type tool (**T**) in the left toolbar, click on the canvas, and type one short line. Three to five words is plenty. Say something the title doesn't, so the two work together instead of repeating each other.
Set the **Size:** and the color in the options bar at the top, then click **✓** to commit the text. For an outline that keeps the words readable over any background, use **Layer > Layer Style > Stroke**. [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. Use **View > Zoom Out** a few times until the canvas is about as small as a thumbnail in the feed. If the words or the face stop reading, make them bigger. **View > Fit The Area** brings you back.
Then use **File > Save as PSD** to keep a copy with all the layers. That way you can change the words for your next video without starting over.
Export a JPG under YouTube's limit
Click **File > Export as > JPG**. A dialog called **Save for web** opens, with the width and height already set to your canvas.
Drag the **Quality:** slider and watch the file size under the preview change. Pick the highest quality that still fits YouTube's limit, then click **Save**.
YouTube takes JPG or PNG. The size limit is 2 MB when you upload from a phone and up to 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 still 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 phone 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. [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.
