How To Make YouTube Thumbnails - Quick, Easy & Free!

Learn how to make a thumbnail for YouTube in 2024! We’ll share the best thumbnail maker app right now, YouTube thumbnail design ideas, ideal thumbnail size & more.

-- LINKS --

(When available, we use affiliate links and may earn a commission!)

Best FREE Thumbnail Maker:

Other Top Thumbnail Maker Apps:

Timestamps:
00:00 How To Make A Thumbnail For YouTube - Quick, Easy & Free!
00:35 How To Make A Thumbnail For YouTube in Adobe Express
01:04 How To Make A Thumbnail For YouTube With A Template
01:31 How To Make A Thumbnail For YouTube From Scratch
01:48 Adobe Express Canvas Interface
02:27 How To Add Background Image in Adobe Express
03:30 How To Customize / Edit Images in Adobe Express
04:20 How To Generate Text-to-Image in Adobe Express
05:15 How To Remove Background in Adobe Express
05:55 How To Add & Edit Text in Adobe Express
07:33 How To Add & Customize Shapes and Elements in Adobe Express
09:15 How To Group Layers in Adobe Express
12:04 How To Color Correct in Adobe Express
12:54 How To Download YouTube Thumbnail Design From Adobe Express
13:10 How To Upload YouTube Thumbnail in YouTube Studio

*** GEAR WE USE ***

Learn how to build an audience, generate new leads on autopilot and SCALE your business with video step-by-step in our fast-track Primal Video Accelerator program!

--

-- How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail (Adobe Express YouTube Thumbnail Tutorial) --
YouTube thumbnails are one of the most overlooked aspects of YouTube optimization. You could have the world’s greatest video, but if it hasn’t got a clickable thumbnail - no one’s going to see it!

That’s why it’s so important to have an attractive thumbnail that instantly grabs your viewer's attention. If you’re wondering how to get more views on YouTube, working on your YouTube thumbnails is a great place to start.

The good news is, there are some awesome YouTube thumbnail maker apps that help you create a video thumbnail super easily. There are even built-in YouTube thumbnail template options that can speed up the process even faster!

In this video, we'll cover how to make thumbnails WITHOUT Photoshop using free & easy YouTube thumbnail maker apps. You’ll learn everything you need to know, from the ideal YouTube thumbnail size to the most important YouTube thumbnail design elements.

-- Related Content –

DISCLOSURE: We often review or link to products & services we regularly use and think you might find helpful. Wherever possible we use referral links, which means if you click one of the links in this video or description and make a purchase we may receive a small commission or other compensation.

[kgtothea]

His videos don't have to make sense, just keeping watching, you will learn something. Thanks Justin, I'm a huge fan, I never miss your videos🙂

[RosemariesHeart]

This is great...I have this app as part of my creative cloud but have never used it. Thnx

[theVersatileGamebox]

Always great material, will give it a try

[SwatBrazuca]

Great video! I've always used Photoshop for this purpose (it's also great) but I found the process in the video to be simpler and more straightforward. Thanks for the great content!😀

[karenryan]

Perfect! Just what I was looking for. Thanks !

[CPurdiePlays]

Man, I've been doing this all in Photoshop. This looks faster and easier. Thanks!

[kigan___]

Yeah it is great if you buy the program. You can't download the image if you don't. Don't waste your time.

[MrFuzzleupagus]

Very helpful tutorial! Thanks a million!

[MultiVogon]

This was a huge help, thanks. I usually spend ages in GIMP mucking around creating thumbnails, this is so much faster. Now if there was an 'artistic ability' tool in there too that'd be handy... 🤣

[TheOrianceGroup]

I have been using Canva for free but I have had Adobe Express, paid, for quite sometime and I had no idea that I can create my Thumbnail with it. Rather I did not know how. Once Again. THANKS!!!

[alteriormotiveswithcarrie]

Um, you said you were going to put in the description other ways of removing the background but I don't see anything about that in the description...love your videos, I always find them helpful!

[SLAPOSNACK]

so i watched a diff vid on the abode and how you did it WAS REALLY GOOD now i learnd how to make thumnails thanks

[CRXking]

Im starting content creation right now and looking for tips on how to make thumbnails (TYSM for the help :) )

[DickieLim]

This is great, I am part of my YouTube channel but have never used it.

[anewlifeinthevan]

This was really useful, thank you so much!

[huatulcowanderers]

Hello Justin

Love your videos, thanks so much for sharing I have learned a lot from you already in creating my YouTube Channel thanks!

I have a question for you please if you don’t mind about Adobe Express
I have tried to follow your video to create a thumbnail but when I do I get this message

“You are out of space. Your storage is full. Remove files to free up space or upgrade
Your plan to keep creating.”

Even when I want to change the custom size a notice comes up that says go premium with a free trail.

Has the free version been discontinued or am I doing something wrong possibly?
Thanks

[demonprincess]

i just got done using canva to make my banner

[southernbushmotorsports]

Thank you for this video. I made my first real thumbnail image for YT. Very Happy.

[headexplode]

This is great. I got the basic idea. But I want to learn how to create different design for my thumbnails.

[emz]

Cool thumbnail!
I was wandering how do you create “surfing Justin”, the cute bar moving at the bottom of videos👍 Is it green screen