Anime thumbnail

How we measured the duration label

We made twelve measurements on nine videos in three containers: computer search (seven measurements: five at 1280 × 800, two of them in a signed-out window, and two at 1920 × 1080), the watch-page sidebar (three at 1280 × 800) and mobile web search (two at 375 × 812, phone emulation). We read the label’s getBoundingClientRect relative to the thumbnail container on October 17 and 18, 2026 (UTC), with YouTube set to the US region and English, at a device pixel ratio of 2. The October 10, 2026 first measurement covered the display widths only, not the label corner. The sidebar capture also holds one extra record that was excluded from these twelve; it did not widen the label.

Inside each container the distances never changed: the label was 20 px tall and 8 px from the right and bottom edges on search (thumbnails 500 × 280.5 on computer, 375 × 210.4 on mobile), and 4 px from both edges in the sidebar (214.8 × 120.8). Scaled to a 1280 × 720 image (1280 divided by the displayed thumbnail width, assuming the image fills it), the label and its gap covered 102 × 72 to 129 × 72 px on computer search, 135 × 96 to 159 × 96 px on mobile search and 212 × 143 to 312 × 143 px in the sidebar, the largest we saw.

We measured only search results and the watch-page sidebar, not Shorts or the YouTube app, so check your own surface before relying on these numbers. The sample is one computer and one browser, and twelve measurements are not a rule for every video, device or day.

We also rendered each of the four layouts with a long title, the 12-character episode label, the number 99 and the character image, then read back every element the tool places. The layout constants, not a screenshot, produce these nearest readback edges on the 1280 × 720 canvas: Layout 1: character frame ends at x 1216 and y 560 (corner starts at 968 and 577). Layout 2: character frame ends at x 952 and y 512 (corner starts at 968 and 577). Layout 3: title ends at x 863.2 and y 372.6 (corner starts at 968 and 577). Layout 4: placed content ends at x 892.5 and y 527.6 (corner starts at 968 and 577). Every tool-placed box stays outside the corner. The speed lines in Layout 3 are decoration: this check covers the faces, title and labels the tool places, not the lines. We ran this readback on October 18, 2026 (UTC).

How to use

1. Choose a layout, then add your own background art and, for Character + big text or Two panels, an optional character or second image.
2. Write your title. For Episode number, set a label and a whole number from 1 to 99. Adjust the character frame, text color, system font, outline and duration-label guide.
3. Check the 215 px and 500 px previews. Download PNG, then check the pixels and bytes read back from the encoded file. Open it in the thumbnail tester for other preview contexts.

Keep faces and title text out of the bottom-right 312 × 143 px corner. The guide is a model drawn only on the small previews; your own background art is not checked for faces.

Layouts that read at small sizes

Character + big text keeps a character in a tall frame on the right and two or three short title lines on the left. Two panels splits the image diagonally for two characters or two endings. Action burst places fixed speed lines behind a title in the left middle for a fight or climax recap. Episode number puts a large 1–99 number and a short label above a two-line title for a series.

At our measured 215 px sidebar width, a long sentence becomes small type. Check that preview and shorten your wording if needed. The 215 px and 500 px widths came from one computer on October 10, 2026 and were read again on October 17 and 18, 2026; they can vary on YouTube. See more thumbnail layout ideas. These layouts do not predict viewer response.

Cartoon thumbnail and thumbnail cartoon

For a cartoon thumbnail, use cartoon-style art you drew or have permission to use. Character + big text can put one character in a frame beside a short title; Two panels can compare two expressions or two scenes. For a thumbnail cartoon, keep the same short-title and clear-background checks, and leave the duration-label corner clear. These layouts do not remove a background or supply artwork.

Thumbnail anime and anime thumbnail for YouTube

For a thumbnail anime layout, start with the story beat a viewer should recognize and use your own image and words. For an anime thumbnail for YouTube, check the title against the background in the YouTube thumbnail background ruler, then confirm the file size in the size guide. The four layouts here are starting arrangements, not generated art.

Free anime thumbnail maker in your browser

This editor is free of charge, needs no account and has no usage counter; export as often as you need. Your images stay in this browser. There is no art library: four layouts, edited here.

The tool does not remove backgrounds, generate images or provide characters. Bring your own images. For another subject, use the movie thumbnail tool, gaming thumbnail tool, podcast thumbnail tool or thumbnail maker.

Questions

Does my image leave my browser?

No. Image decoding, drawing and export happen locally; the tool does not send your image to a server.

Is it free?

Yes. No account, payment or usage limit is required.

What size should an anime thumbnail be?

This tool exports 1280 × 720. For current official recommendations and device-specific upload limits, see the size guide.

Can it remove the background from character art?

No. Use your own PNG with a transparent background, or keep the circle or rounded frame. As is preserves existing transparency; it does not remove a background.

Is there an art or template library?

No. Choose one of the four layouts and edit it here.

Can I use screenshots from an anime?

It depends on whether you have permission to use them. The tool does not check rights and does not supply or extract screenshots.