# YouTube Banner Size > A guide to the YouTube channel banner size with a free online tool that resizes a picture to 2560 x 1440 px by cropping from the centre, fitting inside the box or adding empty space; it never makes a picture larger. YouTube asks for a channel banner of at least 2048 x 1152 pixels, with 2560 x 1440 pixels recommended, a file of 6 MB or less and text kept inside a safe area. This page lists those numbers from YouTube's help page and has a free resizer that sets your picture to 2560 x 1440. The resizer opens with the box filled in and the fit set to crop the extra. ## Key facts - YouTube's help page (read 2026-10-18) lists a banner minimum of 2048 x 1152 px at 16:9, a recommended size of 2560 x 1440 px (especially for TV), a safe area for text and logos of 1235 x 338 px at the minimum size, and a file of 6 MB or smaller. - Input: a PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP or TIFF up to 5 MB in the free tool and 10 MB when signed in, and up to 16 MP (4096 x 4096); one picture at a time. - Settings: the box (2560 x 1440 px at the start, any size from 1 to 16384 px), how the picture fits (fill and crop, fit inside, or exact size with empty space) and save as JPEG, PNG, WebP or GIF; a picture smaller than the box is not enlarged. - Free without an account: up to 10 conversions per minute and 50 per day per visitor, no watermark. Signed in, each render costs 1 credit (100 free credits every month). - Files are deleted automatically: 10 minutes after conversion without an account, 1 day with a free account. - Developers can run the same job with POST https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/image-jobs?op=image_resize (the image as the request body, settings in the query string) and an API key (see the API docs page). ## Sources - [YouTube Help: Manage your channel branding](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10456525) - [sharp: resizing images](https://sharp.pixelplumbing.com/api-resize/) Last reviewed: 2026-10-18 ## How it works 1. Open the picture you want to use as a banner. The tool accepts one image at a time. 2. Check the box. It opens at 2560 (width) x 1440 (height), the size YouTube recommends. Change the numbers if you need another size. 3. Choose how the picture fits the box. "Fill the box (crop the extra)" is the default. 4. Pick a "Save as" format. JPEG is selected first. PNG, WebP and GIF are also in the list. 5. Click "Resize banner", check the preview and the file size in the result panel, then download. YouTube asks for 6 MB or less. ## YouTube banner size from YouTube's help page YouTube's help page "Manage your channel branding" (https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10456525, read 2026-10-18) gives these numbers for the channel banner image. Check that page for the current rules, because they can change. - Minimum dimension for upload: 2048 x 1152 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 16:9. - Recommended dimension, especially for TV: 2560 x 1440 pixels. - Safe area for text and logos, at the minimum dimension: 1235 x 338 pixels. - File size: 6 MB or smaller. ## The safe area for text and logos YouTube shows the same banner on computers, phones and TVs, and it shows differently on each. The help page says the image should fill the whole screen on larger devices, and that it is cropped on some views and devices. The safe area is the part that stays visible. At the minimum size of 2048 x 1152, it is 1235 x 338 pixels. That is about 60% of the width and 29% of the height. Put your channel name, logo and text inside it, and let the rest of the picture be background. The help page also says not to add embellishments to the file, such as shadows, borders and frames. ## YouTube banner resizer: how to use it The resizer does the work on our server. Open your picture, check the box size and click "Resize banner". The result panel shows the new width, height and file size. The tool opens with the box set to 2560 x 1440, the recommended size. That is also a 16:9 shape, like the 2048 x 1152 minimum. You can change either number. Each run handles one picture. - Start with a picture that is at least 2560 pixels wide, so it can fill the box. - Use the preview to confirm the framing, and keep your text inside the safe area. ## Choose how the picture fits the box The fit setting decides what happens when your picture does not have the same shape as the box. "Fit inside the box (no crop)" keeps the whole picture, but one side can end up shorter than the box. "Fill the box (crop the extra)" scales the picture to cover the box and crops from the centre. Nothing is stretched in either case. "Exact box size (add empty space)" gives a full 2560 x 1440 canvas with the picture centred inside it, scaled down to fit if it is larger than the box, and empty space around it. With JPEG output the empty space is white by default; with PNG or WebP it is transparent unless you turn transparency off. - Fill the box: no empty space, but edges can be cut. - Fit inside: the whole picture is kept, with a smaller side. - Exact box size: a full canvas, with bars if the shape differs. ## Pictures smaller than 2560 x 1440 The tool does not enlarge a picture. If your picture is smaller than the box, Fill the box makes the box smaller, keeping its proportions, so the result is the largest crop that fits. The result panel says when a picture was not resized. A result smaller than 2048 x 1152 pixels is below the minimum on YouTube's help page. To reach a full-size banner, start from a larger picture, because this tool only makes pictures smaller or keeps their size. ## Keep the file under 6 MB YouTube asks for a banner of 6 MB or smaller. A large banner saved as PNG can be big, and JPEG is usually smaller for photographs. The result panel shows the file size of every result. JPEG is the default output and has a quality setting from 1 to 100. A lower number gives a smaller file. If the file is still too big, try WebP or a lower quality, and check the preview again. ## JPEG, PNG or WebP for a banner The Save as list has JPEG, PNG, WebP and GIF. YouTube's branding page does not list the file types it accepts for the banner, so check the upload screen in YouTube Studio for the types it takes. - JPEG: the default, with a quality setting from 1 to 100. - PNG: exact pixels, larger files. - WebP: small files. - GIF: up to 256 colours, so it can look rough on full-colour pictures. ## What to check in the result Look at the preview before you download. The crop is taken from the centre, so text or faces near the edges can be cut. Put the most important part of your picture in the middle before you resize. Small text becomes hard to read after shrinking. If parts are lost, switch to Exact box size to keep everything, with empty bars. ## Limits: file size and pixels Free web tool uploads are limited to 5 MB per image. The free web tool allows 30 images per day per visitor without an account, and each picture can be up to 16 MP (4096 x 4096). Signed-in users can upload up to 10 MB per image. Signed-in use costs 1 credit per image, plus 1 credit for each 5 MB of result after the first 5 MB. Failed and timed-out jobs are refunded. ## Resize banners from code The API endpoint is POST https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/image-jobs?op=image_resize. Send the raw image bytes as the body, not JSON or multipart. Set Content-Type to image/png, image/jpeg, image/webp, image/gif, image/avif, image/bmp or image/tiff, and send your key in the Authorization header as Bearer, or in x-api-key. Use width and height for the box, and set fit to inside, cover or contain. The response is 202 with a job_id. Poll GET /v1/jobs/:id until the job succeeds, fails or times out. The download_url is short-lived. The page shows a ready cURL, Node and Python example built from the settings you chose. - Possible errors: 400 invalid_params, 400 or 422 unsupported_image, 413 file_too_large, 402 insufficient_credits, 429 rate limited. - The API takes one request per image. There is no batch endpoint and no webhooks yet. ## Privacy: what happens to your picture Your picture is sent to our server to make the result. The uploaded image is used only for that job and is deleted when the job ends, whether it succeeds or fails. The result is deleted after 10 minutes in the free web tool. A record of each job is kept, and signed-in users can see their jobs in the dashboard. Camera and location tags are not copied into the result. You must have the right to use any picture you upload, as set out in our Acceptable Use Policy. ## Questions ### What is the YouTube banner size? YouTube's help page (read 2026-10-18) gives 2048 x 1152 pixels as the minimum for upload, with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and 2560 x 1440 pixels as the recommended size, especially for TV. The file should be 6 MB or smaller. ### What is the safe area of a YouTube banner? At the minimum size, YouTube's help page gives a safe area for text and logos of 1235 x 338 pixels. The rest of the banner can be cropped on some devices and views. ### Is the YouTube banner resizer free? Yes, the YouTube banner resizer is free to use without an account. Anonymous use includes a human check, and you can resize up to 30 images per day. ### What size is the YouTube banner resizer set to? It opens at 2560 x 1440 pixels, the size YouTube recommends. You can change the width, the height and the fit before you start. ### Will the tool crop my picture? Only if you keep the default fit. "Fill the box (crop the extra)" crops from the centre, while the other choices keep the whole picture. ### Can it make a small picture big enough for a banner? No. The tool only makes pictures smaller or keeps their size. A picture under 2048 x 1152 pixels stays under YouTube's minimum, so start from a larger picture. ### How do I keep the banner under 6 MB? Use JPEG, which has a quality setting from 1 to 100, and lower the quality if the file is too big. The result panel shows the file size, and YouTube asks for 6 MB or smaller. ### Which file type does YouTube accept for a banner? YouTube's branding help page does not list the banner file types, so check the upload screen in YouTube Studio. This tool can save as JPEG, PNG, WebP or GIF. ### Is the banner the same on phone and TV? YouTube's help page says the same banner is used on computer, mobile and TV, but it shows differently on each device and is cropped on some views. ### Can I resize banners in my own code? Yes, the API takes one image per request at POST https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/image-jobs?op=image_resize. The page shows ready cURL, Node and Python examples built from your settings. ## Related - [YouTube Thumbnail Resizer](https://aiipworld.com/tools/youtube-thumbnail-resizer/index.md) - [YouTube Thumbnail Maker](https://aiipworld.com/tools/youtube-thumbnail-maker/index.md) Page: https://aiipworld.com/tools/youtube-banner-size/