Make a YouTube thumbnail
Thumbnail Studio is a layered editor built around a 1280×720 composition. Design for a small preview: one clear subject and a short readable title usually need less detail than a full-size image.
Open Thumbnail StudioArrange the subject
Add the background, image layers and text. Give the subject enough room and leave deliberate space for the words. Use background removal when the subject needs separation.
Check the words at a small size
Adjust contrast, size and spacing. Use outlines or glow only when they improve legibility. If the image is crowded, remove an element before making everything smaller.
Export and inspect
Download JPG, PNG or WebP as needed. Open the actual file and check its dimensions, size and small-preview appearance.
1× or 2× export
The 1× export is 1280×720 and the 2× export is 2560×1440, with four times as many pixels. Choose the size the destination needs; a larger export is not automatically a better small preview. Use Image Studio when another placement needs a different aspect ratio.
A concrete layout to test
Start with one subject on one side of the 1280 × 720 canvas and a short title in the remaining space. Shrink a preview to roughly 160 × 90 pixels to see whether the subject and words are still recognizable. That is a legibility test, not an export requirement. Remove background detail or shorten the title before adding more outline, shadow and glow to an already crowded image.
What the 2 MB option actually does
The editor’s 2 MB target lowers JPG or WebP quality; it does not apply that quality search to PNG. Even with the option enabled, a difficult image can still download above the target with a warning. Try JPG, a lower quality or the 1× output when size matters. Check the actual file and the destination’s current requirements before uploading.
Save an editable project as well as the image
An exported JPG, PNG or WebP is the finished picture, not the layers you used to make it. Use Projects → Export file to retain an editable project for changing the wording, subject or layout later. Keep that project alongside the source photos; resizing a flattened image cannot restore separate text and image layers.