Episode 15: Creating Thumbnails For My TpT YouTube Channel Using Canva

I use Canva for all of my graphics.  Today I am going to show you how to use it to create thumbnails specifically for YouTube.

  1. Sign in (create your free account if you need to)
  2. Create a new design.  Type Youtube Thumbnail and it will automatically create the correct size.
  3. Pick a few templates you like.  You are going to customize them for your brand.
  4. Change the colors.  It’s easy to select an item and change the color at the top.
  5. If you need to upload some pictures of yourself.
  6. Pick a picture you like to be on the cover.  Crop it as needed.
  7. Change the title to match the title you will use on YouTube.
  8. Add any other pictures you like.  I have been putting a sunflower on mine.  I love sunflowers.
  9. Put your logo on it.  Just drag and drop the file anywhere on the Canva page.  Resize it and drag it where you think it looks good.
  10. I like to put an episode number on the thumbnail simply because it helps me stay organized.  I do not put the episode number in my title or description on YouTube.

I hope this will help guide you through the process of creating graphics with Canva.  It’s a user-friendly program. Let me know if you have any questions about it.

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