When it comes to creating a successful YouTube channel, there are many things you need to get right. The thumbnail is one of the most critical aspects, as it is the first thing people see when deciding whether to click on your video. That’s why many YouTubers use arrows in their thumbnails – they know that these graphics can help increase clicks!

In this blog post, we will discuss the reasons why people use arrows in their thumbnails and how you can do the same for your own videos!

1. To Draw Viewers Attention

One of the top reasons YouTubers use arrows in YouTube thumbnails is because they help to direct the viewer’s attention. When someone sees an arrow pointing towards the video title or the person in the thumbnail, their eyes are immediately drawn to that area.

This can be a great way to make sure that your title and/or face are seen by potential viewers, which can help increase clicks!

2. To Make the Thumbnail More Eye-Catching

Let’s face it. We are drawn to visually appealing things. If someone sees a thumbnail with an arrow and it’s well-designed, chances are they will be more likely to click on it.

It’s a simple way to make your thumbnail stand out. For this reason, many YouTubers use arrows in their thumbnails, even if it’s just a small one.

3. To Help Viewers Understand What the Video Is About

If you have a confusing thumbnail or doesn’t give viewers an idea of what your video is about, adding an arrow (or some other form of annotation) can help point viewers in the right direction.

This is especially helpful if your thumbnail is a bit busy or a lot is going on in it. By adding an arrow, you can help viewers focus on the essential part of the image.

Are Arrows on YouTube Thumbnails Clickbait?

The term “clickbait” is often used to describe anything designed to get people to click on it, regardless of whether or not the content is worth viewing.

While it’s true that arrows can be used as a form of clickbait, they don’t always have to be. For example, if your thumbnail is genuinely exciting and informative, then adding an arrow can be a way to help viewers find the content they’re looking for.

However, if you use thumbnails as clickbait, consider this a short-term solution. While your video will get numerous views, your audience will quickly catch on to your tactics and will likely stop watching your videos altogether.

So, if you’re going to use arrows in your thumbnails, make sure that the content is worth viewing!

Simple Rules for Using Arrows in Your YouTube Thumbnails

So, how can you effectively use arrows in your YouTube thumbnails? Here are a few simple rules to follow:

• Use arrows sparingly. If every thumbnail you create has an arrow, it’ll quickly become tiresome for viewers, even if the content is relevant. Instead, use arrows only when it makes sense and will add value for viewers.
• Make the arrow relevant to the video. For example, the arrow should point to something specific in the video that viewers will find interesting, such as a critical scene or plot twist.
• Don’t make the arrow too big or intrusive. You want the arrow to be noticeable but not so big. Ensure the arrow doesn’t obscure any critical elements in the thumbnail image.
• Rely on your content. Even when you decide to use arrows, remember that the most important thing is the content of your video. Of course, the thumbnail and title should be attention-grabbing, but the quality of your content will keep viewers coming back for more.
• Rely on other tactics. Clickbait thumbnails won’t work forever. Sooner or later, your viewers will catch on, and they’ll be turned off by it. That’s why it’s essential to have other tactics in your arsenal, such as a strong title, an engaging description, and high-quality tags.
• Use clickbait short-term. If you have no option but to use clickbait, then do so but only for a short period. Then, once you’ve built up a strong viewer base, you can start to rely on other tactics to keep them coming back.

It’s also good to analyze your competition and see how they’re using arrows in their thumbnails. If everyone in your niche is doing something, there’s probably a good reason.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your arrows are effective and help you get more views on your YouTube videos.

Does YouTube Allow Clickbait?

The idea of content creators providing false information to viewers to get them to click on their videos seems wrong on all levels. However, it’s not “illegal”. While YouTube doesn’t encourage clickbait, they don’t have any penalties for doing it.

Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean you should use clickbait. At the end of the day, such tactics only do more harm than good. You may find that you get numerous viewers after using clickbait thumbnails, but most of them will quickly leave your channel once they realize they’ve been tricked.

It’s not worth it to anger and disappoint your viewers just to get a few more views. Instead, play it fair and square – your audience will appreciate it in the long run!

Source: All Free Mockups

Wrapping Up

If you were curious why some YouTubers add arrows to their thumbnails, now you know. To recap, YouTubers use arrows to make their thumbnails attractive, draw viewers’ attention, and help viewers understand what the video is about.

However, the success of this approach solely depends on your end goal. If you’re doing it for clickbait purposes, most of your viewers will be upset once they realize they’ve been tricked.

Therefore, if you’re going to use arrows in your YouTube thumbnails, it’s best to be upfront about why you’re doing it, provide valuable content and use them sparingly. Excessive use will only turn viewers away and give your channel a bad reputation.

Consider browsing YouTube thumbnail templates to get ideas of great designs and layouts. You may find inspiration for your own thumbnail creation, or even find a template that works perfectly for your video!

Building a website or creating a design that involves text is all about branding—creating a look that speaks to your signature style as an artist or speaks to your business and ideal consumer. Effective branding requires considering every element of your design, from color scheme to graphics and fonts. Selecting the right font will distinguish your brand and set you apart from other competitors.

When going on the hunt for a perfect font, you want to ensure that you are curating a list of possibilities from public domain options. In other words, fonts that are not under copyright would mean that someone already owns the use rights. The last thing you want to do is fall in love with a font and then find out that it can’t be used. Luckily, there are ways that you can tell if a font is copyrighted.

1. Do a Search by Image Scan

If you don’t have any identifying information about the font, like the license or the name of the website it came from, you can do an image scan. Look for a font site that acts as an image search engine and upload your font to the site. The site will then take your image and analyze it against all the fonts in their database, letter by letter. Depending on your site, it could be a database as extensive as 600,000 fonts.

To ensure the best results for this method, make sure that your image is black lettering on a plain white background with no other details added to the image. Following these rules will allow for the most accurate search results. Sites like this are not only helpful in getting copyright information but also for finding out the name of a font you may have seen but could not identify.

2. Check the Website

One of the simplest methods to finding copyright information is to check the website that the font came from. Most trusted font websites will tell you how you can or cannot use a font you would like to download, and those details will be somewhere on the page where the font is visible.

3. Check the Download Folder

Perhaps you have already downloaded a font, and you would like to double-check how you are able to use it, but you can’t remember what website it came from. Go to your download folder on your computer. Most fonts will download as a .zip folder that will likely contain a text document that lays out the rights of usage.

Once you open the folder, you will find this information under one of two document titles, license.txt or readme.txt. If you don’t see either one of these titles, check all text documents in the .zip folder before moving on to another method.

4. Do a Google Search

Again, if you don’t have any identifying information about the font, you can search the name of the font on Google, see if any websites host the font, and check the usage rights. Treat this as a last resort to other methods. Googling a font isn’t the most reliable way of ensuring that the font is not under copyright; this is due to bogus websites illegally uploading copyrighted fonts, disregarding copyright laws.

One way of combating this issue is by only referring to trusted, reliable font sites like Adobe fonts, Google fonts, Dafont, and so on.

An alternative to relying on font websites is using a website that allows you to create your design directly on the site using all copyright-free fonts and graphics, like Placeit.net.

In regards to saving time and having a reliable way to find and use copyright-free fonts in your designs, Placeit is probably your best bet.

Font License Types

There are multiple types of licenses for a font. It’s vital to distinguish each one when downloading or using a font to ensure that you are not violating copyright law.

Free For Commercial and Personal Use

If you see this license type, the font you want is free to use both personally and for commercial use. Free for commercial use tends to be the most desired type of license for fonts because it presents the lowest risk to copyright infringement (For example, this is what Placeit includes, see their license here).

So, whether you are using the font for your website, marketing your business, selling a design, or for a personal design, this license type will give you peace of mind. It is best practice to look for fonts with a license that states that it is free for commercial use.

Free for Personal Use

If you see this license type, the font you want is free for personal use but cannot be used commercially-that means it cannot appear on a website, product, or in marketing or a brand. If you want to create a goofy design to share with your friends, that is acceptable, so long as the design doesn’t get printed on any promotional material or is used for monetary gain.

This license type can be risky when considering the gray area between personal and commercial use. Therefore, the best practice is to look for fonts with a license that states that it is free for commercial use.

Requires Purchase

There are instances where a copyrighted font can still be used so long as you purchase a license from the copyright holder. The stipulations of license you purchase will determine if the font is single-use or can be used multiple times for different purposes.

Some of these fonts could be free to download for personal use but will require you to purchase the license in order to use it commercially. It is essential to understand the distinction. The consequences of copyright infringement can be as mild as a cease and desist or as severe as a lawsuit for copyright infringement.

Conclusion

All in all, fonts can be used in a number of ways, and it is critical to know exactly what those rights of usage are before attempting to use the font in any way. If you aren’t able to find that information, then it’s better to find something else than violate copyright law and risk any kind of legal threats or otherwise..

Illustrator is a vector-based design program used primarily to create graphics, typography, icons, logos, etc. So, whether you are creating comics for an online publication or making designs for your apparel company, Illustrator is your one-stop shop. A library of tools will help you accomplish any task with ease. Some tools are unique to Illustrator compared to Adobe’s other design software like Photoshop or InDesign, like the knife tool.

Illustrator’s knife tool might get overlooked in its usefulness, but there are plenty of instances when it comes in handy.

1. Cutting a Straight Path (Object or Text)
2. Cutting a Freehand Path (Object or Text)
3. Dividing a Cut Object or Text
4. Trimming Objects or Text

Let’s take a more detailed look at the uses for the knife tool in Illustrator and the step-by-step process of executing these commands.

4 Uses for the Knife Tool in Illustrator

The knife tool is used primarily to cut a shape into smaller fragments or divide shapes on a cut path. Where you find the knife tool is dependent on the version of Illustrator you are using. It could be located with the eraser tool in the tools panel (CS3/CS5) or the scissors tool in the tools panel (CS2). In one version, CS4, the knife tool has its own icon in the tools panel. The icon resembles a serrated kitchen knife, so it’s easily identifiable.

1. Cutting a Straight Path (Object or Text)

Any vector shape can be cut using the knife tool in Illustrator. If you want to cut a raster shape, you must trace it first and make it editable. To do this, go to Windows>Image Trace in Illustrator. A panel will appear where you can select mode and adjust paths, corners, and noise under the “Advanced” menu. Once you’re done, choose “Expand” and save your vector image— now it’s ready for editing.

To cut a straight path on an object or text, choose the knife tool from the toolbar. Remember, the knife tool will be found in different places, depending on what version of Illustrator you’re using. Draw a path through the object or text by holding down the “Option” key for Mac or the “Alt” key for Windows. Don’t worry if your hand wobbles while you drag the knife tool across the object; it will be straight regardless.

If you want to cut a perfect 90˚ angle in your shape, you hold down both “Option+Shift” as you cut your path. Whatever angle your line is closest to will instantly click into that angle. So, if it’s most relative to a 45˚ angle, that’s what your straight link will set it there.

2. Cutting a Freehand Path (Object or Text)

Like cutting a straight path, if you’re working with a raster shape, you will need to trace it and make it editable. Select the knife tool from the toolbar according to your version of Illustrator, and drag it across the shape without holding down any keys.

Keep in mind that the path will look exactly how you moved your hand when cutting across with the knife tool, meaning if you moved your hand up and down as you moved it across the object or text, you’re going to have a curvy line. So, keep a steady hand to ensure the path looks the way you intended. You always have the option of undoing the cut path if you don’t like it— select Edit>Undo.

3. Dividing a Cut Object or Text

Perhaps you’ve just cut across an object or text, and you want to separate the two or more sections; you have to show negative space or add something later. You can do this with the knife tool as well. First, you have to make the necessary cuts to the shape. Once you do, you can utilize your “Selection” tool to move the new shapes around however you would like.

Note: If you have multiple shapes overlapping one another, be sure to select all shapes if you want your cuts to travel across all objects or choose the shape(s) you want to cut with the knife tool to isolate the ones you don’t wish to cut.

4. Trimming Objects or Text

If there is a section of the shape or text you’re working on that you don’t want in the overall design, you can trim it entirely. Just be sure that the cut is complete when you are cutting the path with the knife tool. If it doesn’t fully reach both ends of the object or text, you could delete the entire object or letter.

Once you’ve made your cut and double-checked that you can fully separate the shapes, using the “Selection” tool, you can move on to trimming. Make the part you want to trim is selected only, and then press “Delete” on your keyboard, and the shape should disappear. If you make a mistake and delete the wrong section go to Edit>Undo and start over.

How to Find the Knife Tool in Illustrator CC 2019

If you have this version of Illustrator, you may have noticed that the knife tool is nowhere to be found. Don’t worry; the knife tool is still accessible in your version of Illustrator. Illustrator CC 2019 has a customizable toolbar that allows you to move, add or subtract any tool from your toolbar. After you customize your toolbar, you can save it by selecting “New Workspace” under your “Workspace” menu and renaming it to whatever you’d like.

If you don’t want to bother with the customization, you can simply change your workspace to “Essentials Classic,” and the knife tool will appear. If Illustrator seems too complex, there are more user-friendly options to create designs and logos, like Placeit.net— this website provides you with a whole library of templates and ideas and allows for unique customization in just a few easy steps.

Conclusion

The knife tool can be quite handy when illustrating or designing your next piece. The commands are simple and easy to remember to get the desired effect with your paths. It will become muscle memory once you’ve executed them a handful of times, second nature.

PDFs have been around for decades and whether you are involved in the print industry or need to attach files to emails from time to time, chances are good that your life would not be the same without PDFs. Simply put, a PDF (Portable Document Format) is a universally accessible and viewable file format that allows various types of content to be seamlessly integrated into a single document. Things like:

• Text
• Images
• Vector graphics
• Videos and animations
• Audio
• Interactive components
• Hyperlinks
• Buttons
• 3D imagery

With so many capabilities housed within the format, it is not surprising that PDF file sizes can become enormous to the point that they are difficult to send, receive, access, and modify. This is particularly the case with PDFs created through Adobe Illustrator ^TM. Fortunately, there are ways to rein in runaway file sizes but first, you have to know what to look out for. Here are 7 reasons why Illustrator PDFs are so big.

1. Compression Features have not been Utilized

As the name suggests, compression of an Illustrator PDF takes text, line art, and images, and compresses them in order to reduce file size and make the document easier to send and receive. If an Illustrator PDF has not been compressed, a very large file size can be the result. There are two ways of performing compression on an Illustrator PDF:

1. Standard compression options include Automatic, in which the Illustrator software determines the right balance of file compression and image quality to create a PDF that has been optimized not just in terms of portability, but also retention of original artwork attributes
2. Image quality compression allows you to select Minimum, Low, Medium, High, and Maximum Quality options for JPEG compression, and 4-bit or 8-bit quality options for ZIP compression of images

Under the right circumstances, compression can be done so that there is very little loss of fidelity compared to the original file.

2. Downsampling has not been Turned On

Another reason why the file size of an Illustrator PDF can be inflated is that the downsampling feature has not been activated. Downsampling is closely related to compression and reduces a PDF’s size by eliminating pixels from color, grayscale, or monochrome images.

Through a process known as interpolation, downsampling removes pixels in one of three ways:

1. Average downsampling takes a sample area, evaluates the pixels within that limited area, and then applies the calculated color value to an entire section
2. Subsampling selects a single pixel at the center of a sample area and then applies that color value to an entire section, resulting in reduced file size but with potentially rough, choppy image quality
3. Bicubic downsampling utilizes a weighted average to achieve colored pixels that produce images that appear better composed but files with this method of downsampling tend to be larger in size

In conjunction with compression, downsampling can yield a reduced Illustrator PDF file size without sacrificing image quality.

3. Fonts are Embedded in the PDF

With respect to text contained in an Illustrator PDF, certain fonts can comprise a thousand or more characters. If a particular file or document utilizes only a small fraction of an entire font library, then the resulting PDF may be unnecessarily weighed down by characters that are embedded in the file but are not being used.

Fortunately, it is possible when saving a file as a PDF in Illustrator to specify whether or not to embed a font depending on if a certain threshold (i.e., a specified percentage of the entire character set) is met.

4. The PDF File has Illustrator Editing Capabilities Preserved

If left alone, many versions of Illustrator will automatically preserve the entire toolset of editing capabilities when creating a PDF version in order to allow editing at a later time. While this is undoubtedly a useful feature it can also make the PDF exceedingly large because it contains a full suite of native editing tools.

If editing a PDF file is not necessary (or a saved Illustrator working file is all that is needed) then by simply unchecking the appropriate dialog box under save options, a PDF file without editing capabilities built-in can be created and the resulting size will be significantly reduced.

5. Pay Attention to Those PDF Presets in Illustrator

To simplify the process of creating PDF files, Illustrator has built-in presets that optimize the creation of different types of PDF files for various end uses. For instance, being one of the preferred file formats of professional printers everywhere, Illustrator PDFs can be configured for maximum quality and imagery in order to yield the highest print quality. As can be expected, however, these PDFs can be huge.

But what if you need an Illustrator PDF for some other purpose? Fortunately, there are other presets that allow PDFs to be created from Illustrator that are more lightweight and smaller in size. For instance, the “X-1 a:2001” save option converts large Illustrator files into relatively small PDFs.

6. The Wrong Save Settings have been Used

If the purpose of creating an Illustrator PDF does not involve future editing or high-quality printing, then selecting the wrong save setting at the beginning can result in a PDF that is unnecessarily large. For instance, perhaps the only reason for creating an Illustrator PDF in the first place is to share the file with a colleague for some input or obtain a client’s approval.

In such instances, simply selecting the “Smallest File Size” option when saving an Illustrator file as a PDF is all it takes to create a PDF that can be easily sent and accessed. In conjunction with this step, it may be advisable to set the image quality to “High” to maintain an acceptable viewing experience.

7. The Original Illustrator File Needs to be Cleaned Up

In some cases, the reason why an Illustrator PDF is so big is not because of the PDF itself, but the original Illustrator file from which the PDF was produced. Illustrator files can often times carry extra baggage in the form of images, swatches, and other features, that can cause file sizes to balloon. Here are a few common examples:

• Unused swatches, styles, and symbols are weighing down the Illustrator file
• There are embedded high-resolution raster files in the original Illustrator file when linked images would suffice
• Embedded images are larger than need be, or have unnecessary attributes (e.g., background colors) that make no visual contribution to the file
• Excessive anchor points can number in the thousands and bog down an Illustrator file’s size
• Similarly, duplication of the same element in an Illustrator document (such as individual stars in a starry sky) can greatly inflate the file size

Thus, by trimming the fat, so to speak, from the source Illustrator file, a PDF saved from that document (especially with additional PDF optimization) can be expected to be significantly smaller in size than a PDF made from a file with no such adjustments made.

Conclusion

The signs that an Illustrator PDF is too big can include impossibly long download times or difficulty opening a file using a mobile device. Fortunately, one does not need to be a professional graphic designer to recognize the cause of an Illustrator PDF’s excessive size and address the issue with a straightforward solution.

GIMP is an increasingly popular free and open-source image editing software that artists and graphic designers will use as a cost-efficient alternative to other pricy software, such as Photoshop and Illustrator. Of course, because GIMP is free and easily accessible, it has its fair share of bugs and issues that users are used to troubleshooting. One of the more irritating of which is when the program won’t even open. Instead, it loads indefinitely or a pesky error notification with jumbles of code appear.

In this article, we will cover the top four most common reasons why your GIMP software won’t open. As you read, you’ll learn how to resolve and potentially prevent these issues so your GIMP open and runs smoothly from this point onward.

1. You’re Using An Old GIMP Download

As with any online software or application, newer versions of GIMP are released regularly that aim to improve the program and remove any noticeable bugs or significant issues users have been experiencing in the previous versions, one of which could be a failure to open properly.

One of the first things you should do if your GIMP software won’t open is determine which version you have downloaded. The newest GIMP download currently for Windows is 2.10.30 with GIMP 2.99.10 currently in development, so if you’re using older stable versions like 2.8.22 it’s time to update.

Since your GIMP won’t open, it can be tricky to determine which version you have. Usually, you would find this information by opening the “Help” menu and then choosing the “About GIMP” option where you’ll find a list of your GIMP’s specifications, including its version.

If you can’t access this page, try to think about the last time you downloaded a version of GIMP. This software does not allow you to update to a new version from the app, nor will it update automatically. Instead, you need to manually go to GIMP.org and download the new version manually, so if this isn’t something you’ve done recently, it’s probably time.

You can download the latest version of GIMP using this link. Remember that your device also needs the proper specification to power tasks within GIMP. If not, this might be another reason why the software won’t open.

2. Your GIMP Software or Your Device Needs to Update

Updates are essentially smaller improvement and patch packages companies will release instead of an entirely new version. Sometimes they contain new features, focus solely on fixing one small issue, improve software security, they all vary. But one thing that’s consistent about updates is that, when using GIMP, you want your software to be as up-to-date as possible.

In addition to an outdated version, one reason our GIMP software might not be opening is because it is missing one or several updates that has resolved this issue or are necessary for GIMP to function properly.

That being said, GIMP isn’t the only thing that needs to be up to date here, your device should be as well. Whether you’re using GIMP on a laptop, desktop, or tablet, it is crucial that your device has all of the latest updates installed to ensure it can function optimally and run GIMP.

In the event that you discover you need to update GIMP, your device, or both, it always helps to close out of GIMP completely and restart your device after the update is complete. This will help ensure all of the proper files are replaced from the update, a process that might not happen effectively, or at all, if other applications or the device, in general, is open and in use.

Of course, sometimes a classic restart or system shut down and reboot will resolve the issue of GIMP failing to open on its own.

3. The GIMP Software or Your Device Has an Inhibiting Virus or Bug

This is usually the common cause the concerns the most people because it essentially implies you have a much bigger issue on your hands than your GIMP not opening.

A harmful system or software virus could easily be the cause of GIMP failing to load, as it potentially damages GIMP along with other programs, deletes crucial files, or even reformats your hard drive. Alternatively, a bug (this is not a virus, but rather, a flaw in GIMP’s coding) could be to blame, which is another reason why it is so important to have the newest version and updates.

Whenever you notice a virus or some form of infected malware, your first step should be to try and remove them by cleaning your system.

The best way to do this is to download an antivirus software (some can be downloaded for free, but the best options often require a regular subscription fee). Once you have the antivirus software installed, you’ll want to disconnect from the internet and reboot your device in “Safe Mode” to limit the potential damage this virus or malware can do to your system.

Next, use your antivirus software to scan your system for viruses and other threats. If it finds any, follow the software’s recommended steps for either removing or quarantining the threat.

4. Some Aspect of GIMP Is Corrupt

As you can see, the most common causes for GIMP refusing to open go from bad to worse, and this is definitely the worst reason for this issue, by far.

While it is rare, and far from ideal, it is possible that GIMP refuses to open because something within the software, or the software itself, is corruption. Usually, the cause is a corrupt file that experienced an issue during the saving process.

Another cause for software or file corruption could be a virus or harmful malware, which is why we have listed this cause last, after you have hopefully determined that your software and device are clean.

A common corruption issue that GIMP users were experiencing was with the Libre Office font. For some reason, more than one user found that this particular font contained corrupted files, and once the font was deleted in its entirety, GIMP opened and operated without issue.

Sadly, if you find that GIMP truly is corrupt and there is no other cause you can find to resolve, then the next step would be to uninstall the software completely and then reinstall GIMP. This will almost always resolve the issue, and if you find GIMP still won’t open, your best option is probably to contact a professional for help.

Normally we would recommend you go to the website’s “Help” or “Customer Service” option first, but GIMP is maintained by a team of volunteers, and it is very hard to reach them for assistance on a single issue. Alternatively, you could use their “Submit a Bug” link and see if any other users have viable answers or you could post your issue and hope for a reply.  

A YouTube thumbnail is essentially the elevator speech of your video…except shorter. This brief video or image is the only representation of your video’s content that subscribers and non-subscribers will see as they scroll past the hundreds of other videos on their feed. Needless to say, the importance of the thumbnail to draw them in is enormous, which is why it is a significant issue if you find that your YouTube thumbnail appears as a big black box.

Your YouTube thumbnail appears black because YouTube is using the default method of choosing an image from the first few seconds of your video, and this video happens to be black or the customized thumbnail you have chosen doesn’t adhere to YouTube’s sizing and other spec requirements.

In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the most common reasons why your YouTube thumbnail is appearing black instead of the stunning image or video clip you wanted. As you read, you’ll learn how to resolve this issue by either customizing your thumbnail rather than using the default, and how to ensure it meets the site’s thumbnail requirements.

Fixing a Black YouTube Thumbnail

As we mentioned previously, the most likely causes of your YouTube thumbnail appearing black is either a poor default image/clip or your designated image/clip failed to meet YouTube’s recommended photo or video specifications.

Alternatively, you might notice a gray thumbnail with a darker gray YouTube box containing white ellipses rather than seeing a completely black thumbnail. Regardless, the issue is the same in that your ideal thumbnail image or clip is not loading and displaying properly, but don’t worry, we’re here to help you fix that.

The best way to fix this issue is usually to:

1. Delete any default thumbnail YouTube might have chosen for you
2. Limit or completely remove any excessive spans of black footage in your video
3. Upload a custom thumbnail
4. Ensure the issue isn’t a creator side glitch

We’re going to discuss these steps in a bit more depth so you know exactly what to look for, how to make these changes, and what further steps you should take in the future to ensure every YouTube thumbnail for your videos displays properly and beneficially markets your content to current and potential subscribers.

1. Delete The Default Thumbnail

While this isn’t always the case, most YouTubers who have been creating content for several months, or even years, and therefore, have significant experience with this website refrain from using default banners, icons, thumbnails and any other media that represents their channel and its unique content.

These need to be deliberate marketing opportunities that specifically demonstrate what your brand has to offer, and so, opting for the default is never ideal as YouTube will never know your brand better than you do.

That being said, you’d be surprised how many media related issues arise purely because the creator took the easy way out and stuck to the default image or clip YouTube provided. While we understand this is a convenient time-saver, the quickest way to resolve a black thumbnail is to use an image or clip of your choosing so you know what the thumbnail is supposed to look like and can ensure it follows the necessary specifications we’re about to discuss.

2. Limit or Delete Black Footage

If you’re set on sticking with your default image, a quick fix would likely be to check your video’s footage and see if there is a span (most likely at the very begging or end) where your viewers are only seeing a black screen.

In the grand scheme of things, you almost never want these black voids of footage in your videos as they are boring and unappealing to audiences, but for the sake of your thumbnail, it’s likely that YouTube has selected the default image or clip from this black span of footage and that’s why it appears the way it does.

So, if you don’t want to create a customized thumbnail (or if you simply want to create more engaging content) you’ll want to do some serious editing and cut out these blacked-out moments in footage. A transitional blip is fine; 2-10+ seconds is not.

3. Upload a Custom Thumbnail

While it is definitely an important skill to have, we won’t delve into the process of how to create a customized YouTube thumbnail in this article.

The best tips we can provide for this process is to either use a graphics editor program/software or an online template to create an image that portrays a strong video title in a clear font with a simple background and pops of vibrant color.

What your thumbnail portrays is less important here than its overall specifications (unless the image in your thumbnail violates YouTube community guidelines and policies, in which case the site will prohibit its display and notify you of this).

The key requirements for your customized YouTube thumbnail are as follows:

• 1280 pixels wide by 720 pixels tall
• Minimum width of 640 pixels
• Ratio of 16:9

If your thumbnail does not meet these specifications, you might find yourself facing a series of issues such as a black image, failure to upload, or poor image quality (either dimensionally or in terms of overall resolution).

Anyone about to create their own customized YouTube thumbnail should make sure the image adheres to these specifications at all times. But what if you’ve already made and saved your thumbnail? Don’t worry; as long as you have the file saved somewhere, you should be able to edit your thumbnail to match these specifications and then reupload it to your YouTube account.

4. Refresh Your Screen or Restart YouTube

Hopefully, by this point, after you’ve checked your thumbnail’s specifications and reuploaded it, you’ll see a stunning image or clip instead of that nagging black box.

If you don’t see your intended thumbnail displayed and the black box persist and you’re sure everything about the image or clip is right, try refreshing the page or, better yet, save and then log out of your YouTube account, close the website, and the log back in.

Sometimes, issues relating to a content creator’s brand media features, such as the thumbnail or banner, won’t appear properly at first.

There are even times when content creators notice that the image or clip doesn’t display properly on their end in the content creator editor, but once they open YouTube on the consumer’s end, everything appears perfectly. So, the real issue might just be a bug on your end that needs to be resolved and everything, in reality, is displaying properly for your viewers.

Final Thoughts

A black thumbnail can be a huge detriment to your video’s success and, consequentially, your channel’s success and even your revenue. Thankfully, it’s an issue that’s usually easy to fix once you upload a customized thumbnail that meets YouTube’s specifications. If you follow the steps listed here and still see a black thumbnail, reach out to YouTube’s creator support team for more help.

Transform is a wonderful multi-functional tool in Photoshop. It allows for warping, scaling, perspective changes, or resizing in one seamless operation. The multitude of options within transform coupled with keyboard shortcuts allows for easy image editing. With such a helpful tool integrated into the program, it’s a wonder why so many have difficulty accessing it in Photoshop.

The majority of the time, Photoshop won’t allow you to use transform because the layer you’re working on is locked. You’ll see transform on the menu under “Edit,” but it will be greyed out, which means it is not selectable.

Luckily, there are ways to fix this issue and allow for users of Photoshop to use the transform option. One of the following options should address whatever underlying reason might be causing problems with transform, and these procedures tackle simple to more complex causes.

How Do You Fix Transform in Photoshop?

If you’re having issues accessing transform on Photoshop, it can be as easy as a two-step process to allow use, but there could also be more complicated reasons for transform not to work in the program.

Unfortunately, applications can have bugs that cause certain features not to work correctly. Glitches like this require a bit more work to fix, but it is still possible. There are always other options for your design and editing needs should apps like Photoshop continue to provide stumbling blocks.

Here are few fixes for allowing access or re-enabling access to transform in Photoshop:

1. Unlock the Background Layer
2. Deselect an Active Selection
3. Restart/Reset Photoshop

Let’s take a deeper look into these possible solutions and how to execute them to enable transform in Photoshop.

1. Unlock the Background Layer

The simplest issue with the transform option being greyed out in your menu is that you are working on a locked layer. If you have multiple layers, go through each one to find the offender and unlock it. Typically, the only layer you should have to unlock is the background layer. You will know it’s locked because it will have a lock symbol next to it in the right panel.

To unlock it, all you have to do is click on the lock icon, and it should unlock the background layer. Go to Edit>Free Transform, or you can use a keyboard shortcut Control+T or Command+T if you’re using a Mac.

You’ll know it worked if a box with eight handles appears around your image or the layer. Now you are free to start using transform. If you right-click the image once the box appears around it, a whole list will appear of options under Free Transform you can use like scale, distort, perspective, warp, etc.

2. Deselect an Active Selection

Sometimes the issue can arise, not because of a locked background layer but because there is an active selection somewhere in your layers. You may not see the selection because it is very small, perhaps one pixel, or because you’ve hidden the selection, which can be done by pressing and holding down Control+H or Command+H if you’re using a Mac.

The way to check if you have an active selection somewhere in your document is by going to the “Select” menu at the top, and if the word “Deselect” is in bold, that means a selection is active. You can click on “Deselect” to fix the issue or use the keyboard shortcut Control+D or Command+D if you’re using a Mac. Deselecting the active selection should allow you to use transform once again.

3. Restart/Reset Photoshop

If you’ve tried all of these solutions and nothing works, there is one last trick you can try before resorting to exiting the program or having to reset it. Go through and delete each layer one by one. After you’ve deleted one layer, check Edit>Transform. If it’s still greyed out, you know that layer wasn’t the issue, and you can undelete. Move on to the next layer and do the same till you find the layer causing the problem.

If this still does not resolve the problem, restart the program. Save your work, exit the program entirely and restart. Once it’s back up and you open your project, revisit Edit>Transform and see if it’s still greyed out. If so, you can always do a reset of the application. This option requires more work, and you will also have to reset your tools and preferences.

How to Bring Back Legacy Free Transform

Perhaps you’ve used transform in the past before it was changed and would like to return to the legacy free transform. For new users, the current version of transform is a lot simpler to use and works pretty much the same as the legacy free transform apart from a few minor changes. The main differences are that the reference point is hidden by default, as are the proportions being locked. It also requires you to hold down the “Shift” key to distort.

While this may not seem like a big deal to new users, older users have certain keyboard shortcuts ingrained in their brains. It can be difficult to fight against your muscle memory to learn new shortcuts. If that’s your situation, it’s an easy process to revert to legacy free transform.

On Windows, go to Edit>Preferences>General, and under “Options,” hit the toggle next to “Use Legacy Free Transform.”

A Mac user would go to Photoshop>Preferences>General then the steps are the same from there.

Conclusion

All in all, transform is an excellent tool that can truly enhance your image editing. Hopefully, one of the three fixes allows you access to this tool in Photoshop. If the issue persists despite your efforts, consider reaching out to Adobe for a solution or look and see if you are due for an update on the application. You can always utilize other options for designing and editing.

It can be frustrating when you fire up your GIMP computer program and it starts crashing or freezing up. If you’re using GIMP for professional projects, these obstacles can throw your entire schedule out of whack. 

Below you’ll find the most common reasons why GIMP keeps crashing during operation, along with some solutions to help troubleshoot the problem. By going through the potential causes and attempting these fixes, you can get going on GIMP again much more quickly. 

1. GIMP Crashes From Excessively Large Files 

One of the most common reasons why GIMP crashes is due to excessively large image files being used by the system. 

The reason that this crashes GIMP is that large files can cause the program to use over half of the computer’s virtual memory to process them. If you run into an issue with GIMP where the program works unless you access a large media file, this problem is the most likely cause.

The easiest way to solve GIMP crashing from excessively large files is to scale the files down to a smaller size. Here’s the process you should use in GIMP to scale down large files crashing the system (Source: University of Michigan): 

• Open the GIMP program. Select File > Open and choose the image you’d like to scale down. 
• Navigate to Image > Scale Image. This will bring up the Scale Image dialog box. 
• In the Scale Image dialog box, choose new Size and Resolution values lower than the image’s current values. 
• Select Interpolation. 
• Select Scale to accept the smaller file values. 

When downloading images into GIMP, be aware of the file’s size and resolution. The larger the image file you’re trying to select, the more likely you are to crash the program by accident. 

2. GIMP Crashes From Too Many Brushes and Fonts

Another common reason why GIMP may crash at random is because the program has to load too many brushes and fonts. Like excessively large images, adding too many additional fonts and brushes can bog down the computer’s virtual memory  in the GIMP program and cause it to crash to desktop. 

Being able to download additional brushes and fonts is a useful part of the GIMP program, but if you start loading in more than fifty, chances are you’re going to start having problems with the system. 

A sign that you have too many fonts and brushes on GIMP is that the program will take forever to boot up, if it’s able to boot up without crashing at all. The solution to this problem is to remove some of the fonts and brushes from the program. 

Here are some tips for removing fonts and brushes from GIMP (Source: GIMPChat): 

• If you installed additional GIMP fonts and brushes to Windows, they will be available in other applications as well as GIMP. Access the computer’s Control Panel, then select Fonts. Any secondary fonts and brushes you have downloaded to the computer should be stored there and can be deleted individually.
• If you put your additional fonts and brushes in the GIMP fonts folder, they’ll only be available in the GIMP program. In Windows Explorer, select the GIMP User folder. Any additional fonts and brushes you have added should be stored there and can be deleted from that folder. 

The number of fonts and brushes you can have without bogging down the GIMP system will vary from computer to computer depending on how much working memory your system has. If you are having difficulties getting GIMP to launch correctly, deleting some of your fonts and brushes may help accelerate the program and cause it to run more effectively. 

3. GIMP Crashes From Outdated Software

Keeping your software for GIMP updated regularly can help prevent a common reason why GIMP keeps crashing. If GIMP is crashing at start-up or soon after start-up, outdated software can be a potential cause of the problem. 

This is also a cause to consider if your GIMP program has worked fine for weeks, then starts to act up sporadically. This can be a sign that the program’s software has an incompatibility due to a missed software update. 

The solution for outdated GIMP software is to update your program. Here’s how to check for the newest version of GIMP on your computer (Source: The GIMP Tutorials): 

• Select Help from GIMP’s main menu. 
• In the Help menu, select About GIMP. This should tell you the current version of GIMP that you’re using. If your version of GIMP is outdated, this page should take you directly to GIMP’s main website for a link to the latest downloadable version of the program.
• Go to the GIMP main website and download the latest version. 

Since this issue can cause GIMP crashes and is easy to solve, it should be one of the first potential problems you troubleshoot when you have issues with GIMP crashing. Checking for the latest software updates can often solve operating problems with software.  

4. GIMP Crashes From Bugged Software

Finally, your GIMP program might start to crash sporadically during operation with no obvious cause, rather than showing any issues right when you boot it up. This crashing issue can be particularly troublesome because it may cause you to periodically lose progress on your projects if the system crashes before you can save your work. 

In some cases, GIMP may crash due to some glitch in the software. The best solution for fixing this problem in GIMP is to uninstall and re-download the GIMP program. Like turning an electronic device off and then turning it on again, this can flush out any bad code that is causing the program to dump to desktop. 

Here’s how to uninstall and reinstall GIMP if you’re dealing with bugged software (Source: Uninstall Helps): 

• Click Start in the Windows main menu.
• In the search engine, type in, “uninstall a program” and select Uninstall a Program in the Control Panel results.
• In the Programs list, select GIMP and highlight it.
• Select Uninstall to initiate removal of the GIMP program.

Once you’ve removed GIMP from your computer system, you can return to GIMP’s main website and download the program again. This should give you a fresh, glitch-free version of the program to work with. If you’ve been troubleshooting a crashing GIMP program and no other solutions have worked, uninstalling and reinstalling the program can often fix the problem. 

GIMP Crashes Can Be Simple to Fix

Even though a crashing GIMP program can be a serious hassle if you’re in the middle of trying to use it, the solutions for fixing the issue can be relatively easy. Hopefully by using the troubleshooting guide above, you should be able to get your GIMP program up and running normally again in no time. 

Twitter is a social media app that gives you one hundred and forty characters to express your thoughts, ideas, frustrations, emotions, etc. Written soundbites of real-life conversations and opinions sprinkled with a picture of a hilariously misspelled sign or the latest meme. Unlike the days of MySpace, social media apps today keep the aesthetics simple and uniform. One of the few ways you can show a bit of your personality or brand is through the Twitter header, and it’s a component you can change as often as you tweet.

There are four possible reasons why your Twitter header or banner is not changing when trying to upload a new photo:

1. Update the Web Browser
2. Check the Internet Connection
3. Twitter App Needs Update
4. Check the Size and Dimensions of Your Image

Let’s take a more detailed look at each of these issues and how they can be troubleshot. Your solution may be found among these reasons, so take them one by one to narrow down the culprit.

4 Fixes for Twitter Not Changing Header

Aside from your bio and profile picture, the Twitter Header is the only other element you can make wholly your own. Customization is integral to branding, whether personal or for a business.

The header is often the first thing users see when they visit your page therefore, it has to create an instant and lasting impression, especially if you’re a brand trying to grow your audience. Engaging other users may require you to switch up your header often to correlate with relevant goods or services, current events or trending topics.

1. Update the Web Browser

The first thing you want to check is the web browser you’re using. Perhaps the web browser isn’t compatible with the Twitter site, or maybe you’re not using the latest version of the web browser, and it needs to be updated. Sometimes websites you’re on will automatically prompt you to update your browser if the website can no longer function with your current web browser, but check for updates even if it doesn’t prompt you.

To find what version of your web browser you have, go into your browser’s menu (It will be different for each web browser), and under “About (web browser name),” it will tell you what version you’re operating. If it’s not the latest version or if you’re unsure if it is, you can find it available for download on the web browser’s website.

You may also want to consider using a different web browser if updating your current web browser doesn’t fix the problem, especially if you didn’t receive any error message when you tried uploading a new header.

2. Check the Internet Connection

Even before checking your web browser, you should check your internet connection. Most people will do so out of instinct if a website or app isn’t working properly, but just in case that thought hasn’t crossed your mind, here it is.

 If you’re outside your home and at a local coffee shop using their password-protected Wi-Fi or public Wi-Fi, the connection could be spotty. First, close the browser, then disconnect from the Wi-Fi. Give it a few seconds before reconnecting and re-opening your browser.

If you’re at home and using your Wi-Fi, check the connection to your router. You may need to restart the router to reestablish your connection to the internet or call your provider for a solution.

Lastly, if you’re at a park and using your phone’s data because there is no Wi-Fi connection nearby. Perhaps you’re using your phone as a hotspot for your tablet or laptop. Go ahead and turn your phone off, wait a few seconds and turn it back on. If the internet still isn’t working, you may need to relocate to a spot with better reception.

3. Twitter App Needs Updating

You may not even be on twitter.com trying to change your Twitter header. You may be using the app and having difficulty. Apps have bugs and glitches, so they require updates every so often. There is a hardworking team of technicians listening to user complaints and trying to address them in real-time. The issue you may be experiencing may already be on their radar and fixed with the next update.

Close out your Twitter app, go into your phone’s App Store and click on your account. Locate the section where your apps show in a list and see if “update” is next to your Twitter app. If so, click on it and begin the update. If the Twitter app is already up-to-date or the update didn’t resolve the issue, consider deleting the app from your phone and reinstalling it.

4. Check the Size and Dimensions of Your Image

Twitter has specific stipulations on what size and dimensions are appropriate for your header photo. First, your photo needs to be in JPG or PNG format and cannot exceed 2 GB. Sometimes you have an image and don’t know its size, that’s ok. All you have to do is right-click the image, then select Properties>Details, and the size should show under “File” or “Image.”

“Properties” is where you can find the dimensions of your image as well. The dimensions of your photo will affect your ability to upload a photo as your Twitter header, and the dimensions that Twitter recommends for your header are 1500×500 pixels.

If you want to use a photo or graphic and it doesn’t fit into these dimensions, never fear; there is still a way to make it work. All you have to do is crop the image in a program like Paint. You could also use a website like Placeit.net to create a Twitter header from pre-made templates that are set to the appropriate size and format.

Conclusion

All in all, one of these fixes should be the solution for your Twitter header issues. If you’ve gone through this list and your problem is still unresolved, consider reaching out to Twitter help for guidance on the next steps. There are also forums on Twitter support where technicians and other users offer assistance for troubleshooting.

Twitch is a social media platform where streamers can broadcast live video of themselves creating content, most commonly playing video games, and chatting with their viewers. One of the best ways for them to customize their profile, appeal to new viewers, and create a sense of community is to create and upload a visual representation of their brand through a Twitch banner. Unfortunately, many Twitch users find their banners appear blurry after uploading and don’t know why.

Most Twitch banners that appear blurry do so because they don’t match the website’s recommendations for specifications regarding:

1. Image dimensions
2. File size
3. File type

Usually, once these specifications are altered to match Twitch’s banner requirements and suit your ideal device size, the banner will appear crisp and clear. Consider using Twitch banner templates to get a clear image.

In this article, we will cover the most common causes of your Twitch banner appearing blurry and provide you with steps you can follow to resolve the issue. As you read, you’ll learn the ideal image specifications for Twitch banners, how to edit these images, and other tips to ensure every banner appears in the highest resolution possible every time.

Recommended Specifications for Twitch Banners

While there is always a possibility that your Twitch banner appears blurry because there is some sort of glitch or error occurring within Twitch itself, it is far more likely that the cause of this reduction in resolution is that your Twitch banner does not adhere to the ideal specifications for this image.

The recommended Twitch banner specifications (as dictated by Twitch) are as follows:

• Image dimensions: 1200 pixels X 480 pixels for online (1920 pixels X 480 pixels for offline, HD and full monitors)
• File size: maximum of 10MB
• File type: PNG, JPG, or GIF

As long as you follow these specifications listed above, your Twitch banner should appear clear. However, there are some instances when different specifications might improve image quality versus using those recommended by Twitch.

 Below, we will discuss these specifications, how you can edit your Twitch banner to match those recommended above, and how these specifications affect image quality.

1. Image Dimensions

This is arguably the most common cause of a Twitch banner appearing blurry. Normally, the larger an image is dimensionally, the more pixels it contains which, in turn, means the image has more points of information that will result in a higher resolution image.

It is crucial to keep an image’s dimensions, and therefore, its pixels, proportional or you’ll find the image appears stretched, compressed, or even blurry. Twitch recommends an aspect ratio of 16:9, which can be used to ensure your potential banner image is appropriately sized.

If you needed to alter your Twitch banner image’s dimensions to upload properly or even match those listed above, you might find that it has altered the image disproportionately, resulting in blurring. The best way to prevent this is to create an image with the recommended specifications in mind on programs and websites like Placeit.net or by only saving images for your banner that match them.

Luckily, if you find your Twitch banner doesn’t already match the recommended dimensions, you can alter them easily in a photo editing program by finding the “Resize” or “Adjust Image Size” option in your preferred program.

2. File Size

Altering your Twitch banner’s file size can also result in blurriness if it is resized incorrectly. For example, if you originally had an image that was in high resolution and relatively large in size and then you significantly reduced its size using a compression setting or changing the file type, you’ll likely lose a level of image quality.

The same can be said for a small image that you blew up in size, either dimensionally, or by attempting to upload a Twitch banner image that exceeds its 10 MB cap.

Usually, Twitch won’t allow you to upload an oversized banner file at all, but if your file somehow budges against this maximum size, you might find its resolution has diminished once it uploads. This might be due to any alterations you’ve made to your image, or it could be your Twitch page struggling to display and maintain the image.  

3. File Type

To start, all Twitch banners must be saved and uploaded as an image file type, meaning PNG, JPG, or GIF. If you find that your banner image has been saved as a DOC or alternative file type, you’re most likely experiencing issues beyond blurriness.

That being said, there are times that Twitch users will convert their banner to a different file type for the sake of file size or other specifications. What many of them don’t realize is that this process often causes some sort of compression of the file’s data, which can result in reduced resolution and blurriness.

What Else Can Cause Blurriness?

As we stated previously, the most common causes of a Twitch banner appearing blurry is either that it doesn’t adhere to the website’s recommended specifications or you’ve altered the image in a way that has caused its dimensions to become disproportionate, elongated, or compressed.

Apart from these reasons, another likely cause would be that you have selected a low-resolution image for banner or the banner’s dimensions don’t suit your screen dimensions.

Most Twitch users will create a custom banner using programs like Adobe Illustrator, Placeit, Canva, or other popular options. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t save an image directly off Google images or any other website and decide to upload it as your banner.

Before you do this, you’ll want to compare the image’s specifications to those listed above and ensure it isn’t inherently a low-resolution image. If it is, and it’s specifications don’t match, you’ll almost certainly have a blurry banner that will be an editing nightmare to fix.

Another common issue with Twitch banner’s (and other online media) is that the dimensions and specifications provided don’t always provide the ideal visual results on every device. By this we mean that the image isn’t responsive enough to look as good on a small Smartphone screen as it does on a widescreen television.

In these instances, the best thing you can do is search the ideal dimensions for the devices you and the majority of your views use (most like phones, laptops, and monitors).

Final Thoughts

Uploading a Twitch banner that constantly appears blurry can be a frustrating issue, but it can usually be resolved in mere minutes with a few tweaks to the image’s specifications using a photo editing program. If you have tried everything listed above and your image still appears blurry, we recommend reaching out to Twitch’s team for support.