Making t-shirt designs online has become an easy process through the use of web-based tools. While looking into how to make my own t-shirt designs, I found that Placeit.net made it easiest and it looks great!

Here is how to make a t-shirt design online:

1. Navigate to Placeit.net
2. Under “Designs” in the top left menu, select “T-Shirt Designs”
3. Choose a template that fits your needs best
4. Enter custom text and graphics
5. Change your font and colors
6. Select “Download” in the top right corner

There are so many options for making your t-shirt online that it is worth going into detail on each of these steps. Here is a handy guide through the whole process.

1. Navigate To Placeit.net

We’ve used many t-shirt design tools online, and we always recommend Placeit.net.

Placeit has the largest library of design templates and even offers mockup templates so you can show your t-shirt design on a model!

2. Click on “T-Shirt Designs“

Placeit.net has a wide variety of tools available. Exploring the website is great and could lead to inspiration for you and your designs, but for now, we will focus on the t-shirt design templates.

At the top of the page, there are five major categories. “Designs” is the second. Simply select designs, and a sub-menu of “t-shirt designs” will become available. Click that as well and you are in!

Near the top once again, there is a drop-down menu for selecting categories and narrowing the results being shown. If you have an idea for a shirt design already, this is a great way to help you find a close result. Otherwise, browse around and start looking for a template that calls to you.

3. Finding The Right Template

The large variety of templates available for making your t-shirt design online can be daunting. However, it is also a great sign that you will be able to find and create your perfect design with just a little bit of work.

To find the right template, consider the design’s use and the layout of the template. Almost everything about a shirt design can be changed, but the layout can be difficult to tinker with. Get that right and you are well on your way to a great design.

Finding The Right Layout

To sort through the thousands of shirt design templates ready to use, it is best to employ the filters and search functions that are available. Often, these categories will help you find the perfect pre-generated layout.

These filters can be as broad as looking only at bestsellers, to as exclusive as looking at shirt designs specifically related to Father’s Day. If the shirt is for a specific event or business, look in that category first. Or, if you just want to take a look at what is trendy and match your shirt design to that, selecting the “Best Selling” or “Newest” categories may be best.

When trying to find your right layout, consider these questions:

• What is the ratio of text to image? – certain layouts are better suited for text than others.
• Do you want the shirt to be recognizable or unique? – Following trends is certain to make a good shirt, but it may not be very “you”.
• How many different colors do you want? – Do you prefer your shirts to be all black, or colorful and snappy? This can help you choose the right template.

What Is The Design’s Use

How will you use the shirt design when it is all said and done? If it is just for you, then simply select what looks best and follow that path. However, if the shirt is being created for a friend, a group, or an event, it is best to consider how others will take to the design.

If designing a t-shirt for any kind of event, consider what the event is for. Not only is there probably a category for templates of that nature online, but it can also help you decide on what is important to the shirt.

If there is any advertising going on the shirt, like a website or company name, it is best to choose a template that does well with text.  Otherwise, most shirt designs rely on great graphics and images.

Taking the time to consider the thoughts of those who will wear the design will make a better product at the end of the process.

4. Inputting Your Text And Images

With a template selected, it is time to actually make the shirt design your own. Here, the process can change wildly depending on how much customization needs to be done on the shirt.

Placeit.net makes it easy to adjust the text, colors, and graphics of any design templates on the site. You can also change the layout and font but that will be covered later.

Editing Text

To edit the text and replace it with your own message, simply click on the text box underneath the live design and start typing. This will replace the text in the image above immediately, allowing you to preview the design and make changes as you go.

Some template designs will have multiple text fields. The process is the same, simply selecting the text and editing each time. This is also how you can edit the color of each text box, whether you want them the same or different.

This is a great time for creativity in the design process, so let your mind wander! With how easy it is to change your design’s message it is worth testing out different things.

Editing Images

Changing the graphics on your custom t-shirt design is made just as easy and can have a large impact on how the shirt looks.

Each t-shirt template will come with at least one graphic but could have more. If you have multiple images you want on the design, it is easy to add them as well to create the perfect piece.

Uploading your own images can make your shirt truly unique, and is a great option for truly custom shirts. However, if you want a quick and good design, there is also a large variety of graphics available that can be chosen and put onto the shirt. Once again these can be searched by category to find exactly what you are looking for.

5. Editing Color and Font

Once the images and text of your shirt have been input, most of the work is done! Now it is time for the finishing touches. While there are infinite details that can be tweaked in any design, the two largest parts that should be personalized are color and font.

Choosing A Shirt Color

Choosing the color of your shirt design is important because it will influence how the text and graphics look in contrast. While there are a wide variety of colors available for the t-shirt design, it can be a good rule of thumb to stick to colors that you have seen before on shirts.

Black, gray, and white are chosen most often for shirts because they almost always offer great contrast so the graphics and text can be the center of attention for a shirt. When in doubt, stick with those colors.

The most important thing when choosing a shirt color is contrast. It is vital the shirt color is lighter and more subtle than the colors of text or graphics, as otherwise they will blend in and become muddled. Placeit.net has chosen a great variety of colors to be available for templates. When in doubt, test a color and see how the designs pop.

Choosing Font

Font is how your text will show up on the shirt and a great way to introduce even more style to the design. There is a lot of theory behind choosing good fonts, and getting the right one can elevate a t-shirt design from good to great.

Luckily, many of the templates already have great fonts chosen. If you like them, simply leave them as is and your shirt design is done! However, if you want to change them, Placeit.net has done a great job of curating good fonts that can fit with most designs.

When looking at the various fonts available under the text category, consider how the font should look, as well as the message of the text. If a shirt’s message is to believe in oneself, it may be best to avoid fonts that look too edgy or unreadable. Or, if the shirt is for a child, avoiding script fonts that are done in cursive may be best.

The most important thing when choosing a font is legibility. After that, it is all a design choice!

6. Enjoy!

Congratulations, you have made a custom t-shirt design online! With that, you can download the design and print it yourself, or experiment and keep easily making designs.

Pro Tip: Placeit also offers an additional 15% off any plan with this coupon if you decide a premium plan is better for your needs.

Mockups are fantastic for showing off designs in a variety of settings as well as bringing a product to life. However, they can be difficult to make on your own, often requiring a lot of time and tools. Luckily, tools like Placeit.net make it easy and quick to make mockups for your designs.

Here is how to make a mug mockup in as little as 30 seconds starting from placeit.net:

1. Go to Placeit.net
2. Enter “Mug Mockup” in the search bar
3. Select a Mug template that fits your needs
4. Change the mug color
5. Add text and any graphics
6. Select “Download” in the top right corner

Getting high-quality mockups of mugs is a quick task when the above steps are followed, allowing you to show off any great mug design. Below, details about each option will be explored.

» MORE: Does Placeit Have a Free Trial?

1. Selecting A Mug Mockup

Thousands of photos that can be used as mug mockups are offered on placeit.net. The first step toward making a mug mockup in thirty seconds is selecting a great base photo.

To stick to the 30 seconds, simply select one that looks good to you and continue the process. It only takes a few seconds and all of the options are great for showing off your mug mockups.

Placeit.net also has great filters and functions to quickly help you narrow down possible mockups and continue the process. Utilize them to ensure a great template.

However, if you want to take a bit of extra time and look through the plethora of options, here are some things to consider:

• Do you want people holding the mug?
• Is the mug made for a specific drink, like coffee or tea?
• Is the design sophisticated or comedic?

Each of these can help narrow down what sort of mockup templates will serve you best, even more so than the available filters.

Are People In The Mockup?

Having people holding the mug is a great way to add a personal touch. In addition, it could help those you are showing the mockup to envision people actually using the mug – a great bonus!

With all of the different mockups with people available, it can be beneficial to consider the poses of everyone. Does someone lounging, or standing among others help to showcase the mug mockup better? There are no wrong answers. Luckily, with how quick the process is, it can be easy to shift around and try new templates.

Is It Coffee Or Tea Specific?

While any mug can be used for any hot drink, your design may be suited specifically around a coffee or tea reference. Or maybe even hot cocoa! Whatever the case, when designs are specific, it is best that mockups match the subject matter.

It can be helpful to choose a mockup template where the mug is sat in front of a teapot or an espresso machine. This can help customers envision the mug where it may be in their own kitchens.

What Is The Feel Of The Design?

Choosing a mockup that matches with the design of the mug is essential for creating a great mug mockup. Taking a little bit of extra time (while still keeping it under 30 seconds!) now will certainly be worth it in the future.

For mugs that are made with jokes, puns, or silly designs on them, it is best to choose a mockup template that reflects that. Maybe a child is sat behind the mug, or a family is shown in the mockup.

Other mugs will be designed with sophistication in mind, where there may be no graphics at all. In cases like this, it is best to select mockups where the cup is shown around high-quality items, or held by people dressed in business casual.

Matching the mockup with the mug design will help sell your mugs to customers.

» MORE: Can Placeit Be Used for Commercial Use?

2. Upload Your Design

With a mug mockup template selected, it is time to take the next few seconds and upload your design. Placeit.net makes it easy, so you can simply upload your design file and it will automatically be placed on the mug!

Once your design has been decided on, there are very few steps to take before the upload can happen. Still, you should ensure that some settings are correct to get a high-quality mockup done.

Make Your Design The Right Size

The very first thing to do before uploading your design photo is to ensure that it is the right size for your mockup. Placeit.net makes it easy by listing the image size directly on the mockup, and also available when the upload button is hovered over.

While file sizes different from the recommended will work, the mug mockup could end up blurry or with parts cut off. Take the time to resize your design to the best dimensions.

Crop The Image

Once you have uploaded your correctly sized, design, placeit.net has a wonderful tool that will allow you to crop and rotate your image. This will help ensure that the mockup looks exactly the way it should.

Confirm that this crop looks good, and your design will quickly show up on the mug mockup. Now you can move on to the next step!

» MORE: Can You Sell Placeit Designs?

3. Change The Mug Color

By now, you are probably about twenty seconds into the creation of your mug mockup and almost done! Only the details remain to be changed.

One of the final decisions to be made about the mug mockup is the color of the mug itself. Every mockup template starts as a simple white, and this works great for many mockups! However, if you wanted to adjust the colors to better match your design, placeit.net makes it easy.

Mugs can come in a variety of colors, and each one can look great when paired with the correct graphics. Be sure that your design pops from the mug’s base color, as a rule.

Some mockup templates also allow you to adjust the handle color separately from the mug color. This is great if you want your mockup to be more colorful or have some contrast. Be sure to experiment with how various colors look!

» MORE: Is Placeit Worth It? Everything You Need To Know

4. Adding Text And Other Branding

After making some quick adjustments to the color of your mug, your mockup could be fully complete. Your design is visible on a mug in a great image, ready to be shown to the world! However, it can often be a good idea to add some extras to the image before pushing them out.

Luckily, Placeit.net makes it easy to add text and extra graphics to mockups. Adding simple things text and graphics allows for a whole host of options to truly customize your mockup. One of the best ways to use this option is for advertising, especially if the mockups are going to be used as product images on an online site like Amazon.

Adding Text

Adding text to mockups pointing out features in a mug, or a web address, is a great way to drive traffic or purchases of a mug. Whenever mockups are going to be shown to the public it is a good idea to do this.

Placeit.net also allows you to easily edit the text font so that the text can blend seamlessly and match the tone of the mockup.

Adding Graphics

If you have a logo or other brand signifier, it is certainly worth it to use some of the final seconds to upload your graphic and brand the mockup! This will help customers come to know your brand and seek it out in the future. It can also help prevent others from stealing your ideas and mockups.

» MORE: The Complete Placeit.net Review [Read Before Buying]

5. Download!

Your mug mockup is now completed in thirty seconds! The only remaining step is to download it and use it wherever you need to. With how quick the process is, you can easily create more and test other mockups as well.

BONUS: Placeit was kind enough to extend a 15% off discount to All Free Mockups readers. You can find the coupon here.

Many authors, those that are new or experienced, get excitement from creating a book. The hardest part is putting ideas for the design of the book onto paper. With the power of the internet, anyone can virtually create their book, from the manuscript to the book covers. But, how do you create the perfect hardcover book mockup?

How do you make a hardcover book mockup on Placeit.net? To make a hardcover book mockup, experts choose Placeit.net as their choice to create their mockups. Placeit offers multiple templates for book mockups, and also has easy instructions to guide you to your perfect design for your book.

This article will demonstrate how to use Placeit, what the site offers, and why choosing the right book mockup is important for selling your published work. While judging a book by its cover is usually not suggested in life, a stellar book cover can make all the difference in sales.

Using Placeit to Make a Hardcover Book Mockup

Placeit is a website that offers thousands of templates to design anything, from logos to designs to videos to mockups. While designing mockups generally is difficult and daunting, Placeit makes it easy to put them together through their templates.

Getting to the Book Mockup Page

When you get to the front page of Placeit, you will click on “Mockups” on the bar at the top of the page. Below that is a smaller bat with sub-categories for mockups. Scroll to the right and you will find “Books” in the middle. Clicking that link will take you to hundreds of templates for different kinds of books, including hardcover.

This webpage will take you to 20 pages worth of templates for books. On the left sidebar, you can make customizations to your mockup. Some of the customizations include narrowing down which model you want, gender, and age. You can also change the template to the book size you want if you’re making a horizontal hardcover book or a normal one.

Another way to get to book mockups is to scroll down on the front page until you see the left sidebar, and then click on “Book.” It will take you to the same page for the mockups, but a different filter is added: “Mockups.” Here, you can use your book mockup to turn it into a Facebook advertisement, among other options.

Creating the Mockup

Many of the mockups come in various ways. For example, users can choose to have a singular book or multiple books stacked on each other in different poses. Backgrounds are customizable in most of the templates too. It’s all a matter of which design you think will look the best.

After scrolling through the templates and narrowing down the hardcover options, click on the template to take you to the customization page. The most basic hardcover mockup design, “Mockup of a Hard Cover Book Casting a Shadow,” is a good place to start.

From there on, you can click the upload design button on the left-hand side, which will pop up a window of downloads on your computer. Choose your design for your hardcover book in your saved downloads, and using the bar at the bottom, drag horizontally to determine how much of your picture you want in the boundaries. Hit “Crop” to complete or “Reset” to start over.

Start Customizing

Customizing the text on your book is full of endless possibilities. This feature is also on the left-hand side and comes with dozens of font choices along with font colors and backgrounds. To enter text onto the book mockup, type inside the box that reads “Change Me” and it saves instantly. Click the box right below on the left to change the font, and on the right, you can change the color of the text and its background.

Hover over the text box to shrink or expand the size of the text. If you’d like your text to be in separate boxes, or if you want one line or word to be different to stand out, click “Add Another Text” to create a new text box and follow the previous steps accordingly.

The sidebar on the right-hand side features options to change the book color if you don’t have a full background downloaded onto your computer. Simply click on the book color arrow and it’ll drop down dozens of different colors to use. The same method goes for the background on the book mockup if you’re using those kinds of templates.

Don’t Forget the Background

The background, when you’re choosing, has the option to be transparent, so you can customize your own background on your book mockup. You can upload a printed background or choose anything that fits the theme of your book. You can customize your own colors also if you have the hex number of a certain color not on the default setting on Placeit. Just click the “More” button, copy, then paste the number in the box below.

Users have the choice to place a graphic onto their book mockup. Click on the “Add Another Graphic” button on the right-hand side to add one to your book mockup. If you’re looking for a specific kind of graphic, use the search bar to look up keywords. However, if the graphic you’re seeking isn’t available on Placeit, click the “Custom Image” box in the graphics to upload your pre-made graphic onto the mockup.

To make sure you don’t lose your work, or if you’d like a saved copy of your finished book mockup, go towards the top and click on the “Save Draft” button on the right-hand side. A saved draft will appear below the mockup workstation to be accessed at any time. The two buttons next to the “Save Draft” button are of viable use also.

Add It to Your Favorites

The heart-shaped button called “Add to Favorites” allows you to save your mockup to your favorites section on your account. To find your favorites, go up to the top of the page and spot the heart. Click that, and all the favorites will appear there. The last button is the “Share” button, which generates a custom URL to share on social media or elsewhere. Placeit allows options to share directly with Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and LinkedIn with ease.

Lastly, to save your copy onto your computer, click the blue “Download” button at the top. To save your work from Placeit, you have to purchase it. There is a couple of options on how to do this:

• Purchase the single mockup for $7.95. For that, you get a high-resolution PNG download without a watermark and legal commercial use.
• You can also purchase a subscription for Placeit for $14.95/month or $99.95/year. Benefits include unlimited mockups, designs, videos, and logos, along with access to all the templates Placeit has to offer. Discount available here.

From there, you have completed a hardcover book mockup to use and share on social media!

Conclusion

The ease of making a hardcover book mockup for your next best-seller is possible through Placeit.net. Programs like Placeit make every aspect of creating a hardcover book simple, especially the design process and the promotional side of the book that comes along with it.

With hundreds of book templates to choose from on placeit.net, which one is the right for your book? That depends on how creative you want to get with your mockup. Placeit has multiple avenues of creativity, from customizing backgrounds to changing colors of the books to uploading your personal graphics to add uniqueness.

Social media sharing is easy with placeit.net. The Facebook Ad design lets you control the promotion of your book, and sharing mockups through Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and LinkedIn drives people not only to your book but to Placeit for their design needs.

BONUS: Placeit was kind enough to extend a 15% off discount to All Free Mockups readers. You can find the coupon here.

Regardless of what your mother and the old saying told you, most of us do judge a book by its cover. And if you’ve written a book, you’re going to want a great book cover to attract the most people.

So how do you make a great book cover mockup online? One of the best places to do this is at Placeit.net, one of the premier design sites on the web. Placeit recently introduced book cover mockups to their design lineup of everything from t-shirts to tote bags.

Placeit offers very easy to use controls and an intuitive interface. Read below and we’ll give you step by step instructions on how to make a book cover using Placeit.net.

Step by Step Instructions For Creating A Book Cover

After doing the hard work writing the book, the last thing you need is to spend time coming up with a book cover. We have a simple solution for you. Making a book cover can be both easy and fast with Placeit. The instructions are simple to follow and include:

1. Go to Placeit.net
2. Select “Book Covers” from either “Mockups” or “Designs” in the top left menu
3. Choose a template that fits your needs best
4. Enter the book title and author name on the left side of the screen
5. Choose a font and font color for your text
6. Choose a graphic or banner on the right side of the screen
7. Pick a background
8. Click “Download” in the top right menu

That’s it. Using the above instructions, you’ve just made a book cover. We tried it and it’s incredibly easy.

Reasons to Choose Placeit

There are many reasons to choose Placeit for your book cover mockup. We like it because it has:

1. Simple user interface
2. Easy instructions
3. Huge library
4. Stylish templates

1. Simple User Interface

Placeit is one of the easiest mockup tools we’ve found on the internet. It’s easy point and click work. You can also search for exactly the image you’re looking for. After that, it’s just a matter of filling in the prompts and you have a book cover.

2. Easy Instructions

The mockup tool has very clear-cut instructions for the user. It’s hard to go wrong with the way it’s laid out on the screen. It literally takes seconds to find what you’re looking for.

Even those with no design experience should have no problems making a mockup with Placeit.

3. Huge Library

Placeit boasts the biggest library of any mockup tool on the internet. Almost 5,000 images exist on the site. The benefit to users is that they invariably find an image or mockup that suits their needs.

4. Stylish Templates

Of all the sites we reviewed, Placeit.net has the most up-to-date, stylish templates. Among the ones we encountered were:

• Professional
• Casual
• Tropical
• Holiday themed

The clip art is sharp, and the verbiage is on point. However, Placeit also offers customization so you can create an original design. Among the items you can customize are:

• Brand color
• Uploading custom image
• Selecting a graphic representing your brand
• Choosing your own verbiage

More Features of Placeit

Placeit has been around the internet since 2012. They have over 90,000 pre-made templates for you to choose from and they’re adding new mockups all the time. These mockups aren’t just for book covers. Placeit offers many categories for design and mockup. They also offer mockups for:

• T-shirts
• Logo Design
• Hats
• Tote bags
• Hoodies
• iPhones
• MacBooks
• Social media posts
• Banners

Placeit promises you can never mess your design up and, after playing around with it for a while, we found that was true. It is very difficult to make a false design step on this site, since it’s all laid out neatly for you, in a user-friendly and intuitive manner.

Placeit uses a monthly subscription fee model for the site. You can get a price discount if you buy an annual subscription. There is also an option to buy per project or piece. Depending on your needs, this may be the cheapest alternative for you. The price gives you access to all of the templates and mockups.

Placeit versus Other Sites

We reviewed Placeit versus other sites on the web and found some clear conclusions. The other sites also use mockup design templates. They include:

1. Stencil
2. Design Wizard
3. Snappa
4. Adobe Spark
5. Poster My Wall

1. Stencil

Stencil is a free app that is easy and quick to use. It doesn’t have the huge library Placeit boasts or nearly as many templates. 

Bottom Line: We liked it because it was free but it didn’t have the versatility we needed or nearly as many templates as we liked.

2. Design Wizard

Design Wizard has almost as many categories as Placeit, so you can not only do book covers but also:

• Flyers
• Kindle Covers
• Sale Posters

This program is easy to use but is not free.

Bottom Line: We like it because it’s user friendly but if you want a professional looking design, you’re going to pay premium rates for it.

3. Snappa

This is a free desktop graphic designing software that makes it very easy to make your own designs in a very short time.

Bottom Line: We like it because it has a large library and is easy to use. We don’t like it because, in a free account, you’re limited to only 5 downloads a month. The free cover designs don’t look very special. You will have to pay for better cover designs.

4. Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is free and has unique design templates only available at that site. The designs are very well made, and they have a lot of them.

Bottom Line: This was our second choice for the best online book cover mockup, right behind Placeit.net. It only lacks the user-friendly interface of Placeit, which kept it in second place.

5. Poster My Wall

Poster My Wall is mainly known for:

• Posters
• Flyers
• Social Media Campaigns

There is a good selection of book cover templates and it’s free. It can be hard to edit, however, and that free price comes with a watermark.

Bottom Line: It’s user friendly but we have to pay to get the watermark off the book cover, which defeats the purpose. It’s also not as easy to edit as Placeit.

The Final Word

You have only a few seconds to catch a potential reader’s eye. You must have an excellent book cover that matches the tone of your book. Once you write your book cover and design your book cover, what should you do next? We have a few ideas for you to do on the cheap:

• Promote your book on social media – Get your book in front of as many eyes as possible. Use your awesome book cover design to gather views
• Create a writer’s page on Facebook and GoodReads
• Turn each chapter into a blog post on your personal blog
• Contact influencers and ask them to share it
• Write a guest blog post for sites covering the topic
• Visit your local newspaper and radio to share the book and possibly get interviews
• Create an Amazon page and a GoodReads page
• Write a press release and send it out

A well-written and interesting book, combined with an eye-catching book cover and publicized by you on several different channels can intrigue people into buying your book and, hopefully, giving it a good review.

BONUS: Placeit was kind enough to extend a 15% off discount to All Free Mockups readers. You can find the coupon here.

Whether you want to create a logo or another type of graphic, it can help to be able to have a transparent background. On a standard image, the background will always be the same color, and it can take up more space. But with a transparent background, you can put the image on any background, and you will not have to worry about whether the image will show or not. 

Do vector images have transparent backgrounds? Yes, vector images typically follow the EPS file format, which has a transparent background by default. When creating a vector image, there is no need to change any special settings to make the background transparent. As long as the file is saved as an EPS, it will have a transparent background.

Whether you are a graphic designer or looking to get into graphic design, you should be able to create transparent backgrounds. Designing a vector image is an easy way to do this since you don’t have to select any specific settings. If you can save your file as an EPS, you will have a transparent background.

» MORE: Do EPS Files Have a DPI? [7 Important Facts]

What Is a Transparent Background?

An image with a transparent background means that the image file has a clear background. Most photos and images have some sort of background, whether that is a landscape or a solid color. However, some images, like logos, usually have transparent backgrounds.

• An image with a transparent background will have the main image or icon. The “background” will look like the color that you put the image on.
• If you put the image in a white document, it will appear to have a white background.
• Or if you put the image on a black background, it will look black.
• On the other hand, an image that does not have a transparent background will always have the same color behind the main part of the image.
• Whether you put an image on a black or white backing, the color of the image’s background will show.

A transparent background is not always necessary, but it can be especially helpful for logos or other images that you need to print in different sizes. Working with vector images will almost guarantee that your image will have a transparent background. However, you should know how to create a transparent background.

» MORE: Why is Your PNG File Not Transparent? Easy Fixes

Why Does It Matter?

If you are deciding between having a transparent background or not, you should consider its benefits. Transparent backgrounds are common with vector images, which are often used for logos and other graphics. While you may not always need a transparent background, it can affect how the image looks.

Without a clear background, you are stuck with the color of the background you use when creating the file. Of course, this may not be a problem for images like portraits. However, if you want flexibility with the image, you should make sure it has a transparent background.

Transparent backdrops also make it easier to change the size of an image. If you have a logo that you want to include on different documents, they may require different sizes. You can use a smaller size in your business cards, but you can scale the logo to make it bigger for your website.

“Good design’s not about what medium you’re working in. It’s about thinking hard about what you want to do and what you have to work with before you start.” – Susan Kare

» MORE: 7 Reasons Why EPS Files Are So Large

How to Create a Vector Image

If you need to create an image with a transparent background, a vector file is your best option. Vector images almost always have clear backdrops, so you don’t have to worry about following any complicated steps. Now, you do have to use a program that can create vector images.

Compared to formats like JPG and PNG, you should have an image editor that you can use to create and edit the image. You may not be able to create the image in any program, but you do have a few options. Some common programs you can use to create vector images include Illustrator, Photoshop, and CorelDRAW.

As long as you save the file correctly, as an EPS file, you should have no problem using your vector image with its transparent background. Of course, you will have to pay for some of those programs. However, it will be worth it if you need to create a lot of vector images.

» MORE: Are EPS Files CMYK or RGB?

Choose Your Design Program

The first step to creating a vector image with a transparent background to choose which design program to use. Depending on your design and editing skills, you can choose a simpler program, like Placeit. Or you can use a program with more features, like Illustrator.

• Placeit is an excellent option for anyone who isn’t a designer but needs to work with vector images. It’s an online program, so you don’t have to worry about downloading anything. (Placeit is our recommended option)
• Adobe Illustrator is a popular program for working with vector images. If you already have an Adobe subscription, it won’t cost extra. It is also relatively easy to save your files as EPS files. You can create a file in Illustrator then save it as an EPS file. Make sure to set the background color to transparent.
• If you do not want to use Illustrator, you can also use Adobe Photoshop. Once you create a file, you can edit the image so that it does not have a background.
• Another option to consider is CorelDRAW. You can create an image in the program, and you can export it as an EPS file.

Whether you are a professional graphic designer or need a program for a single project, you can create a vector image with a transparent background. Once you choose the right program for you, it’s time to get to designing.

Create the Design

Depending on the program you choose, the specific steps to creating a vector image will vary. Placeit is probably the easiest program to use, and Photoshop is the hardest. So make sure you follow the steps for the program that you have.

Not only is Placeit the easiest to use, but their library of graphics is the largest and every graphic is fully commercially useable. This way you don’t have to start from scratch.

BONUS: Placeit was kind enough to extend a 15% off discount to All Free Mockups readers. You can find the coupon here.

When using Illustrator, create a file of your choice, add the elements you want, and finalize your design. To download it, save it as an EPS file. Then, go to the preview section and select Transparent for the background.

Creating a vector image in Photoshop is a bit more complicated. You will need to use the Magic Wand tool to get rid of the background. However, you can then save it as an EPS file with a clear backdrop. If you have never used Photoshop, it can take some practice to get the hang of the different tools.

CorelDRAW lets you create a file as normal, and you can add any text or images to your design. When you are ready to export your design, you can click Export and select EPS as the file type. Make sure to select a transparent background when previewing the final image.

Using Your EPS File

Once you finish designing and exporting your vector image, you can use it for many things. For one, you can put it on smaller files, like business cards. Or you can scale the image for a big billboard.

Logos are probably the most common use for vector images, but you can use them to create all sorts of graphics. And luckily, you do not need to be a professional graphic designer to create a vector image.

Central to the identity of your company or business is a visual representation of your brand, which usually will be a logo. Often, logos may become more well-known than the company’s name, so you want to have a logo that makes your organization stand out.

Can you use a stock image as a logo? No, you cannot use a stock image as a logo without having exclusive rights to the image, which are often difficult to be granted. Using a stock image as your logo will likely violate legal agreements and can result in you having to pay expensive fines. 

There are some cases where you may be able to secure the legal rights to use a stock image as your logo, but you must go through the proper channels. Plus, using a stock image for your logo may not be the best representation of your company, so it is better to have your own created.

Peak Ahead: We recommend using Placeit’s Online Logo Maker to create a custom logo. It’s more affordable than hiring a graphic designer, and comes with full commercial usage rights.

Why Can’t You Use a Stock Image as a Logo?

Legally, you do not have the rights to use stock images as logos. While these can sometimes be obtained, the process is not easy and does not even guarantee that you will be granted exclusive rights. 

What are the Restrictions on Using a Stock Image as a Logo?

Since stock images are royalty-free and readily available on the internet for free, you might think that they can be used for logos, but your logo cannot include part or all of a stock image, even if you alter it.

This restriction can be confusing because you can use stock images for other content, such as websites or printed advertising materials. The problem with using a stock image for a logo is that it will violate content use agreements. You may not even mean to violate such agreements, but it is imperative that you read through the privacy and rights sections of the platforms you get your stock images from. 

Bigstock.com, a common site to find stock images on, includes a section on using content in logos in its Standard Content Usage Agreement. In Part III, Restrictions, point 16 reads that you may not “Use any Content (in whole or in part) as a trademark, service mark, logo, or other indication of origin, or as part thereof, or to otherwise endorse or imply the endorsement of any goods and/or services.” 

Of course, each platform may have its own rules, but most of these resources will include a similar passage limiting the use of stock images as logos. Shutterstock.com, another common platform for finding stock images, includes a similar statement on its website. This page is exclusively about the use of images from Shutterstock for logos, with the company stating that its “Terms of Service does not allow photos, illustrations or vectors to be used as a logo, as part of a logo or as a trademark.” 

Making Sure Your Logo is Not a Stock Image

There are a number of ways to make sure that your logo does not include any parts of a stock image. As previously mentioned, you may not be aware that your company’s logo includes a stock image that you do not own the rights to. Someone on the design team of your organization may have incorporated a stock image without you even knowing it.

The reality is that even if you were unaware that your logo includes a stock image, you are still legally responsible for the misuse of the image. 

To avoid legal ramifications and fines, you need to make sure your logo is free of any stock images. An easy way to ensure this is to create your own logo completely. There are plenty of software applications to make this process user-friendly, and you can also hire a graphic designer to give your organization a completely unique logo.

Remember, your logo represents your organization. A stock image might fit with your company, but think about how many other companies it can also represent. There is no originality there. 

Regardless of if you hire a graphic designer or create a logo yourself, you can always use a reverse Google image search to make sure no parts of the logo include a stock image. Also, you can use this search feature to get an idea of just how many people have used a stock image by pasting it into the search engine. 

Is There Any Way to Use a Stock Image as a Logo?

If you are set on using a stock image as all or part of your logo, you may be able to gain the rights to do so. This process will vary across platforms, and not all of them will allow you to apply for the rights to an image. 

Even if you have a license to use an image online, you do not hold ownership exclusively, so you have to have a separate type of license if you want to use a stock image as a logo. 

For instance, Shutterstock.com does have a process for gaining the rights to stock images. According to the company’s site, you can attempt to gain licensing rights to use a stock image in your logo:

“[I]t is possible that we can help you to license either an image or footage clip exclusively. To do this, Shutterstock would acquire the copyright from the contributor and then grant you exclusive rights. These rights would include the ability to use the work for trademarks and logos.”

If you do apply for these rights with Shutterstock, you have to pay for the exclusive rights, and the original creator of the stock image must be willing to sell the copyright in the first place. Plus, any exclusive rights granted to you would only be applicable for future uses. All uses of the stock image prior to gaining exclusive rights would still be in effect.

Keep in mind that this is just the policy for one platform of stock images. Each platform you get stock images from will have its own policies, so you cannot assume that what one company does is the same as all others. 

Can You Use Stock Images for Your Company at All?

You can use stock images for materials created by your organization besides the logo. You are free to use stock images on websites, web pages, or promotional materials. You should still keep in mind that you always want to use images that actually are a good representation of your company.

It can be expensive to have a graphic designer create all illustrations and pictures for your company. Because of that, you can save money and use stock images on your website or posts. In most cases, though, it is better to spend a little more money on having a unique logo created than risk heavy legal fines for using a stock image in your logo.

Remember, you want to position your company or organization as the best in its field. Every detail of your company’s materials is important, so you want to include content that is the best representation of your brand. A logo is one crucial piece of your branding, and people will have a much better impression of your company if you have unique images and content.

When in doubt, read through a platform’s License Agreements and contact their customer support if you think you want a stock image in your logo. Otherwise, you are not allowed to use a stock image in your logo because you do not have exclusive rights.

Consider using a logo maker that includes full commercial usage rights. This will ensure your logo stays out of any potential legal trouble down the road (and helps you make a professional looking logo without being a graphic design expert).

BONUS: Placeit was kind enough to extend a 15% off discount to All Free Mockups readers. You can find the coupon here.

YouTube thumbnails are everywhere in its respective platform. They provide a story for what the video will be about, whether through simple texts and images, to even a reaction of the content creator about something that might catch your attention more than once. However, with some new additions and adjustments to YouTube’s aesthetics, thumbnails have gotten a major upgrade as well, being bigger and better than before. Of course, the question does need to be asked:

Why are YouTube thumbnails so big now? The main reason why YouTube thumbnails are larger in scale, unlike before, is mostly due to the major redesigns and changes that YouTube has to offer to the website now. This allows for previous channels to be seen with the same level of provocation than before, but with some more finetuning and aesthetic redesigning. 

Understanding just why YouTube decided to make their thumbnails big is crucial to both the watcher as well as the channel owner. This can greatly help with performance as well as analytical reasons as it can help to project more of what your (or other) videos have to offer. 

Why Are YouTube Thumbnails Big?

Alongside the design upgrades that YouTube has to offer for their site now, one of the many upgrades they made is the adjustments of the YouTube thumbnails of various YouTube channels. Normally these changes are seen in the main menu for when you first open the site and log into your channel, seeing the various subscribed channels you watch having their thumbnails scaled to a larger degree as well as longer video descriptions beneath them.

New Layered Format

Thumbnails are bigger than before due to one of the updates that YouTubes established for their site thanks to the new layer formatting of their YouTube channels. What this new format does is that it creates certain layers for the website so that it’s much accessible for content to be reached and clicked on. 

Often we do this with applications on our phones, primarily iPhones with their shelving accessibility, and YouTube decides to opt for something similar as well. This is seen exclusively on the desktop formatting of YouTube, for mobile has its own different story.

With this new shelving layered format, it opts for not only bigger thumbnails, which is a given, but also opts for much longer video descriptions as well that can also catch the attention of viewers. This new layered format also removes the previous designs’ “shelves” formatting, which had its categories on the left side of the desktop screen, replacing it and moving them onto the main site itself as part of the layered format.

Mobile Gets Updated Too

The same redesign of YouTube is seen in the mobile app, opting for larger thumbnails as well, though these changes are slight. This time, the look and feel of the mobile app remain the same for its usual toolbar down at the bottom, but upon clicking the video of your choice, the design changes slightly, but in a way that expresses the various recommended content. 

Now instead of smaller thumbnails with the text to its side of what the video description, the new mobile updates amps the scale of new and much bigger scales of YouTube thumbnails that appear as if they are on the main website itself. 

The scrolling down is the same, except due to this new formatting, the comments section is removed entirely from the bottom of the screen and is now its own menu to tap on. 

To be honest, it is quite annoying to get used to it, but something that does catch a lot of attention, nonetheless for many people…especially for content creators.

Time For A Queue & Answer

YouTube thumbnails are bigger due to its accessibility to not only bring more eye-catching content to its viewers but to also add more functions to its site as a whole. With the “add to queue” button being more visible to the eye than before, this allows for more viewership and content to be distributed easily within a larger scale of audience, both domestically and worldwide. Alongside the queue button is also the “Watch Later” button, too, allowing double the amount of content distribution on the site.

Does Everyone Agree With New Thumbnail Changes?

Whether you are the viewer or you are the content creator that makes enough content that enables broader viewership, the reactions to these new updates, particularly with the bigger thumbnails is really a mixed bag. You have your side that opts for this change and allows for more easy access to content as well as allows for more reason to create better and more thought-provoking content, others consider this new change as something meaningless and lose the aesthetic of what YouTube is supposed to be. 

To easily understand these reactions, we have divided it into two general categories for an easier understanding of both perspectives and thoughts on the subject at hand. 

Of course, bear in mind that this is a generalization as there is a chance that both sides have the same reactions when it comes to this new formatted update.

The Viewer

From the perspective of the viewer that uses YouTube for viewership only doesn’t necessarily agree with the new changes. Sure, it allows for easier content distribution as mentioned beforehand and allows for new channels to grow due to the eye-catching opportunities of the bigger thumbnails, the viewer wants nothing to do with that. 

Instead, they are a bit frustrated on how these thumbnails are bigger and can cut content on some of their favorite YouTubers, which were accessible to click on and watch before the new major changes. They also don’t seem to enjoy the bigger thumbnails because of how the shelving optimization also implements both tending and other categories that the viewer doesn’t want to be bothered with. 

The Content Creator

For the content creator, it is a double-edged sword when it comes to its content and ability to distribute it. Although the larger thumbnails now opt for easier access for viewership and content distribution, it can also cut content for other content creators as well and possibly more of the previous videos that were once in the recommended list before the new update. 

Despite that double-edge sword, content creators will still utilize this new bigger thumbnail update to the fullest along with its new features and will enable them to provide better and much more eye-catching thumbnails unlike before. 

Remember What Thumbnails Are For…

In the end, both the viewers and the content creator needs to remember the purpose of what thumbnails are for, to which due to new changes that YouTube made, they seemed to have forgotten about it.

The idea behind the thumbnail is to enable the content creator to create eye-catching images that go along with their video description. Sometimes these thumbnails are merely for advertisement purposes, utilizing flashy color schemes and thought-provoking words and images that make the viewer want to click. As for whether or not you agree with new bigger thumbnail changes, that is again dependent on you and must understand that that is the new normal moving forward. 

Of course, the thumbnail formats themselves don’t have to change as their size still remains the usual 1280 pixels wide by 720 pixels tall, with a minimum width of 640 pixels, or a 16:9 ratio scale. The new changes to YouTube do not change their dimensions at all. 

Whether you’re simply a lover of YouTube and enjoy sifting through countless videos day in and day out or you’re planning on becoming a YouTuber yourself, one thing that may have caught your eye is the infamous YouTube thumbnail with an arrow on it. What do these arrows mean, though? Is there a reason for this pointer, or is it a scam?

Why do YouTube Thumbnails Have Arrows? Some people will place arrows strategically in YouTube video thumbnails to get more views. And while it may work temporarily, these arrows are often used for ‘clickbait’ and will do more harm than good in the long run.

Consider using a YouTube Thumbnail Maker to make eye-catching thumbnails without relying on arrows or clickbait.

If you have ever wondered why there are arrows plastered all over some people’s videos, you have come to the right place. There is a lot that goes into these arrows. Whether they are needed or warranted or not, well, that will come down to the creator. As the consumer, you will be able to understand the infamous arrow and perhaps why you should avoid it.

» MORE: How To Make a Custom YouTube Thumbnail [YouTube Tutorial]

What is a YouTube Thumbnail?

Well, before we can dip into the world of arrows, it is important to know what a thumbnail is first. Basically, when you finish uploading a video to YouTube, you will need to create a thumbnail of your video. This thumbnail is essentially what is going to make viewers want to click.

For instance, if you created a video about making cool Superman cupcakes, then your thumbnail might be a segment of your video that shows the end result and maybe you holding up the cupcake or some other cool things.

Now, there are a few ways to go about making your intriguing thumbnail. Some people will let YouTube decide when they are done creating their video, they will settle for the pre-selected thumbnail. Others will want to select which portion of their video to feature in the thumbnail.

On the other hand, some YouTubers will create an entirely new picture for their thumbnail. These will likely be strewn with lots of gimmicks, bright colors, words, and -you guessed it- arrows. These customized thumbnails are designed to draw the attention of the viewer to get more views on the video.

» MORE: How Long Does It Take YouTube To Change A Thumbnail?

Why do YouTube Thumbnails Have Arrows?

Now that you know what a thumbnail is and the different ways to create them, you are probably wondering why the arrow? What does that do for the viewer, and how does it benefit the YouTuber who created the video?

Well, let’s think about it this way: if you were going to the mall, and you were walking around and all of the sudden a store had a big display out front with arrows pointing to a 50% discount on all store items, you’re likely going to be drawn in. The same works for arrows on a YouTube thumbnail.

Arrows are placed on YouTube thumbnails to draw people’s attention. The arrows are likely going to be accompanied by some other attention-grabbing things, such as bright and flashy colors, some crazy and intriguing wording, and different types of emoticons and emojis that make people want to click.

The problem with arrows on YouTube thumbnails is that almost all the time, arrows are used for clickbait- and people hate clickbait.

» MORE: Blurry Thumbnails on YouTube Videos: What is the Deal?

Is an Arrow Clickbait?

Arrows on a YouTube thumbnail are almost always associated with clickbait, which is essentially just false advertising. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, people use a thumbnail that has nothing to do with their video.

For instance, someone trying to put together their Superman cupcake video might use something entirely different. Instead of being honest, they might use wording on their thumbnail like ‘Lady Gaga secretly loves these – here’s why.’ This will likely be surrounded by arrows, shocked faces, and maybe a little Superman cupcake in the corner, hidden away.

The problem with clickbait is that viewers are being lied to. They want to know what Lady Gaga secretly loves, but instead, they are watching you pour eggs, flour, and sugar into a bowl for 6 minutes. Did your views go up a lot? You bet. Did you maybe gain a few followers that love baking? Sure. Did you piss a lot of people off? Definitely.

» MORE: Are All YouTube Thumbnails Copyrighted?

Using Arrows for Good and Evil

While arrows are almost always associated with being a part of clickbait, it does not mean they have to be. After all, you have the option of using arrows in your videos in an honest manner. If you want to showcase your Superman cupcake and make it the main focus by surrounding it with arrows, then do it. You’re not lying- you are just trying to get more attention.

However, if you are using arrows as clickbait, it is definitely a short-term solution. The arrows will draw in a lot of attention right off the bat. Eventually, people will get mad and refuse to look at your other videos. That is the opposite of what you want to accomplish.

So, consider following these simple rules when using arrows in your thumbnail:

• Avoid using clickbait to get attention with arrows. Remember, you are going to do a lot more harm than good if you’re lying to your viewers just to get views and likes. You may end up with a lot more negative reviews than positive- is it really worth it?
• If you opt for clickbait, make it short-term. You want to gather some attention, but not enough so that you start being one of ‘those YouTubers’ who rely on gimmicks and scams to get more views for cash.
• Use arrows for good. A few arrows are alright- as long as you are not lying to the viewers. Be real and use your arrows for good. Don’t overdo it, either. This is unprofessional. And, even if you are legit, you might still look like you are another clickbait YouTuber.
• Rely on your content. Sure, arrows can be great when you are starting out. But the end goal is to bring views because people like your content. So it’s fine to have an eye-catching thumbnail, but don’t make it look like you’re trying to charm people into clicking.

Does YouTube Allow Clickbait?

Lying to viewers can feel like you are doing something wrong- and, well, you kind of are. But it is not ‘illegal’ or against the terms of use from YouTube. While they do not support clickbait, there are no penalties against doing it. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that using clickbait is going to disappoint, annoy, and anger viewers, so it’s best to avoid it.

The unfortunate truth, though, is that most YouTubers use clickbait in order to enhance their rank in the YouTube platform. That can make it easy to want to follow suit. But you, being the professional user with top-notch content, should know you do not have to rely on clickbait.

Instead, use arrows sparingly and do not settle for dishonesty when it comes to your thumbnail. Being catchy and fun in your thumbnail is one thing, but straight up lying is an entirely different thing- don’t be that person.

Conclusion

Arrows in a YouTube thumbnail are typically used with other types of clickbait. Sometimes, clickbait can be created as a downright lie to gather more views. However, you can use arrows as attention-grabbing tools in the YouTube lineup. The goal is to not lie with your arrows. Use them sparingly to maintain a professional appearance.

Rather than relying on clickbait, consider creating eye-catching, original, thumbnails using a graphic design tool like Placeit. You’ll be able to create custom mockups, unique designs, and then craft YouTube thumbnails from their plug-and-play YouTube Thumbnail Maker.

ps. Placeit also has free templates you can use anytime!

Creating genuinely awesome thumbnails will yield far better results, both in the short term and the long run.

If you are looking to make shirts or totes to represent your company or brand look no further, Placeit, a website, can help you with that. Creating visible and useable things to show off your name is one of the best ways to spread your brand at a low budget cost. It can be one of the best ways to advertise, and there are many competing companies, so what makes this one stands out?

Does Placeit have a free trial? Yes, Placeit has free templates you can download at no cost.

Creating a catchy logo and sharing your company name is one of the best ways for everyday people to remember you and your brand. This can help you attract customers and let them have reminders of your company throughout the day. It can be one of the best things you can do.

» MORE: Is Placeit Worth It? Everything You Need To Know

Why You Should Use Placeit Free Mode

Trying the free mode out will help you understand how the entire websites works you will be able to choose between making a video, selecting a design or a logo, picking a product, and you can even decide to brand a gaming platform. On Placeit, by using a free account you will still have unlimited downloads but you can only choose from a limited library of free templates. This will allow you to see how easy it is to use, and see if it’s worth it for you to upgrade to a paid plan and get access to their 60,000+ premium templates.

Learning how the program works through a free mode can help you decide if the professional design tools are something you will use in the future. If, after using the free templates, you decide it is not for you, there are no strings attached. Learning to create impressive items can leave impressions on the right customers, so it is definitely worth it to try the free version out before you buy a subscription.

» MORE: How to Use Placeit.net: Full Beginner Tutorial

What Is The Pricing For Placeit

Placeit has 4 different membership options:

• Free Account: Limited free library
• Single Download: From $2.99-$39.99 per download
• Monthly Unlimited: $14.95 per month
• Annual Unlimited: $89.69 per year

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

The monthly payment plan and the annual payment plan come with unlimited access and downloads to everything they offer. This includes mockup images, mockup videos, design templates, logo templates, and more.

Both subscription plans can be canceled at any time, there are no contracts. Depending on how much you plan to design and create, it may be worth it to do a monthly plan, even if it’s just for 1 month.

Pro Tip: If the free plan is not enough for you, in most cases the monthly plan is the best option. You can get a full month of unlimited downloads for only $12.70 compared to a single download that may cost up to $39.99. Check the price of the single download, and see if it makes more sense to get 1 month of unlimited instead.

» MORE: How Much Does Placeit Cost? Is it Worth it?

What Can You Design on Placeit

By now, you may be curious as to what you can design on Placeit. There are so many items listed that you can design and create it’s hard to choose one thing. Here is a list of some of the items you can create that may be fun and useful for a branding image!

» MORE: Can Placeit Be Used for Commercial Use?

Mockups

A mockup is a real sized product that is used for demos and also used to create designs. Placeit’s mockups can help you understand the impression that the merchandise will leave on a customer. It can be one of the most beneficial things to do when creating a business. With Placeit, you will be able to see the full size of a product, design it, and download the prototype of the mockup. This will allow you to promote products through social media before you have it ready, gaining attention from potential clients.

• Apparel – Have a t-shirt design you want to sell? Placeit has the largest library of t-shirt mockups anywhere. Simply upload your t-shirt design, and create professional looking photographs of models wearing your design!

• Pillows – Not only are there various sizes to choose from, but you can also get an entire matching bedspread with your logo on it! You can choose the style and size.

• Tops – This is a broad category, there are many different styles of t-shirts you can choose from ranging in sizes useful for all sorts of customers. There are hoodies and tank tops, all of these can carry your brand or logo. You can design them as beautiful or grungy as you would like.

• Workout Gear – If you are a personal trainer or a health enthusiast, this is a perfect place for you to checkout. You can put your designs on yoga pants and leggings as well as sports bras and men’s shorts.

• Mugs – You can create accessories with your brand’s logo or image. On top of regular mugs in various styles, you can also choose between different travel mugs.

• Computer Accessories – You will be able to create laptop cases and designs. You can also choose to do phone covers and phone grips. Something every consumer uses on a daily basis.

• Business Accessories – Placeit has a wide variety of things you can use for your business or program. They have business cards, flyers, magazine covers, book covers, and much more. You can choose different designs for each and select the quantity you need.

» MORE: Make an Online T-shirt Mockup in Seconds Using Placeit.net

Designs

On top of all the mockups, Placeit has incredible designs to choose from.

• T-Shirt Design Maker – Placeit offers one of the largest libraries of t-shirt design templates. If you are in the print on-demand business, Placeit is going to be your secret weapon for making designs.

• Social Media Templates – Need eye catching designs for social media posts? Placeit has you covered with pre-made templates so you can swap out images with your own, and change the text to fit your needs. These range from Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, and more.

• YouTube & Twitch – Creating a YouTube end screen, a YouTube intro, or a Twitch overlay has never been easier. Choose from templates and customize them to fit your brand in minutes.

• Advertisements – Placeit even has a library of templates for creating online advertisements. These range from banner ads, sidebar ads, social media ads, and more.

» MORE: How To Make A Custom YouTube Thumbnail on Placeit [Video Tutorial]

Logos

Although Placeit became famous for it’s Mockups feature, it won’t be long until the word starts spreading about Placeit’s incredible logo maker.

• Logo Maker – The technology built into the logo maker seems to be years ahead of the other logo makers out there. Create truly professional, and original, logos in a few clicks (and for a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional graphic designer).

» MORE: How To Make A YouTube Logo With Placeit

Pros and Cons of Using Placeit

With every website, there are pros and cons; you should know what they are before choosing the business you go with.

Pros:

•    Largest template library anywhere, over 90,000+ templates.

•    Easy to use and easy to navigate.

•    Saves your progress and all previous downloads.

•    Quick downloading straight to your computer

•    Budget-friendly if you are doing a month-to-month option.

•    High-resolution image and video downloads.

•    Important: Full commercial usage rights on all downloads!

Cons:

•    You have to buy the merchandise separately. This website is only for creating the designs and does not print any physical products.

•    No ability to download a Photoshop Document version of your design.

•    Free library is limited compared to premium library.

» MORE: PlaceIt vs. SmartMockups: What Works Better?

Final Thoughts on Placeit

This is a great beginner program that is easy and convenient to use. It is one of the first design websites that have been created, and the site keeps updating to stay with all of the latest trends. Ps. They add roughly 600 new templates per week!

Spreading your logo around the community can help your business by promoting a specific brand image. It can be one of the best investments you make. Creating professional-looking designs is the first step to building a fantastic name for your company. Placeit can help you create, edit, and share it all in one place.

The world of copyrighting can be quite tricky to navigate, and if navigated, it can cost you plenty of money. Technology has made it incredibly easy to right click and save images, text, and videos without much thought. Unfortunately, this is also a way that many people find themselves in trouble for infringing copyright laws.

Can YouTube thumbnails be copyrighted? Yes, YouTube thumbnails can be copyrighted. Although the images are small, and often part of a larger image, they can be copyrighted.

Consider using a copyright-free YouTube thumbnail maker to ensure your thumbnails are 100% legal, and even give you the option to copyright protect them yourself.

Because of this reality, it is crucial to understand how to find and use an image for a YouTube thumbnail properly. In this article, you will find out how to effectively use a thumbnail image for your YouTube video without running into legal trouble.

» MORE: Can You Use Google Images for a YouTube Thumbnail?

Are All Thumbnails Copyrighted?

Thumbnails seem to be such an insignificant part of the YouTube process; however, they are a significant factor in the amount of traffic that arrives at your channel. If you are monetizing your YouTube channel and using a thumbnail created by someone else to drive traffic to your channel, you are likely breaking copyright law. However, in law, this has been a slightly gray area, and there may be some exceptions to this rule.

Adam Garson explains some of the legal ramifications of thumbnail images in the article Thumbnail Images – Infringement or Fair Use. There are many laws and rules when it comes to using images for monetary gain without proper permission. When thinking of large images, the laws are quite clear; however, thumbnail images need to have a series of questions answered to determine copyright issues. Garson explains:

“The more transformative (i.e., changed) the use of the thumbnails and the more distant the purpose of the thumbnails are from the original purpose of the images, the more likely the use will be construed as fair use.”

Therefore, when you use an image for a thumbnail, it is likely fair use, but you need to use caution, especially if you have monetized your YouTube channel.”

» MORE: Are All YouTube Thumbnails Copyrighted?

How Do I Safely Use a Thumbnail Image?

When using a thumbnail image to drive traffic to your YouTube channel, the safest thing you can do is use an image that you created. Brad Templeton, author of 10 Big Myths About Copyright Explained, shares that any image you create and upload yourself is automatically protected with copyright and does not need to be registered. 

Because an image is copyrighted to the owner upon upload, it is imperative that you know where the photo is coming from that you are using. If you are using an image that belongs to someone else, you must have explicit permission to use the image for monetization. Without this express permission, you can be held liable for copyright infringement.

With that said, using a commercially approved YouTube thumbnail maker will allow you to skip all the hassle and use any of their photos without worry of copyright infringement. You can even use these thumbnails on your monetized videos!

» MORE: Can You Use Logos in Your YouTube Thumbnails?

What Happens When You Use a Copyrighted Thumbnail?

If you choose to play the risk game and use a random image from a search engine or other source without proper permission or credit, you can be held liable for infringement. If the owner of the image discovers it is being used, they have the right to request that the image be removed. If you fail to comply with the request, you could face a lawsuit.

You Have Permission

Let’s say you have asked the owner for permission to use their image for your thumbnail. Legally you have permission to use the image, and the owner cannot file charges against you. However, if you are planning to monetize with the image you are using, this needs to be disclosed to the owner of the image.

When gaining permission from the owner, you need to have it in writing, and you need to have specific disclosures included. The Stanford University Library offers the article The Basics of Getting Permission, which walks you through the process of legally using a copyrighted image, in this case, for your thumbnail on YouTube. 

The process you need to follow involves these steps:

1. Find out if the item is copyrighted
2. Determine who the owner is
3. Understand the exact rights you need to use the image
4. Contact the owner not only to get permission but to see what monetary compensation they are requesting for the use of the image. Note: Not all owners will request financial reimbursement, but it is professional to follow this step and not assume the image is free to use.
5. Get permission in writing. If you are planning to monetize the channel using the thumbnail, you need to have this written into the permission as well, so there is evidence that it has been fully disclosed to the owner of the image.

Failing to follow these steps can result in legal action being taken by the owner of the image you are using.

How Do You Find the Owner?

Finding the owner of a photo can be a bit challenging, but it isn’t impossible to do. If you are looking at stock images, the individual likely sold the image to the specific company for use. Often, the owner’s name and contact information are present. 

If you are looking online and find an image that is not in a stock photo vault, the search may be a bit more challenging, but again, not impossible. If the photo is in a blog, the best starting point would be to reach out to the blog owner to determine where they got the photo and to find proper contact information.

Can You Use the Photo if You Can’t Identify the Owner?

Choosing to use a photo that does not belong to you and without proper permission for monetization is risky. While there aren’t filters like those in place for videos, it is easy enough for an individual to come across their photo and recognize it. If this happens, the best-case scenario would be a request to remove the photo. The worst-case scenario will be a legal case if monetization is involved. 

Ideally, you want to find the owner of the image before using it to benefit yourself. If you choose to ignore this recommendation, you need to be prepared for the consequences that may follow.

Use Your Own Photo

As you can see, many factors must be considered before using an image for a thumbnail. While the fair use policy may protect you, there is also a chance that it won’t. To avoid potential legal issues, it would be wise to use your own photo to drive traffic to your channel.

When you put a photo online, it is automatically copyrighted as your original work. You may wish to use the letter “c” inside a circle, but this is not always necessary. If you are searching online and find your image has been used by another individual, you have the right to request that it be removed. 

If you are in doubt of who the creator or owner is, don’t think it will just be okay to use the image. Find another image or create your own to save yourself a headache.

» MORE: How To Make A Custom YouTube Thumbnail [YouTube Tutorial]

Final Thoughts

While copyright laws can seem a bit overwhelming and challenging to follow, they are really in place to protect you. You must understand how they affect you and the decisions you make when posting thumbnails to your YouTube channel. Any time you use work that does not belong to you to benefit yourself, you must receive permission and often give credit. 

Don’t fall into the trap that providing credit is enough to allow the use of the image. Copyrighted images will not always be labeled as such. Therefore, you must do your due diligence to ensure you are following proper use guidelines.

We recommend using a commercially approved YouTube thumbnail maker to ensure you don’t get into a risky copyright infringement situation. The last thing you want is for your video to blow up and you get in trouble for the thumbnail!