YouTube thumbnail
1280 × 720
Social posts · 16:9
| Pixel size | 1280 × 720 px |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Total pixels | 921,600 · 0.9 MP |
| Print size at 300 dpi | 108.4 × 61 mm |
| Orientation | Landscape |
| Uncompressed size | 2.6 MB |
| Rough JPEG size | 225 KB |
Sizes that avoid cropping when you post. Square and portrait take up more of the screen.
How to read this
- If the aspect ratio is wrong, the platform crops it. Matching the ratio matters more than matching the pixel count.
- Print assumes 300 dpi: divide the pixels by 300 for inches, then multiply by 25.4 for millimetres.
- On screen, dpi is irrelevant — only the pixel size counts. Dpi only means something when you print.
- Enlarging a small image makes it blurry. Start bigger than you need and scale down instead.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What size is YouTube thumbnail?
1280×720 pixels, a 16:9 aspect ratio — 921,600 pixels in all, about 0.9 megapixels.
Q. How big is YouTube thumbnail when printed?
At 300 dpi it comes out 108.4×61 mm — the pixels divided by 300 for inches, then multiplied by 25.4.
Q. How large is a YouTube thumbnail file?
Uncompressed, roughly 2.6 MB; saved as JPEG, usually around 225 KB. A photograph and a flat graphic can differ several times over.
Q. What group does YouTube thumbnail belong to?
The social posts group, and it is wider than it is tall. Other sizes with the same ratio are listed below.
Same aspect ratio
When the ratio matches you can just resize — no cropping needed.