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Platform Banner Size & Safe Area Guides·2026 Guide

YouTube Channel Banner Dimensions & Safe Area Blueprint

The full canvas is 2560 × 1440 px (16:9), but mobile devices only show the 1546 × 423 px central box. Here is how to design one banner for every device.

Dimensions2560 × 1440 px
Aspect Ratio16:9
Safe Area1546 × 423 px (Central Safe Zone)
Max File Size6 MB (PNG / JPG)

The 16:9 Universal Canvas Dilemma

YouTube serves a single banner image across 4K Smart TVs, desktop monitors, tablets, and smartphones. Smart TVs display the full 2560 × 1440 image, while smartphones crop away the entire perimeter.

The Central 1546 × 423 px Safe Zone

All key branding elements — channel name, upload schedule, social handles, and primary logo — MUST be contained within the 1546 × 423 px bounding box in the exact center of your image.

  • Mobile (Phones): Displays 1546 × 423 px.
  • Desktop: Displays 2560 × 423 px (wide banner slice).
  • Smart TVs: Displays the complete 2560 × 1440 px full canvas.

Best Practices

  • Confine all text and logos inside the 1546 × 423 px safe box
  • Fill the outer perimeter with atmospheric ambient gradients or background patterns
  • Export at full 2560 × 1440 px resolution

Things to Avoid

  • Do not put text outside the central safe area
  • Do not upload low-resolution 720p images that look blurry on 4K TVs
  • Avoid bright borders that distract from video thumbnails below

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