How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail in Photoshop

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Open a New Photoshop Document.

   Press Ctlr+N or go to File and then New. 1280×720 or 1920×1080 will be good for a thumbnail.
2. 2

   Step 2: Startup with the background.

   Fill the background with a gradient.
   
   To do this, select the gradient tool (hold down the Paint Bucket tool).
   
   Choose a fill option from the gradient samples.
   
   Then press and hold to make a starting point and ending point. , For example, you might add a logo.
   
   To add that image, go to File then Place. , In order to do this press "T" and type what you want to display.
   
   Add some effects to the text if desired, such as drop shadow.
   
   To do this, hit Drop Shadow from the little FX icon. , Hold down the shape tools icon and select the rectangle tool.
   
   Then drag in your image to draw the rectangle; decrease its opacity to 50% or 25%.
   
   Make sure that the rectangle layer is under the text layer. , Go to File and choose Save for web.
   
   Select PNG-24 and press Save.
3. 3

   Step 3: Add a picture to the thumbnail.

4. 4

   Step 4: Add text.

5. 5

   Step 5: Put a rectangle behind the text (optional).

6. 6

   Step 6: Save the thumbnail.

Detailed Guide

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