Free Thumbnail & Social Post Maker
Make YouTube thumbnails, Instagram posts, stories and banners for X, Facebook and Pinterest — bold text, your photos and cut-outs, and safe-area guides for each platform. Free, in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Drag text and images to move them — they snap to the centre. Put *asterisks* around words to highlight them.
Templates
Templates restyle the background and text — your words and images stay.
Layers
Tip: a PNG with a transparent background (a cut-out of you or a product) gets a sticker-style border that follows its outline.
Background
Adjust & effects
How it works
- Pick a size and templateYouTube thumbnail, Instagram square, portrait or story, X, Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest. Templates set the look in one click.
- Add your words and imagesType a punchy headline, highlight a word with *asterisks*, and drop in a photo or a cut-out of yourself. Drag everything into place.
- Check and downloadPink guides show what each platform covers up, and the phone-size preview shows whether it still reads. Download a JPG or PNG.
Sizes at a glance
| Where | Size | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | JPG or PNG under 2 MB. The video length covers the bottom-right corner. |
| Instagram square | 1080 × 1080 | The profile grid shows a 3:4 crop, so keep text away from the sides. |
| Instagram portrait | 1080 × 1350 | Takes up the most room in the feed. |
| Story, Reel or Shorts cover | 1080 × 1920 | Keep the top 13% and bottom 20% clear of text. |
| X / Twitter post | 1600 × 900 | 16:9 shows uncropped in the timeline. |
| Facebook / LinkedIn link | 1200 × 630 | The standard link-preview image size. |
| Pinterest pin | 1000 × 1500 | 2:3 is the recommended pin shape. |
FAQ
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
1280 × 720 pixels (16:9), as a JPG, PNG or GIF under 2 MB. This tool exports exactly that size and keeps the JPG under 2 MB automatically.
How do I make a thumbnail with my face cut out?
Use a PNG of yourself with a transparent background — many phones can lift a subject out of a photo with a long press, and free background-removal tools can do it too. Add it as Image 1 with the shape set to “As is”, then turn up the border for the classic sticker outline.
How do I highlight one word in a different colour?
Put asterisks around it — for example THIS *ONE* TRICK — then choose the highlight colour. Press Enter in the text box to start a new line.
What makes a good thumbnail?
Few words (five or fewer), very large text with a strong outline or box, one clear subject such as a face, and high contrast. Check the phone-size preview: most people see your thumbnail at about 170 pixels wide.
Are my images uploaded?
No. Everything is drawn in your browser on your own device. Your photos never leave it.
Can I use the designs commercially?
Yes. The designs are yours and the fonts are open-licensed for commercial use. Make sure you have the rights to any photos you add.
Is it free?
Yes — free with no sign-up and no watermark, supported by the ads on the page.
More free tools
YouTube is a trademark of Google LLC; Instagram and Facebook of Meta Platforms, Inc.; LinkedIn of LinkedIn Corporation; Pinterest of Pinterest, Inc.; X of X Corp. Platform names are used only to describe image sizes. Glowtrack Studio is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.