How Do I Make A Cool Thumbnail Using Photoshop? Help please.

James Reilly

James Reilly

Vlogger And A Huge Doctor Who Lover
Hi guys one problem in my channel I have is i struggle to make cool thumbnails I have photoshop but i struggle to use it which is a bummer. Can you guys give me any advice tips and tricks on how to make cool thumbnails on Photoshop. I would really appreciate it :)
 
I think u should watch photoshop tutorials on YouTube, very helpful!
Otherwise my secret is I use the brush to trim off my body from background and put the fancy background behind me :)
 
I saw you asking on my video on how I do mine. I dunno when I'll be able to do a video tutorial any time soon, but I can help explain it?
First I blur the background:
Take the LASSO tool and draw around yourself, then once that's all selected and highlighted, go to "effects" and then "blurs", then pic gaussian blur.
Background blurred, check!
Next I make rectangular shapes for the title.
Go to the shape maker tool, pic the color that you want and then draw them in! You can adjust the opacity on the layers toolbar.
Then add in some font and whatever else.
A lot of photoshop is just trial and error and figuring things out :)
 
Ciarra deBritto said:
I saw you asking on my video on how I do mine. I dunno when I'll be able to do a video tutorial any time soon, but I can help explain it?
First I blur the background:
Take the LASSO tool and draw around yourself, then once that's all selected and highlighted, go to "effects" and then "blurs", then pic gaussian blur.
Background blurred, check!
Next I make rectangular shapes for the title.
Go to the shape maker tool, pic the color that you want and then draw them in! You can adjust the opacity on the layers toolbar.
Then add in some font and whatever else.
A lot of photoshop is just trial and error and figuring things out :)
Click to expand...
hahahah ye Ciarra thumbnails are always best! I m watching her videos so long! and her thumbnails are super catchy!
 
Ciarra deBritto said:
I saw you asking on my video on how I do mine. I dunno when I'll be able to do a video tutorial any time soon, but I can help explain it?
First I blur the background:
Take the LASSO tool and draw around yourself, then once that's all selected and highlighted, go to "effects" and then "blurs", then pic gaussian blur.
Background blurred, check!
Next I make rectangular shapes for the title.
Go to the shape maker tool, pic the color that you want and then draw them in! You can adjust the opacity on the layers toolbar.
Then add in some font and whatever else.
A lot of photoshop is just trial and error and figuring things out :)
Click to expand...
Jawad Soomro said:
hahahah ye Ciarra thumbnails are always best! I m watching her videos so long! and her thumbnails are super catchy!
Click to expand...
Thank you Ciarra thats great and so helpful :) You are awesome :) Yeah i love her thumbnails :)
 
wow, blurring the backround seems like a legitimate idea. Or making your own template, or making your own epic picture like the one i posted here (me being the spiderman of gainz) i have to keep my reputation up, slaying dragons and staying keen, i killed them all, heres a pic (srs) 400percentkeen.jpg
 
It varies depending on what you're looking for. For my newer thumbnails I wanted something that didn't match with the rectangular space YouTube gives me, so I made a white background to match YouTube's background and rounded rectangles.

There's a few tips I can give you, though:

1. Watch out for the bottom-right corner. Typically, YouTube puts a timestamp or something over that corner. So if you put a logo or title on the thumbnail, don't put it in that corner.

2. Watch out for the upper-left corner. Some players put something on that corner as well, so it's a good idea to leave it clear of anything important as well, though this is less common. So if you need the space, you can use it. #1 is much more important!

3. Don't let it look flat. You can give the thumbnail some depth using lighting effects, gradients, textures, overlays, or whatever. Try it out!

4. Clipping masks are my friend. They allow you to show an image through another layer. So, in my case, I use it for a window effect on my thumbnails. Works wonders, and I suggest it for anyone looking to make a unique thumbnail.

5. Stroke what needs stroking. Okay... so an outline works wonders on text (as well as drop shadows) but sometimes that doesn't work for images or logos. So try it out and see if you like the strokes. Also, my logo uses a white stroke with a black stroke on top. I really like how it ends up.

I hope that helps! I'm just passing it on from the elder YouTubers who told me their secrets in the hidden mountain cave. :p
 
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