YouTube Banner Resizer
Fit any existing photo or artwork to YouTube's exact 2560 × 1440 canvas. Reposition your focal subject safely inside the mobile safe area, test per-device crops live, and export a verified file with zero sign-up or watermarks.
Select a viewport to inspect safe crops and safe-area boundaries.
Drop your banner image here
Supports PNG, JPEG, or WebP up to 6 MB. Reposition with aspect preservation, test mobile safe crops, and download a verified 2560 × 1440 file.
Images processed locally. Zero bytes sent to any server.
Image re-upload needed
Your layout and settings were preserved from your last session. Because your source file was over 3 MB, it could not be held in temporary browser memory. Please re-select your file.
Simultaneous Device Cuts (Single Canvas Render)
Live Sub-rectangles1546 × 423
2560 × 424
1855 × 1440
2560 × 1440
Keyboard Shortcuts
Pro-tip: Double-click canvas to instantly center your artwork.
Live Diagnostics
Awaiting imageNothing is cut off on TV, desktop, tablet, or mobile.
All elements and subject framing reside securely within YouTube's mobile safe boundaries.
Awaiting banner image
Drop or browse an image to inspect crops and run real-time cutoff diagnostics.
Reposition & Scaling
Drag directly on canvas or use controls below. Clamped to prevent transparent edges.
Upscaling beyond 1:1 original pixel density is prohibited to prevent blurry exports.
YouTube Re-encode Simulation
~134 KB TargetYouTube re-compresses every upload down to an aggressive file budget on desktop. Test contrast and fine text sharpness before publishing.
Approximate result of YouTube's re-encode.
Desktop w1707 cropExport Artwork
Engineered for instant upload to YouTube Studio.
YouTube CDN Cache Advisory (REQ-014)
When you upload your corrected banner to YouTube Studio, changes may take up to 24 hours to appear across all edge networks, caching layers, and mobile apps. If your previous banner appears to linger, clear your browser cache or test in a private browsing window.
Understanding YouTube's Automatic Re-Encoding
YouTube automatically re-compresses every uploaded channel art image down to approximately 134 KB for desktop devices and smaller budgets for mobile screens. This re-encoding cannot be bypassed, which is why testing your banner with our simulation mode helps verify text contrast before uploading.
How Our Aspect-Preserving Cover Fit Works
Most online image resizers either force-stretch your image to 16:9 — warping facial proportions and distorting typography — or place thick black bars along the sides (letterboxing). Our engine uses mathematical cover-fit scaling:
- Proportional Coverage: We scale the source image by the maximum ratio between canvas dimensions (2560 × 1440 px) and your image's native dimensions, ensuring every pixel of the YouTube canvas is filled.
- Clamped Offsets: When you drag or nudge your image to position a face or logo within the mobile safe zone, our boundary clamps prevent you from dragging past the frame edge, eliminating accidental transparent margins.
- 1:1 Resolution Ceiling: Zooming is strictly capped to prevent upscaling beyond your source image's true optical resolution, preventing blurry exports.
YouTube Per-Device Crop Boundaries
YouTube does not scale down your banner uniformly on smaller screens. Instead, it extracts distinct rectangular cuts from your single uploaded 2560 × 1440 px image.
| Device Viewport | Visible Dimensions | Aspect Ratio | Frame Share | Display Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Television / Full Frame | 2560 × 1440 px | 16:9 | 100% × 100% | The entire uploaded image is shown only on smart TVs and gaming consoles. |
| Desktop | 2560 × 424 px | 6.04:1 | 100% × 29.4% | Wide horizontal band. Top and bottom margins (~35% each) are cropped out. |
| Tablet | 1855 × 1440 px | 1.29:1 | 72.5% × 100% | Vertical center pillar. Left and right margins are cropped out. |
| Mobile (Safe Area) | 1546 × 423 px | 3.65:1 | 60.3% × 29.3% | Visible on every device without exception. Keep text, logos, and focal subjects here. |
YouTube Channel Art Specifications
Adhering strictly to Google's published channel art guidelines prevents upload rejection and unexpected post-upload cropping.
| Parameter | Specification Value | Requirement Details |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended Size | 2560 × 1440 px | Standard 16:9 canvas displayed completely on TV displays |
| Minimum Size | 2048 × 1152 px | Lowest upload dimensions accepted by YouTube Studio |
| Safe Area (Full Canvas) | 1546 × 423 px | Ensures no cutoff on any smartphone or mobile viewport |
| Safe Area (Min Canvas) | 1235 × 338 px | Proportional safe area at the 2048 × 1152 minimum upload size |
| Safe Area Fraction | 60.3% × 29.3% | Unified center frame proportion across all canvas resolutions |
| Maximum File Size | 6 MB | Hard limit enforced by YouTube Studio upload validation |
| Color Space | sRGB | Standard web color profile to prevent post-upload hue shifting |
| Accepted Formats | PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF | Static image uploads only; animated GIFs are not supported |
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about YouTube channel banner sizing, safe areas, and image compression.
Why does my YouTube banner get cut off on mobile phones?
What are the required dimensions and file size limits?
Why does YouTube re-compress my banner after upload?
How does cover-fit resizing prevent image distortion?
Why is this tool free with no account and no watermark?
Want to test an existing banner before modifying it?
Use our Safe Area Checker to run automated diagnostic tests across mobile, desktop, and tablet crops without entering the editor.