youtube-thumbnail-design

The saved excerpt is a snapshot from when this skill was listed. The external source remains the complete and most current version.

---
name: youtube-thumbnail-design
description: "YouTube thumbnail design with specific dimensions, contrast rules, and mobile preview optimization. Covers safe zones, text placement, face expression psychology, and A/B testing. Use for: YouTube thumbnails, video cover images, click-through optimization. Triggers: youtube thumbnail, thumbnail design, video thumbnail, click through rate, ctr optimization, youtube cover, video cover image, thumbnail maker, thumbnail tips, youtube design, video preview image"
allowed-tools: Bash(belt *)
---

> **Install the belt CLI skill:** `npx skills add belt-sh/cli`

# YouTube Thumbnail Design

Create high-CTR YouTube thumbnails with AI image generation via [inference.sh](https://inference.sh) CLI.

## Quick Start

> Requires inference.sh CLI (`belt`). [Install instructions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/inference-sh/skills/refs/heads/main/cli-install.md)

```bash
belt login

# Generate a thumbnail
belt app run falai/flux-dev-lora --input '{
  "prompt": "YouTube thumbnail style, close-up of a person with surprised excited expression looking at a glowing laptop screen, vibrant blue and orange color scheme, dramatic studio lighting, shallow depth of field, high contrast, cinematic",
  "width": 1280,
  "height": 720
}'
```


## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
|------|-------|
| Dimensions | 1280 x 720 px (minimum) |
| Recommended | 1920 x 1080 px |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Max file size | 2 MB |
| Formats | JPG, GIF, PNG |

## The 120px Test

Your thumbnail appears at roughly **120px wide** on mobile — that's how most viewers first see it.

**At 120px, viewers must be able to identify:**
1. The mood/emotion (from colors and expression)
2. The general subject (from composition)
3. The text (if any — only if large enough)

**Test:** view your thumbnail at 120px width. If it's a muddy blur, redesign.

## Safe Zones

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                             │
│   ✅ SAFE FOR TEXT AND KEY ELEMENTS         │
│                                             │
│                                             │
│                                             │
│                                             │
│                                       ┌───┐ │
│                                       │ ⏱ │ │ ← Timestamp overlay
│                              ┌────────┴───┘ │    (bottom-right)
│   ┌────┐                     │  DURATION    │
│   │ CH │ Chapter marker      └──────────────│
└───┴────┴────────────────────────────────────┘
     ↑ Bottom-left: chapter/progress markers
```

**Avoid placing critical elements in:**
- Bottom-right corner (video duration timestamp)
- Bottom-left corner (chapter markers, progress bar)
- Extreme edges (cropping varies by device)

## Color Strategy

### High-Contrast Pairs That Work

| Combination | Mood | Best For |
|-------------|------|----------|
| Yellow + Black | Urgency, attention | Tech, business, lists |
| Red + White | Energy, excitement | Entertainment, reactions |
| Blue + Orange | Professional contrast | Education, tutorials |
| Green + White | Growth, money | Finance, success stories |
| Purple + Yellow | Premium, creative | Design, art, creativity |
| White + Dark | Clean, minimal | Luxury, minimalist channels |

### Color Rules

- **Background** and **text/subject** should be complementary or high-contrast
- Avoid same-temperature colors touching (red on orange = mud)
- Use **3 colors maximum** per thumbnail
- Saturate more than real life — thumbnails compete with bright UI

## Text on Thumbnails

### When to Use Text

- Lists/numbers: "7 Tips", "Top 10"
- Strong opinions: "STOP Doing This"
- Results: "$10K in 30 Days"
- Comparisons: "vs" between two things

### When NOT to Use Text

- The video title already says it (redundant)
- The emotion/visual tells the story
- You can't make it large enough to read at 120px

### Text Rules

| Rule | Reason |
|------|--------|
| Max 6 words | Readability at thumbnail