How to Make a YouTube Banner in DesignScape

Whether you make videos about makeup, crafts, money, or pranks, you'll want an awesome banner for your YouTube channel. This tutorial will go through the steps for creating a YouTube banner in DesignScape that will fit your style and channel.

Although DesignScape is entirely browser-based, there's so much you can do with the software. DesignScape is available only for Gold Plus members, but we have an amazing free 30-day trial for the Gold Plus Membership.

Before we begin, think about the kind of videos you make and how you want to come across to your audience. You want your audience to get a sense of what your channel is about when they see your banner.

Step 1 - Create a New YouTube Banner Project

First, follow our guide on starting a new project in DesignScape. Use the recommended YouTube banner dimensions of 2560 x 1440 pixels. Your banner should have an aspect ratio of 16:9, and the file size must be under 6MB.

Step 2 - Create Safe Area Rectangle

YouTube channel banners are displayed on all devices (TV, desktop, tablet, mobile), but parts of the banner are cut off depending on the device. There is a safe area in the center of the banner that is always seen no matter what device you're on. That safe area is 1546 x 423 pixels. You want to keep your logo and text inside this safe area.

The following image isn't to scale, but it'll help to give you a better understanding of what's viewable across devices.

We will create a rectangle to use as a guide while making our banner. You can add rectangles or lines for the rest of the areas if you want.

Select the Rectangle tool (U), change the Fill to none, and pick a Stroke color. Click on the canvas, and enter 1546 for the width and 423 for the height. Then click OK.

Select the Move Tool (V) and click and drag the rectangle until it snaps to the center. You will see a red vertical and horizontal line when the rectangle is in the center of the canvas.

Note: you can lock the safe area layer by clicking the padlock icon in the Layers panel.

Step 3 - Add A Background and Rearrange the Layers

Select a background you like that fits your channel. We chose a rose gold acrylic paint background.

Drag and drop your background file onto the canvas.

Use the Move Tool (V) to resize your background image to cover the whole canvas and move the background if needed.

Move Safe Area Rectangle Layer to the Top

We want the safe area rectangle layer to be at the top so we can see it while creating the banner. Click and drag the rectangle layer to the top of the layers list.

Step 4 - Add Text

Now we will add some text to the banner, such as the channel name and a little saying underneath that describes what you do, what your channel is about, when/how often you upload videos, or a call-to-action phrase.

We used the hand-lettered script font, Freshly Baked, and the spunky font, Toddler Tantrums. You can take a look at our guide on how to import fonts if needed.

Select the Text Tool (T) and pick your font. Open the Color Picker from the top toolbar, choose a color and click OK.

Click on the canvas (outside the rectangle) and enter your channel name. Adjust the font size in the top toolbar as needed.

Select the Move Tool (V) and move the text inside the rectangle.

Add a Drop Shadow if Needed

If your text is a little hard to see, adding a drop shadow can help it stand out.

Select the text layer, right-click and choose Duplicate Layer.

Change the bottom text layer's color to black.

With the Move Tool (V), shift the bottom black text layer to the right and down using the arrow keys.

Right-click on the bottom text layer and select Convert to Smart Object.

With the Smart Object still selected, go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Adjust the Gaussian Blur Radius to your liking and click OK. We used a value of 3.2 px.

Repeat Step 4 to add more text if needed.

Step 5 - Add a Photo or Graphics

This step is optional, but photos and graphics can make your banner pop and help to add some personality. Simply drag and drop the image files onto the canvas, then resize and move them as desired.

We used a female character creator along with some back-to-school graphics to create our image, and we also made a little curved arrow using the Pen tool (P).

Step 6 - Export the Banner

Before we export the banner, we have to hide the safe area rectangle. Click the eye icon next to the rectangle layer's thumbnail to hide the layer.

Now, all we have to do is save and export the file so we can upload it onto the YouTube channel. Remember that your file must be 6MB or smaller.

Thanks for checking out this tutorial! We hope it helped you with creating a cool YouTube banner.