A thumbnail is the first thing any YouTube viewer will see before they even click on your video, and if its blurry, they will assume the video itself is unprofessional and low quality, leading them to quickly scroll away in search of something better that matches their standards. As a result, all of your hard work creating what might be a high quality video goes to waste when no one watches it. This is why it’s vital to fix this image as soon as possible, starting with the most common causes.

Quick Note: YouTube has a new feature called “Age Verification” which automatically blurs video thumbnails of videos that may be “inappropriate”. YouTube users must sign in to verify their age to proceed watching.

In this article, we we’ll discuss the five most common reasons why your YouTube thumbnail is blurry. As you read on, you’ll learn the essential dos and don’ts of creating this crucial image so you can create a crisp, impactful thumbnail for every future YouTube video you upload and consistently draw in viewers.

1. Image is Too Detailed

There are a lot of technical reasons why your YouTube thumbnail might be a blurry mess, but before we delve into those, we’re going to cover some of the simpler reasons first that are quicker fixes.

Using a detailed image as your YouTube thumbnail is understandable, as detailed images often provide a lot of information that could draw in potential viewers. However, too much detail in your thumbnail can make it blurry when resized to be smaller on YouTube.

For example, you might find a cityscape image that appears crisp and clear when saved, but once you shrink it to use as a thumbnail, you’ll find the image’s less visually clear.

This is because the pixel information of that image changes or some pixels are even discarded when the image is reduced in size. Although the quality of the image might remain, the pixels themselves become less pronounced and visible as they are compressed, creating a cramped or cluttered image that is difficult to discern.

To avoid this, it is advisable to either choose a detailed image that won’t require resizing, or to opt for a simpler image entirely.

2. Original Image Was Blown Up

This is probably the most common cause of a YouTube thumbnail appearing blurry, and goes along with the reasoning for why detailed images that are reduced in size have the same effect.

Nearly any image, regardless of its color scheme, level of detail, or content, will appear blurry when increased in size. Again, this is because you are altering the pixels of that image, except when you enlarge these pixels, they become less pronounced as they stretch in order to accommodate the increased size.

The result is a pixilation, which appears as a blurred image. Of course, the degree to which you enlarge the image will affect how pixelated or blurry it appears. If you only increase the image size slightly to fit your YouTube thumbnail (1280 x 720 pixels), then you are only changing the image’s pixel information minimally and shouldn’t see any significant signs of blurry.

This is why original image size is crucial to consider when choosing a potential YouTube thumbnail. Ideally, the less you have to alter the image in terms of size, the better.

Try starting with a larger image and making it smaller, rather than a smaller image and making it bigger. You may also find templates that offer free images that can be used for your thumbnails.

3. Image Does Not Follow YouTube’s Guidelines

Of all the reasons listed here this is the trickiest, especially for early YouTubers who have limited experience with uploading, editing, and altering images.

YouTube has provided a list of specifications any thumbnail image should follow in order to appear clear, crisp, and vibrant. They include:

• Image resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels
• Minimum width of 640 pixels
• 16:9 aspect ratio
• Saved and uploaded in image format (JPG, GIF, PNG)
• Size limit of 2MB

While size alteration is the most common cause of image blurriness, as it affects the image’s pixels, these are also factors you’ll want to consider when saving, uploading, and altering any image to be a YouTube thumbnail.

Because all YouTube thumbnails are displayed at the same size, the website’s team knows which specs will allow you to consistently upload an image with ideal clarity. Of course, elements of the image, such as detail and even color, can affect its quality, but for the most part, the elements you’ll want to focus on are those listed above, particularly image resolution, save format, and aspect ratio.

Should you find that your uploaded YouTube thumbnail appears blurry, even without altering its original size, the first thing you’ll want to do is run through this specifications checklist provided by YouTube and ensure your thumbnail’s image specifications at least match.

Meeting all of these requirements can be tricky at first, so we recommend using YouTube thumbnail templates that are pre-formatted to meet all of these requirements already.

4. You’re Using a Default Thumbnail

One of the nice things about YouTube is that once you’ve uploaded a video, it will automatically select three images from the video for you to use as your thumbnail. While this might sound like a convenient and helpful feature, it might actually be the reason behind your blurry thumbnail.

Most YouTubers recommend you upload and use custom thumbnails instead of the defaults provided for two reasons. The first is that the images chosen by YouTube are rarely effective for drawing in viewers, and the second is that the automated images often appear blurry.

The images YouTube will choose for your default thumbnail are selected from your video’s content, and sometimes, the images are taken at a point where there is too much motion, improper lighting, or a series of other factors at play that result in a blurry image.

This is why many successful YouTubers will take pictures or screen shots of their content as they’re filming or with a separate, higher quality device, do be uploaded later. So, if you have a habit of always opting for one of YouTube’s default thumbnails and notice frequent issues with blurriness, now might be the time to switch to custom thumbnails instead.

5. YouTube Might Be Glitching

Fortunately or unfortunately, there are a number of YouTubers who have stated that their thumbnail appeared blurry upon uploading it, and so, they went through an extensive process of trial and error with size, quality, formatting, only to find that the issue wasn’t with the image to begin with.

If your YouTube thumbnail appears blurry despite you being confident that it fulfills all the requirements of a crisp and clear image, the root of the problem might be a glitch with YouTube itself.

Anyone who’s played video games or used certain electronics knows the classic trick of turning their device off and back on when something doesn’t seem to be working according to plan. Because YouTube is an incredibly popular, high-traffic website, sometimes things go awry and all you need to do to resolve your blurry thumbnail is to logout of your account and log back in or simply refresh the page.

Alternatively, many YouTubers find that their homepage itself, for whatever reason, won’t display any of their thumbnails or banners in HD quality when viewed through their own account. However, once they log out and check the same images on another device through the public/content consumer side of YouTube, the images appear in HD quality, perfectly clear, and free of blurriness.

If you’re still having issues, we recommend using a YouTube thumbnail template to ensure the formatting and file type are correct, eliminating most issues quickly and easily.

A clear and visually impactful YouTube banner is an essential component of any channel, as it adds personality to your individual page and sets the tone for your brand and what your channel has to offer. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to achieve any of this is if your YouTube banner isn’t fitting, making this an issue you’ll want to fix as quickly as possible.

In this article, we’ll cover the top four most likely reasons why your YouTube banner isn’t fitting properly. As you read, you’ll learn the ideal specifications for any YouTube banner viewed on various devices, and we’ll not only detail why your banner might not be fitting, but how you could potentially fix this issue as well.

1. Incorrect Banner Dimensions

Without a doubt, the most common reason why any YouTube banner doesn’t appear to fit properly at the top of your channel’s page is probably because the image itself is the wrong side.

When you go to the “Branding” tab of your YouTube account and scroll down to “Banner Image” you’ll notice YouTube states directly next to this option that banners should be at least 2048 x 1152 pixels.

So, if you check the pixels of your current banner and find it is smaller than YouTube’s recommendation, you might have already found the root of your issue. All that’s left to do now is either alter the image to meet these requirements, or find an alternative image of the proper size.

If you’re using a program like Canva or Placeit to create these banners, odds are they will already meet this minimum pixel size requirement. That being said, many YouTubers find that their banners still don’t fit properly with a 2048 x 1152 pixel-sized image and, instead, recommend 2560 x 1440 pixels for superior results across devices/platforms.

The reason for this is that 2560 x 1440 pixels will fit better on larger computer monitors or even television screens, which will ensure you provide the best visual from some of the smallest devices, such as a phone screen, to the largest.

2. Image Is Saved And Uploaded in the Wrong Format

This common cause usually ends in a face palm of disbelief for experienced YouTubers who have created, altered, and uploaded countless images and banners to their accounts; but, it is also something that can easily trip up a new individual who is unfamiliar with the various types of file formats.

Any image intended to be used for a YouTube banner should be saved as a:

• JPG
• PNG
• BMP
• GIF

All files have their own formats that entail what type of data it contains. For example, Word Documents are stamped with the classic DOC or DOCX or can be converted to a PDF for a more versatile save file.

When it comes to your YouTube banner, you’ll want to make sure it is saved in an image format, like those listed above. To ensure this, you’ll want to check the save file’s properties. This can usually be done on any device by right clicking the file and clicking the “Properties” setting where you’ll find the file type abbreviation.

If you find that your banner image is not saved as one of the file types listed above, you’ll want to either convert the file to one that works (this can be done with a number of programs) or, again, opt for an alternative image that can more easily be saved and uploaded in the right format.

3. File Size Is Too Big

This is a relatively rare reason behind any YouTuber’s banner isn’t fitting, but it’s something you’ll want to consider if you’ve found that your banner seems to meet all other specifications.

When you check the specifications YouTube lists next to “Banner Image” you’ll not only find the idea pixel dimensions, but you’ll also see a recommendation that no file exceed 6MB.

In the grand scheme of things, 6MB is a substantial file size for something image-related, like a YouTube banner. Typically, if you’re saving this image from another website or using some of YouTube’s default options, you shouldn’t have an issue here.

Where this gets tricky is when you decide to create your own customized YouTube banner from scratch. In this case, you might be using an editor, like Photoshop, to create a stunning image, and while this is spectacular for branding (when done well) the numerous layers, effects, etc. can result in a massive save file that exceeds YouTube’s 6MB.

This is also a significant concern for individuals who save their banner as a GIF, as the data for GIF animation will undoubtedly take up more space than a static image.

You can go about fixing this issue in one of three ways; you can either edit the banner and remove or simplify elements so the file as a whole takes up less space, or you can use compression programs or folders to reduce the size. Alternatively, people often find success in simply converting the save file to a different another format, like a JPG or PNG file.

4. Aspect Ratio is Off

Our last reason for why your YouTube banner isn’t fitting goes hand-in-hand with the first point on proper dimensions and sizing.

Another crucial specification to consider when uploading a YouTube banner is the aspect ratio, which is simply the ration of the image’s width to its height. Ideally, YouTube banners should have an aspect ratio of 16:9 when considering the minimum pixel dimensions of 2048 x 1152 pixels, and the ideal dimensions of 2560 x 1440 pixels.

That being said, the best aspect ratio for your YouTube banner will predominantly depend on the banner’s sizes. So, if you alter the image to by increasing or decreasing its pixels, you’ll want to alter the aspect ratio respectively to match.

Oftentimes, this isn’t the core issue of why your YouTube banner isn’t fitting (that usually lies with the pixel dimensions themselves) but it can definitely play a role if you notice the ratio is significantly off. Additionally, aspect ratio is closely tied to image resolution, so if your YouTube banner seems to fit just fine, but appears blurry, this might be the culprit.

If you’re still having issues, we recommend using a YouTube Banner Template to ensure the formatting is correct, which should eliminate most issues quickly and easily.

Starting a business involves obtaining all the basics, such as creating a business plan, securing financing, forming a legal entity, and designing a logo. Although every step in the process may seem overwhelming to some individuals, choosing a unique font for a business logo is often the most challenging. It is frequently asked whether any font can be used in the design.

Although it seems easy to sit down at your computer and create a business logo with the fonts available to you, many things should be considered. Business owners can use most fonts for their business logo as long as they have the licensing rights.

To discover the right fonts for your business logo, you will need to spend some time researching the various laws and regulations concerning them. Keep reading to learn more about using fonts in your business logo.

What Is a Business Logo?

A business logo is a design that is often created to uniquely identify a company to express the individuality of the business. Most businesses use this logo across different platforms such as their website, social media, letterheads, contracts, and other unique documents.

Creating a logo consists of using a graphic designer to create something unique to your business or a foundry to adapt a design to fit your business. Whichever method you use, there are many factors that you will need to consider as you create your logo, including the guidelines of how your new logo and fonts can be used.

Why Is a Unique Business Logo Important?

Having a unique business logo is important because it distinguishes your business from others that are either in the same industry as you or not. Additionally, if you plan to draw people in through any type of advertising, you will want something that they can remember specific to your business.

Having a logo that looks too much like other businesses can confuse consumers and other companies that may want to use your services. A business logo is just as important as your business name in that it tells people who your business is and what you do.

How Is Choosing the Right Font Essential?

As important as choosing your business name and logo design, the font is an essential part of the overall design. This is because there are millions of different fonts out there and only a handful used by businesses. 

Often businesses are either in a hurry to create their logo or think the logo itself is unnecessary, so they choose one of the first fonts that come up. Creating a font that will go with your logo seamlessly and uniquely will allow consumers to understand that you take things seriously. 

Many fonts are often overused and, therefore, can look just like every other design out there. Taking the time to find the right font can help you create a logo that is just as distinct as your business.

Can You Use Any Font for Your Business Logo?

You can use any font for your business logo if you have licensing rights from the creator or a foundry service. While there are some caveats to this guideline, for the most part, if you are going to use a font, you should ensure that you have acquired the right to use it.

When they are forming their business and creating their logo design, most business owners will do so by using some type of foundry services such as Placeit, where you can pick your font and the logo design that goes with it. These are typically paid services that allow you to purchase the layout and font, which in turn, you will receive a license to use.

While many different businesses offer services that allow you to purchase a logo, you should use a reputable company. This is because these companies will have the proper rights to the necessary designs and logos. Placeit is known for their full commercial usage license, which comes with everything you create on their website.

The great thing about foundry companies and other websites that allow you to create your unique logo is that they are typically reasonably priced and have several options available to you. This means that they offer you various packages that may include the logo and files for use in different documents such as advertisements and letterheads.

Overall, it is essential to understand that you can customize your logo, including the font, to be distinctive to your business as long as you have acquired it properly. 

Do You Need to Buy a Font for Your Logo?

It may be necessary to buy the font you want for your business logo in many cases. This usually happens when you are not satisfied with the free fonts available to you. If you are looking for a professional design, you will need to purchase your logo design and the font that looks best with it.

Some websites sell fonts almost exclusively, unlike other companies that offer the ability for you to customize one of their designs with your business colors and style. Coming back to Placeit, they have thousands of design templates available for you to use and customize the way you want them.

They offer the ability to purchase a one-time logo, or for roughly the same amount, you can get an unlimited monthly subscription that allows you to come back and design other graphic assets for your business.

Pro Tip: Placeit also offers an additional 15% off any plan with this coupon.

Are Fonts Expensive to Purchase?

The cost of fonts can vary depending on the specific service company you use to handle the particular job. While some design companies offer their logo designs and fonts as a package deal, you may pay anywhere from $40 for one logo to $90-$100 for a yearly subscription.

Foundries that deal with just fonts can charge upwards of $200 for their fonts. This is because a font is more about the software, computer file, or specific program it was created. When you purchase these fonts, you are not only getting a license to use them but the file itself that was designed by someone else.

Can You Use Free Fonts for Your Business Logo?

Keep in mind that there are free fonts available to use for your business logo when you scour the internet. You will need to understand that using only reputable websites is vital to keep you from infringing on someone else’s design. 

The fonts you find on your desktop are “free” technically; however, you already have a license to them since you probably purchased them through Microsoft or other programs that came with your computer.

Final Thoughts

When designing your business logo, you should keep in mind that while you can use any font in the design, you may need to pay for it. This is typically done through various foundry or design websites specializing in creating and selling fonts and logo designs.

Most companies are using logo templates nowadays, because there are thousands of templates to customize and it’s a fraction the cost of hiring a professional graphic designer. Try out Placeit’s Logo Maker to get ideas and inspiration, and who knows you may even create a logo you love!

You’ve worked hard to create a YouTube banner you believe will highlight the nature of your business, but to your surprise, the banner is not showing, and you have no idea why. Although it’s rare for this to happen, it’s a frustrating event, and many people have no idea what might be the cause.

Browser cookies are the main reason why your YouTube banner is not showing up even after updating it. However, the problem can be caused by browser cache needing to be cleared, uploading the wrong format, cropping the image at the wrong position, or uploading an image that is against the YouTube policy. Contact support if the problem persists.

That’s not all, as you still need to know how to fix a YouTube banner that’s not working, the importance of a banner image, how to make a YouTube banner, and the best size for a YouTube banner, which you will learn if you read on.

» MORE: Why Is Your YouTube Banner Zoomed In?

This Is Why Your YouTube Banner Is Not Showing Up

Selecting a YouTube banner that reflects the nature of your business is the first step to building trust within your community. Not only does a clear banner help with accessorizing your YouTube channel, but it also helps to make it stand out, given the intense competition in different niches.

However, sometimes a banner might not show up on YouTube, and this problem often occurs after you’ve uploaded a new image. It’s a rare problem but equally frustrating, as many people don’t know how to solve it.

The biggest culprit is the browser cookies that have accumulated, and the browser hasn’t been able to catch up with the changes. Other times, the problem could be caused by uploading an unsupported file format other than the PNG, JPG, GIF, or BMP. The image might get corrupted when creating it and lose its format, resulting in a blank banner on your YouTube channel.

Poor internet connection is another possible cause, where the upload speed affects the image quality, making it impossible to upload the complete image. The problem is also caused by cropping the image wrong and leaving out important details in most cases.

How to Fix a YouTube Banner That’s Not Working

Since many things could cause a YouTube banner not to show, it’s best to know several ways to fix the problem. Trying all at once could save you time and the embarrassment of having a YouTube channel without a banner. They include:

• Try clearing the cache and cookies – it’s always best to check the ‘all time’ box to delete everything when clearing cookies on Google Chrome.
• Check the image format – make sure the image is of supported format before uploading. However, YouTube would alert you when you try uploading an unsupported format.
• Restart your Router – it’s unlikely, but poor internet connection could be solved by restarting a router.

Once you’ve applied all these fixes, try uploading the image again, and refresh the page once the upload is complete. Try using a different browser if the problem persists, or get in touch with YouTube support for further assistance.

» MORE: 4 Reasons Why Your YouTube Banner Isn’t Fitting

Why is a YouTube Banner Image Important?

Besides adding to your channel’s aesthetic appeal, a YouTube banner helps to give your channel an identity that you can create a community around. It’s a classic interpretation of ‘a picture speaks a thousand words.’

It also helps to build trust with your viewers and subscribers, as it shows you’re focused on building your channel. YouTube channels with clear and artistic banners tend to perform better than those without any banners.

How to Make a YouTube Banner

If you’re handy with Photoshop or other similar applications, this shouldn’t be a problem for you. However, you could go for a simpler platform like Placeit, where a graphics-making wizard and drag-and-drop technology will guide you.

Start by setting the right size and format to avoid rejection when uploading. Make sure the message you intend to pass along is clear and concise, and the color is bright enough to draw your viewers’ attention. Here are some tips to make the best YouTube banner:

• Include your picture if possible, and if not, have your name written clearly
• Choose bright colors, with red being the most preferred one
• Keep the banner simple by avoiding graffiti and other unprofessional calligraphy
• Make several banners for beta testing

What Is the Best Size for a YouTube Banner?

The banner should measure 2560px by 1440px, with crucial details concentrated along the 1546px by 423px mark. The image shouldn’t be larger than 6 MB and should be in JPG, PNG, GIF, or BMP format. Try using simpler images if the banner’s size gets bigger than this.

» MORE: How To Make A YouTube Logo With Placeit

Conclusion

YouTube banners are very important as they make your channel stand out and create an identity where YouTube’s competition is increasing. Due to undeleted cache and cookies, slower internet connection, or unsupported format, the banner might not show up. Clearing cache and cookies, and re-uploading a properly formatted banner image, might help to solve the problem. Using a different browser works too. A banner should be 2560x1440px in size and shouldn’t exceed 6 MB.

It can be incredibly frustrating when the YouTube banner you’ve worked so hard to create isn’t uploading properly. Without this dominant piece of artwork, your channel’s page loses a significant amount of personality and branding to attract new subscribers and create a sense of community for those already familiar with your content. So, when this error pops up, YouTubers understandably question the cause and how they can resolve it.

There are several reasons why your YouTube banner is not uploading properly. Most revolve around the banner not meeting YouTube requirements or specifications regarding dimensions, file format, and file size. However, the issue could go beyond these and require assistance from YouTube support.

This article will cover the most likely reasons why your YouTube banner is not uploading properly and what you can do to fix them. As you read, you’ll learn the optimal specifications for a YouTube banner to ensure a successful upload every time.

» MORE: Why Is Your YouTube Banner Zoomed In?

Top Four Reasons Why Your YouTube Banner is Not Uploading and How to Solve Them

While most of you are probably looking for an easy, straightforward reason behind your YouTube banner failing to upload with an even quicker fix, the reality is that there are several potential explanations, each with its own steps for resolution.

The top four reasons why your YouTube banner is not uploading include:

1. Incorrect dimensions
2. Incorrect save file format
3. File exceeds maximum size
4. YouTube is having a bad day

These reasons are listed from most to least likely, as sizing and saving files are often the most common mistakes YouTubers make with their banners, particularly if they’re new to uploading this and similar channel-related artwork.

1. Incorrect Dimensions

If you check the banners on various YouTube channels, you’ll notice that each is practically identical regarding its dimensions. This is because YouTube ascribes you a limited amount of space at the top of your channel page for this feature.

So, logically, if the dimensions of your banner exceed those recommended by YouTube, then it’s not going to fit properly at the top of your channel page and, often, it won’t upload at all.

How to Fix It

YouTube provides several ideal specifications for any banner to ensure it uploads properly and displays in the highest quality possible. Amongst these specifications is their recommendation that banners measure at least 2048 x 1152 pixels.

However, before you start making a banner to match YouTube’s minimum recommendation, many successful YouTubers state that fellow content creators should upload banners measuring 2560 x 1440 pixels, as these dimensions work best across an array of screen sizes (ex. phone screen to TV).

Whether you opt for the minimum or ideal measurements won’t matter for uploading, just as long as your banner is at least 2048 x 1152 pixels. If not, you’ll need to either resize it or opt for an alternative image that meets these dimensional requirements.

Pro Tip: You may want to consider using a YouTube Banner Template from Placeit. These are pre-formatted in dimension, file format, and size, to fit perfectly on YouTube.

2. Incorrect Save File Format

Another common deterrent for a successful YouTube banner upload is the file being saved in the wrong format. If you aren’t familiar with the various formats to save file data, all you need to know here is that banners need to be saved as one of the many image-based save file formats. These include:

• JPG
• PNG
• BMP
• GIF

If you find your banner save file is in DOC format or anything other than the options listed above, then this is reason why it is failing to upload properly.

How to Fix It

First thing’s first, you’ll want to confirm that an incorrect save file format is truly the reason behind your issue. To do this, find the save file for the banner and right click on it. This should bring up a side menu where you’ll find the “Properties” setting listed. Click on this setting and then check the format abbreviation provided.

Now that you know what file format you have, you have three options:

1. Find an alternative image saved in the proper format.
2. Try to re-save the banner under the right format if possible (usually if you created it yourself using Photoshop or a similar program).
3. Convert your saved file’s format.

Personally, we recommend option two whenever possible. Still, if you’re really attached to one particular save file for your banner (maybe you purchased it and this is the only file you have), then there are numerous online resources that will convert its format for you.

3. Save File Exceeds Maximum Size

The length and width of your banner aren’t the only measurements/dimensions you’ll want to pay attention to when creating and uploading it. While these are usually the most common reasons behind a failed upload, the file’s overall size can bring up an error page just as easily.

YouTube recommends all banner size files be 6MB or less. While this in of itself is a decent amount of data space for a banner, it is possible to exceed it, particularly if you’re making the banner yourself using Photoshop, Placeit, InDesign, or similar programs.

How to Fix It

The resolution here is simple: you need to make your banner’s save file smaller. Oftentimes, you can do this pain-free by converting it to a PNG or JPG file, as these will compress the banner’s data without sacrificing quality.

However, if your banner is already saved as a PNG or JPG file, you’ll either need to compress the file further using one of many online resources, or you’ll have to bite a painful bullet and remove elements from your banner to make it simpler. This will reduce the amount of data within the banner’s file and, hopefully, make it small enough for you to upload onto YouTube successfully.

4. YouTube Is Having a Bad Day

This is by no means a YouTuber’s favorite reason for why their banner isn’t uploading, but we’d be lying if we said it never happens. On the bright side, the problem isn’t with your banner’s dimensions, your file format, or any of the other tedious reasons listed above you’d have to troubleshoot. On the downside, there’s little you can do to resolve this issue yourself.

YouTube is an extremely popular website worldwide, and as such, it receives a significant amount of traffic 24/7. Sometimes, the website experiences technical issues and bugs that might be preventing your banner from uploading properly.

How to Fix It

As we said previously, resolving this one can be tricky. Many YouTubers find that the best thing they can do is to either log out of their account, wait a few minutes, log back in, and then try the uploading process again.

If that doesn’t work, it isn’t uncommon for YouTubers experiencing this issue (once they’re sure their banner specifications are perfect) to wait a day or two before trying again. Sometimes YouTube just needs time to fix an issue or sort itself out.

In the event that none of these work and you know everything about your banner is right, the best thing you can do is contact YouTube support for help.

» MORE: 4 Reasons Why Your YouTube Banner Isn’t Fitting

Final Thoughts

There you have it; the most common reasons why your YouTube banner isn’t uploading properly and what you can do to fix it. Granted, these issues and resolutions are for YouTubers who have tried to upload repeatedly and constantly find themselves faced with a glaring error page.

If you aren’t even getting that far in your uploading process, you might want to make sure you’re trying to upload your banner properly, and the issue isn’t you simply missing a step or two.

For those who prefer a done-for-you YouTube banner option, check out the YouTube Banner Templates at Placeit.net. They offer tons of templates to choose from, and you can customize them to your channels needs. They are all pre-formatted for YouTube, so they fit perfectly and upload seamlessly.

As anyone who has worked with EPS files can attest, uploading, downloading, or sharing them, can often become a laborious, time-consuming task. This is because it is not unusual for EPS files to be quite large. For instance, an EPS file created through Adobe Photoshop can exceed 16 megabytes in size for a 4.25 x 6.25 image rendered in a CMYK color scheme (which is common for digital offset printing).

Whether you are a graphic designer by trade, earn your living in the marketing department, or simply need something professionally printed, chances are good that if your tasks involve digital artwork in any form, then you work with EPS files and have likely had to deal with their immense sizes.

And since you need to understand the beast in order to tame it, here are 7 reasons why EPS files are so large.

Why Are EPS Files So Large?

Why are EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files so large? The simple answer is that they are specially formatted for the creation, sharing, and outputting, of graphics in any number of forms, utilizing the PostScript programming language platform.

Whether they contain text, graphics, images, or any combination thereof, EPS files allow digital content that is created on professional graphics programs to be accessed downstream and output on devices like printers, printing presses, and the like.

But this does not tell the entire story, so here are 7 specific reasons why EPS files are so large.

1. Overly Complex Artwork Paths Can Make EPS Files Larger

A common culprit responsible for making EPS files larger than they need to be is the use of excessive anchor points. If you ever played connect-the-dots as a child, imagine the dots being anchor points and the completed drawing as a digitally-created image and you have a good idea of how the concept of an artwork path works.

The problem that can occur is when there are an excessive number of anchor points tied to an image. In the end, this overabundance becomes a classic case of being too much of a good thing that can have these undesired results:

• Needlessly increasing the EPS file size
• Making edits more difficult and laborious
• Slowing down proper displaying and printing of the image

Fortunately, there is a straightforward fix for eliminating extraneous anchor points by utilizing built-in features like Simplify Path, Image Trace, and Variable Width.

2. Check for Unused Palette Items

Professional-grade graphics applications are packed with powerful features and all the tools that an artist or designer could ever imagine needing. But sometimes these helpful amenities can get in the way and add unnecessary heft to an EPS file size. For instance, tucked away within the file formatting can be palette items like:

• Brushes
• Symbols
• Graphic Styles
• Swatches

Unused palette items can be removed from digital artwork, and accordingly, EPS file sizes can be reduced. In Adobe Illustrator, for instance, unused brushes, swatches, and the like, can be deleted from a single palette, or from all palettes associated with a particular file.

3. Hidden Raster Images Can Inflate EPS File Sizes

Another circumstance that can result in inflated EPS file sizes is when a raster image (i.e., an image composed of colored pixels) such as a bitmap illustration, is used as a reference tool and then forgotten when the work has been completed. This can result in unexpectedly large file size, not to mention the unnecessary frustration of hunting down the cause.

As with many other causes of cumbersome file sizes, there is a straightforward solution, and in the case of hidden raster images, an EPS file can be cleansed by:

• Unlocking all objects and layers
• Showing all hidden objects and layers
• Selecting the raster image in question and removing it from the EPS file

Reducing EPS file sizes by removing unwanted raster images is a matter of following a few simple steps; the challenge is recognizing that a hidden or forgotten object is weighing down an EPS file in the first place.

4. Repetitive Elements Can Increase an EPS File Size

With the powerful design capabilities offered by professional graphics programs, EPS files can be quite complex and elaborate, and this can potentially lead to issues relating to file size. For instance, if digital artwork contains repetitive elements, such as a cloud-filled sky, the cumulative effect of these individual components can bog down an EPS file and cause its size to balloon.

Fortunately, there is a solution: repetitive elements can be grouped together and saved as a vector symbol, in essence consolidating multiple components into a single graphics entity and thereby reducing an EPS file’s size significantly.

5. Excessive Steps in an Object Blend

One of the tools that are often utilized in working with graphic design applications is the manipulation of different colors. Where the desired effect is migrating between colors, in order to achieve the smoothest transition possible, more steps in the blend are needed (think of them as gradients shifting incrementally from one color to another).

There comes a point, however, where the number of steps (gradients) in transitioning from one color to another, does not produce any appreciable benefit. In other words, the added degree of smoothness in shifting between colors is so imperceptible as to be negligible, and meanwhile, the price to be paid for these unnecessary object blend steps is larger file size.

6. Embedded Raster Images Can Cause EPS Files Sizes to Balloon

Graphic designers across the globe have embraced working with the EPS file format because of the great versatility it affords. For instance, EPS formatting is vector-based but still allows for raster images to be embedded into working files. The problem with this practice, however, is that placing a raster image into a file can cause its size to balloon, particularly if it is high-resolution.

One solution is to use a linked image rather than an embedded one and the potential savings in terms of file size is potentially enormous.

7. Unnecessary Image Attributes Can Weigh Down an EPS File

In a similar fashion, embedded raster images in an EPS file can have attributes that are not only unneeded but also make the file size larger than is necessary. Here are some ways to reduce the file size of an EPS file by modifying embedded raster images:

• Cropping a raster image to only that portion that is actually needed can drastically reduce the file size
• Even unnecessary background colors can be eliminated to minimize file size
• Reducing the resolution of a raster image is another effective strategy

There may be times when linking to an image may not be feasible and therefore embedding a raster image is the only option. But there are ways to minimize an embedded raster image’s effect on an EPS file’s size.

Final Thoughts

For decades, the EPS file format has been instrumental to the productivity of graphic designers and digital artists everywhere. With powerful tools at their fingertips, it is easy to see why the EPS format has been synonymous with graphic design for so many years. And while large file sizes can be challenging to deal with, a little bit of software savviness is all it takes to reduce them to workable levels.

If you are already or are looking to be a professional YouTuber, no matter what your focus is, you want to be sure that your page looks the part. This means having a banner on your channel that gives the audience a glimpse of who you are and what you are sharing. While many people have no trouble coming up with ideas for their banner and like the way they look, they may discover that their YouTube banner looks zoomed in on different devices and wonder why.

The main reason that your YouTube banner zooms in is that it does not fit into the size parameters. Artwork that may look great when viewed on a computer or tv screen, will end up zoomed in when viewed on a phone or another smaller device due to the number of pixels.

If you find yourself in this dilemma, there is no need to worry. There are some general guidelines so that your art not only fits within the size parameters but so that the artwork is positioned in such a way that everything the audience needs to know is right in their line of sight. Read on to find out more about what to keep in mind when uploading your YouTube banner.

What Size Should My YouTube Banner Be?

You may be wondering exactly how much banner size can differ, so let’s break it down a bit by the device.

• Television: 2560×1440 pixels
• Desktop: 2560×423 pixels
• Tablet: 1855×423 pixels
• Mobile: 1546×423 pixels

As you can see the wide variety in size means that if the banner is too big or small then it will differ across devices. So now you may be wondering what the parameters are where your banner will not zoom in regardless of which device you are using. This article does an excellent job of breaking it down, but the basics are this:

• Ideal size: 2560×1440 pixels. This is the sweet spot where you are guaranteed to have a banner that looks great no matter what kind of device you are viewing it on.
• The smallest size that will still work: 2048×1152 pixels
• The biggest width size that will still work: 2560 pixels

It is also important to make sure that the size of the file that you upload is no more than 6MB. If you are attached to a certain piece of art but is larger than 6MB then you can convert it to a PNG or JPG file.

What Else Should I Consider When Uploading My Banner?

Apart from the size of the artwork you are uploading, there are a couple of other questions you should ask yourself, as well.

• What is the safe area?
• What is the aspect ratio?

The Safe Area

The safe area is the spot within the banner where all the pertinent information that you want everyone to see will be located. If the information is located within the safe area, then no matter what kind of device your audience is on, they will see it even if the banner ends up zoomed in. This safe area is located right in the middle of the banner at 1546×423 pixels.

The Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio is the ratio of width to height, and the ideal aspect ratio for a YouTube banner should be 16 in width to 9 in height. When the size of your banner has this aspect ratio, you can try different pixel sizes, and the artwork will stay in the same place (relatively) on your banner.

Conclusion

Many people have had the struggle of uploading a YouTube banner that looks great on a computer screen, but then they go to look at their page while they are on their phone and find to their dismay that the banner has zoomed in and looks a mess. The reason it can look so wildly different across devices is that different devices show different ratios of pixels.

Because it can be confusing to your YouTube banner to look good on all devices, we recommend starting with a YouTube Banner Template. By using a template, your banner will be pre-formatted to look good on all screen sizes.

The sweet spot where the size will look great across all devices is 2560×1440 pixels. Some other things to make sure of are to make sure that all the pertinent information is located in the center of your banner, and that the ratio of width to height is 16 to 9.

Ready to get started making your YouTube banner? Head over to Placeit.net to choose a banner template that represents your channel!

Running your own Etsy store means handling everything from product copy to banner images, but what can you do if those images aren’t displaying the way you want them to? Why is your Etsy banner blurry or fuzzy, and how can you fix it?

Etsy has a minimum standard size and quality requirement for their banners of various sizes. If your banner is blurry or fuzzy, that generally means that your image is either too small, and you need to replace it with a larger image, too large, and you need to replace it with a smaller image, or in the wrong format.

Here’s what you need to know about creating a clear Etsy banner image, and how you can troubleshoot some of these common banner quality issues.

Why Your Etsy Banner is Blurry or Fuzzy

Like most sites that allow customization, Etsy has a standard for the dimensions of images uploaded to a user’s profile for various uses such as profile pictures, product icons, and, of course, banner images. This is so that the image you choose matches the template already in place for the website’s display.

For big banners – the banners that span the top of your Etsy store page – the minimum recommended size is 1200 x 300 pixels, while the optimal size is 3360 x 840 pixels, according to Etsy themselves. Mini banners – which shift listings higher up on the desktop – should be 1200 x 160 pixels. These don’t display on mobile screens.

If your banner is showing up in your shop as blurry or fuzzy, the most likely reason behind this is that your image is too small. This means that the image is being stretched and distorted to fill the available space in the website’s template.

Alternatively, your image may be too large. Etsy has a 1MB threshold for images. Anything larger than that will cause issues with upload speeds and may be compressed to fit into the template, causing the image to become distorted.

You may also have an image in a file type that isn’t retaining as much detail as you would like. While Etsy supports JPG, PNG, and GIFs, it doesn’t support animated GIFs or transparent PNGs. If your banner includes those, it may display incorrectly or refuse to display at all.

How to Fix a Blurry or Fuzzy Etsy Banner

The easiest way to fix a blurry or fuzzy Etsy banner is to upload a larger image file so that it appears in higher resolution. If you do not have a larger image file, you may need to create a new banner that fits the image size requirements for the site.

If you have trouble creating a large file, stick to a simpler design. Minimalist banners with blocks of color and text rather than complicated designs or photographs have less detail to carry over and so can sometimes be managed with the minimum file size.

If, on the other end of the spectrum, your image is too large, you can compress your image before uploading it to get the proper resolution. This might involve exporting it in a smaller size from the original creation program, as running the existing image through compression software runs the risk of lowering the resolution manually.

If your issue isn’t the size of your file but its format, consider converting it. PNG files will carry the most detail over, but will also be the largest files, meaning they might cause slower loading times. JPGs don’t have quite as much detail, but are more compact, meaning your image will load more quickly and with fewer problems.

Determine how much detail you need in your image and select the best file type from there.

Conclusion

Your Etsy banner image is one of the first things that your customers are going to see when they encounter your shop, so you need to make sure that you leave them with a good impression. You can achieve this by having a clear, cleverly designed banner.

If you need help creating a correctly formatted Etsy banner, Placeit.net is here to help. Placeit.net has hundreds of Etsy Banner Templates that you can use to create a customized banner for your shop in just a few minutes. The sizing and image quality are handled for you, so all you have to worry about is the design.

Ready to make a banner that stands out from the crowd? Head over to Placeit to make a free account and start designing today.

InDesign is a handy online graphic design tool, but sometimes it can be frustrating. For instance, you may find that suddenly you cannot type while using the application. Typing is an essential function for graphic design work, and, understandably, you will want to fix this as soon as you can.

To troubleshoot typing difficulties on InDesign, it can be helpful to change the default font. Additionally, it may be necessary to change the type size, other preferences in the default text box settings, or clean out cache files.

As a graphic designer, your time is important. If you find that you cannot type on InDesign, you will want to fix this as quickly as possible. Read on to learn more about the solutions you can try if your InDesign typing function stops working.

Typing Will Not Work on InDesign

Technical difficulties are inevitable at some point for every graphic designer. When InDesign does not let you type, it can be incredibly frustrating. This is a mystifying problem that could have various underlying causes. However, there are several solutions you can try to get your typing function working again as soon as possible.

Change Your Text Box Preferences

InDesign often relies on text boxes to make typing happen. So, if you notice that you are unable to type, your default solution should be to check your text box preferences to see if some adjustment in this area can be helpful.

You can check and change your text box preferences by following these steps:

1. Open your text box settings: This can be done in one of two ways. You can go to the dropdown “Object” menu and then select “Text Frame Options.” Additionally, you can press Alt or Option (depending on your type of computer) and then click twice on the text frame you are hoping to edit.
2. Check the font size: The first problem you can check is the default font size for your text box. Sometimes, this becomes too large, resulting in an inability to type within your drawn text box. Try reducing the font size, and see if this is an easy fix for your issue.
3. Change the default font: New updates and other software changes can cause incompatibility between the default font and your computer. Within the Text Frame menu, you can change your default font. Though there is no one recommended font, experiment with a few different ones to amend the issue. You can then change the font to your desired style once the text is in place.
4. Reset any changes to indents or spacing: Sometimes, you may have changed your settings while working on a text box and forgotten to change it back. A simple verification of your indentation and spacing settings can help make sure that this is not the hidden culprit.

Text box settings are thankfully straightforward to check and change. If you are encountering problems with typing in a text box, this should be your first step to solving the issue.

Clear Your Cache

If you are still having issues with typing or struggling to type in a different layer on the document, you can try deleting your InDesign cache files.

Depending on whether you have a Windows or Mac computer, the procedure for clearing out cache files will look slightly different. Either way, you will need to completely close the InDesign app, and then access your library feature or hidden files through your Finder or Control Panel.

Once you have located the App Data or Cache for Adobe InDesign, you can delete the file. Windows users may also be able to achieve results by renaming the folder as well. Keep in mind that you will need to delete or rename the most current version of InDesign.

It is worth noting that this solution will not completely delete the app. However, it will reset your preferences and hopefully solve whatever internal issue is preventing you from typing. If you want to keep some of your preferences, you should copy them beforehand.

Contact an Expert

If you find that the above solutions do not work and are still struggling to type in your document, it may be worthwhile to reach out to an expert and see how they can help you.

Adobe offers customer care that can usually be reached on their webpage. If your project is extremely time-sensitive and you need more immediate support, you can contact your local tech store to see if their service technicians might have some insight into how you can best fix the issue.

Though Adobe’s customer care is often included free of charge with your Adobe Suite subscription, remember that seeking the help of a technology expert may end up costing you money, and you should only use this as a last resort in case of a highly pressing issue.

Conclusion

Graphic designers are usually well-accustomed to the frustration of technology not working. While some design software, such as Placeit, are often very user-friendly, others can run into problems due to their software updating or other internal issues. One common issue that frustrates graphic designers on InDesign is the typing function suddenly not working. Beyond just being annoying, this can be a major limitation to projects.

When this happens, there are several steps you can take to amend it. First of all, you can try resetting your text box settings through the “Text Frame Options” menu. This is often the easiest and least invasive fix, and you can experiment with the default font, font size, indentation, and spacing to see if you can find the culprit. If this fails, try deleting your InDesign cache files on your computer to reset preferences.

Losing the ability to type on InDesign is frustrating, but it is not a lost cause. Try troubleshooting with these methods, and if all else fails, you can reach out to the help center or a tech support professional. Before you know it, you will be working on your projects with full functionality.

If Placeit is not working, and you can’t work on your project because Placeit is loading slowly, don’t panic. There are several common reasons why Placeit may be loading slowly, and if you’re running into one of these issues, there are several quick fixes as well.

Because Placeit is a web-based tool, you can use it to design projects on any device with internet. While this is a huge benefit 99% of the time, it can be a bit frustrating if you run into a spot on unstable internet connection. Let’s have a look at reasons why Placeit may be running slow.

Continue reading to learn about 7 of the most common reasons why Placeit may be loading slowly, and how to fix it.

1. Placeit’s Servers Are Down

If you’re having issues loading Placeit, the first thing to check is Placeit’s servers. If their servers are currently having problems, there is a good probability that their website will not function correctly. Although this is rare for a website this large (because they have backup servers), it can happen to any website.

To see if their servers are actually down, go to the third-party website IsItDownRightNow.com, which provides information about different websites’ servers.

If their servers are actually down, there is little you can do but wait. Because the issue is on their end, troubleshooting procedures on your computer will be ineffective. The best you can do is check the website frequently, so you will know when the servers are up and running again.

Important: Although this is a sure-fire way that Placeit would be running slowly, it’s rare that this will ever happen. I’ve personally been using Placeit for several years, and have never seen it happen once. However, it has happened on other websites I’ve used over the years, so it is possible.

2. Internet Connectivity Issues

Unfortunately, if you live in an area or region with poor internet connectivity, you may have difficulty using Placeit from time to time. So, if you’ve ruled out the chance of Placeit’s servers going down, check your internet connection speed. A speed test is the simplest method to do this.

For those who are new to speed tests, they demonstrate how quick your internet download and upload rates are in real-time. It makes no difference whatever website you use to perform the speed test, as long as it can show you that your network is unreliable or running at slower speeds than usual.

You may use third-party tools like SpeedTest.net to effectively evaluate the upload and download speed of your network.

Now, if the outcome of the speed test is slow, or not near to the internet speed bandwidth mentioned on your monthly plan, try restarting your router. This is as simple as locating and disconnecting your router’s power cord for about 5 to 10 seconds, then plugging it back in. If the problem continues, you may have to make a call to your internet provider.

3. Cookies and Cache Need to Be Cleared

The cache is the source of all evil in many website-related situations.

Browser “cache” and “cookies” are temporary files kept on your computer that aid in the efficiency and performance of your browser and the websites you visit. However, these caches and cookies can accumulate and get damaged over time, causing errors when loading websites.

The cache can cause difficulties with the view if the browser does not load the current version of the site, even if the site has changed since the last visit. Sometimes data saved in the cache prevents the loading of up-to-date material. When the cache data is deleted, the new version can be retrieved.

If you’re experiencing sluggish loading times when using Placeit, corrupted caches and cookies might be to blame. To rule out this possibility, clear your browser’s cache and cookies.

4. Issues With Your Browser

Internet browsers have their own specialized engines that are used to read a website’s code. There are numerous browsers available for everyone to use, just as there are numerous websites. Though Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox are the most popular, there are many other browsers you might use, such as Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi.

Though there are many internet browsers to choose from, not all of them are ideal for usage with Placeit.

In this instance, some websites might function perfectly in one browser but not in another. If Placeit is operating slowly on your computer, try switching browsers to see if the problem persists.

5. Your VPN is Causing Instability

Virtual Private Networks are fantastic tools, but they all share the same flaw: they slow down your connection. This is due to VPNs changing your computer’s IP address. This might create instability while connecting to Placeit’s servers, slowing down or rendering the program useless.

Try disabling your VPN while using Placeit to see if that makes the website load faster.

6. Browser Extensions Are Incompatible

Another reason Placeit may not be operating properly is because of browser extensions. Technically, these extensions are applications you install on your browser to provide additional functionality.

While extensions are fantastic for adding functionality to some websites, they can sometimes interfere with others, particularly if they offer the same capabilities as the website.

If you have browser extensions installed, try turning them off while using Placeit.

7. Your Computer Is Underperforming

Websites sometimes take a long time to load, not because of the website itself, but because of the computer. Though it may not be the first thing that comes to mind, it is possible that the device is having an error and needs to be restarted.

This is actually something that I’ve run into a few times over the years while using Placeit, and other websites. My MacBook was stuck trying to load another page on another tab, and the fans were on full blast. I simply restarted my computer, and the issue was fixed immediately.

If Placeit is running slow, try restarting the device you are accessing it on. If this still does not work, try using a different device.

Final Thoughts

If Placeit is loading slowly, you should now have a good sense of where to start to fix the problem. If you’ve tried every option described above and Placeit is still not operating properly, it may be time to reach out to Placeit’s customer support.

Luckily, Placeit is known for their excellent customer support. You can reach Placeit on their website with Live Chat, their Contact Us Form, or by email at support@placeit.net. Don’t forget to include information such as the search browser and the device you’re currently using.