- Do you know what my least favorite thing is to design?
YouTube channel banners.
They are incredibly frustrating,
due to the fact that they need to look good
on an almost endless array of devices
and display resolutions, and even though
I'm happy with my own channel banner, now,
the fact that its file name is Banner 8 19,
shows that it took more than a few tries
to get it right.
But, as I've discovered, having a great channel banner
is actually really important, and it also shows
that I've moved beyond file names like
Banner final final FINAL REAL FINAL, version two.
When I first started my channel
I just grabbed an old graphic that I had
on my computer because I didn't really think
anyone paid attention to channel banners,
and it didn't seem like it mattered, to me,
even if it looked like garbage.
- Take a look at Banner, Michael!
- When I finally started asking people
for feedback on my channel, the first thing
they pointed out was that I needed to up
my banner game, and I had no idea
how important it was, and I think it actually
took a few weeks before I had a basic design
that I was happy with, and now,
since I've also made channel banners
for friends and family, and sometimes I do it
as part of my job, I made a template for myself
to help with banners, and I've included a link to it,
totally free, no strings attached, in the description below,
and here's how I use that template.
The .psd file measures 2560 by 1440 pixels,
and the file contains several layers
including ruler guides that you can turn on and off
by pressing Command + H, if you want them,
or if you don't want them.
The other guide layers can be turned on and off
depending on your individual workflow.
And if you don't use Photoshop,
I also made a .png file that could work
as a template and includes a transparent area
in the center where you can keep
the most important information.
And there are a few things that I personally think
are really important for a good banner
and should go in this middle space.
The first is your channel name,
and this seems obvious, but there are
a lot of channels that leave it out.
Here's an example of one I love,
it's The Everyday Dad's channel,
and even without any other text the channel name
and selected images give you a pretty clear idea
of what you can expect from his channel.
The second thing to have on your banner
are strong graphics, so whether it's photos
or text, the images and the colors you choose
should be consistent with your channel style
and be of a high quality with good visual appeal,
it doesn't have to be complicated.
My banner does have a lot of imagery in it,
but if you take a look at something
like Cody Wanner's banner, it's super minimal,
but it's still really striking and effective.
The third thing to include on your banner
is a slogan, this isn't always necessary,
but I do personally like it.
A slogan should be something that lets people know
what they can expect from your channel,
so for me, since I love digital media
and most of my channel is focused on tools
and techniques to help people make better videos,
I chose "Make a video, make an impact,"
but there are other examples.
If you look at the wonderful Heather Ramirez's channel
it's obvious right away that she's there
to help people build their online brands.
So whatever your slogan is, it should be
immediately helpful and insightful to your viewers.
Or your potential viewers.
The fourth thing you should include
on your channel banner is an upload schedule,
if you have one.
Not everyone has a regular upload schedule,
but, if you do, including it on your banner
is a good way to help your audience know
when to expect new stuff from you.
And it might be tough, but all of this info
should be kept into that middle safe zone
of your banner where it will appear on any device
in any orientation, so from a phone,
to a television, anything that extends
beyond that safe zone should be something
that you'd be okay with not having displayed
all the time.
Finally, there's one really important trick
that I love, and I've never heard anyone else
mention it so I'm going to share it with you
right now, and it has to do with the YouTube mobile app.
Whenever you visit a channel the app's menus
change color based on the channel's banner,
and it's usually a variation of the banner's dominant color,
so if you're wearing a bright blue shirt
and that's the most dominant color
the menus will usually be some kind of blue.
Unfortunately, the dominant color in your banner
isn't always the color you want for your menu,
and sometimes the colors that YouTube chooses
can be just flat out ugly.
I've found that when designing your banner
if you color the area outside the mobile,
tablet and desktop safe zones with a color you like
that it will usually be what YouTube chooses
to base your menu colors off of.
So for me I put this bright blue
that I really like and when you go to my channel
on the YouTube mobile app all of the menus
are a shade of blue, and when you add this color
nobody will see this part of your channel banner
unless they view your channel art on a TV screen,
and even then, if they do, I think that banners
actually look pretty good when they have
the dominant color in the background.
So if you follow these tips and use
these templates to help you out,
you should end up with a really great looking banner
and minimal frustration, but beyond banners,
the other really important design element
for any channel is effective thumbnails,
so I put together an entire video
on how I create my thumbnails, so go ahead
and check that out, and I will see you over in that video.
(calm jazz music)