Hey everyone, welcome back to my YouTube channel. If you're new here, my name is Glow with Gia, and I'm a full-time digital marketer. Today's video is going to be a super easy and beginner-friendly tutorial on how I made thumbnails like these on camera alone. Now, if you're anything like me, you've probably sat there and thought, "Oh, my gosh, Photoshop just sounds like it's so technical. I'm gonna need all kinds of equipment to even be able to use it." So, in today's video, I'm gonna be showing you guys a really easy way that you can start making your own YouTube thumbnails for free. So, you're not gonna have to pay anyone, you don't need any experience, you don't need much skill. It's literally little to no effort. So, it doesn't matter if you don't have a creative background, you're still gonna be able to make a beautiful, high-color thumbnail with the method I'm about to show you today.
For the tutorial that we're going to be doing, you're going to need a Canva account. Now, don't worry. You don't have to enter any card details. It's completely free. What you're going to do is head to the first link down in my description, and you're going to click on it. You're going to sign up for your free Canva account.
Now that you've created, or you've logged into your Canva account, what we're going to go ahead and do is type in "Thumbnails" because this actually gives you the exact sizing that you're going to need, again. It's going to do that for any template that you could possibly want. So, whether it's Instagram logos, videos, Instagram posts, everything like that, you're gonna be able to find the exact measurements that you're gonna need.
So, yeah, we're gonna go ahead and click on YouTube thumbnail. As you can see, we've got a whole bunch of templates that we can actually work off. If you're not that artistically inclined, you can go ahead and pick any of these thumbnails. They have them in literally every niche. As you can see, there's like, I think this is like gaming, there's food, there's fitness, there's, you know, like vlogging lifestyle, there's beauty. There's literally every kind of niche that you could possibly imagine. There's already templates on Canva for that. On here, for the purpose of this video, we're going to start off with a blank thumbnail. I'm going to be showing you guys how I make a business niche thumbnail. But like I said, if there's any templates that you guys like on here, if there's anything that works for you already, you can go ahead and use that. Then, you can swap out the text, you can maybe change the fonts, all the colors. And that's about it.
Just so you get a brief understanding of how Canva works, here are the sections: the template section. So, it's the pre-made YouTube thumbnails. This is the element, so you'll be able to find cute little graphic designs that you can go ahead and add. The uploads, that's where you're going to be able to post any of your pictures, any of your own media that you would like to add to your thumbnails or your designs. You can go ahead and grab from the upload section. In the photo section, you have the non-copyright images. So, you can go ahead and search any niche. You're going to be able to find anything that you need right here.
Here's where you're going to find the text. So, you'll find different pre-made designs if you wanted like a certain font and style with the effects. They've already got a bunch. In the style section, they've actually got palettes that you can use to change up the colors and the fonts of your design. In the likes section, if there's any elements or any images that you really like, you can go ahead and just put a little heart on them, and it saves them here for future use. Logos, if you happen to have any logos that you'd like to upload, it's just easy access to have them there as well. And the folders, it's basically just where you'll get any of the bookmarked or saved designs or templates.
So, yeah, I know most people will typically start off with their background. I always like to upload the centerpiece or the person that's going to be in the thumbnail just so that I can make sure that all of the colors match up and everything like that. If you happen to have your own images, or if you're going to be using a picture of yourself in your thumbnails, you can go ahead and like I said, you can add it to the uploads and then just drag and drop it straight into here. For my one, I'm going to just go ahead and search money.
Now, I really like this one right here. But you're probably thinking there's a background on that one already. Don't worry, I'm going to go ahead and drag and drop this one into here, and I'm going to show you guys how I remove the background through Canva itself. Now, on Canva, you can actually find some that already have the background removed, like this one here. Just so you guys can see the background a bit better, I'm going to change it to, let's say, gray. And we're going to click edit image, and we're going to go into background remover. Now, this literally takes a few seconds to load; it's one click, and the background is completely gone. Just as a little tip, if you do happen to take your own thumbnail pictures of yourself or someone else, whatever it may be, make sure that you're doing it up against a clean background. So, it doesn't matter if it's like black, white, gray or whatever. This just makes it easier for Canva to be able to detect what it needs to cut out.
The only reason why I'm moving him to the corner so much is because I want to make sure that there's enough space for my text. So, what I'm going to do now is I'm going to go ahead and remove the background. Now, we can actually choose a nice background for this image. Just some advice, when you're picking out the background, if you want to put text by itself over it without any blocks, make sure that it's a solid background. So, something like this would work perfectly because you can put text directly onto it for a nice amount of contrast especially if it's like a white.
Tip: What we're going to do is we're going to go ahead and pick a background. I'm feeling a green background, actually. So, we're gonna type in green background. I'm gonna go ahead and add this one, and now we're gonna bring it to the back. So, I'm gonna click position and bring it backwards. For the video of the thumbnail that I'm making today, it's called "How to Make Money Online." What I'm going to do, I've already kind of got a vision in my head for how I want this to look. So, I'm gonna add like a laptop, maybe with some stats somewhere, and just text, and maybe like "Make $500 per day online" or something like that.
Q: How can I create YouTube thumbnails with Canva?
A: To create YouTube thumbnails with Canva, you can follow a step-by-step tutorial provided in the description. It offers an easy and beginner-friendly approach for making appealing thumbnails.
Q: What do I need to get started with Canva for thumbnail creation?
A: To get started with Canva for thumbnail creation, you will require a Canva account. The account registration process is free without the need for any card details. Simply sign up through the provided link in the description.
Q: How can I utilize Canva features for thumbnail design?
A: After creating or logging into your Canva account, you can utilize the search function to find specific templates such as 'thumbnails' that provide the exact sizing required for YouTube thumbnails. Canva offers a wide range of templates for various niches.
Q: What steps are involved in designing a custom thumbnail in Canva?
A: To design a custom thumbnail in Canva, you can select a YouTube thumbnail template or start from scratch with a blank thumbnail. Canva provides various elements, text options, and customization features to help create a unique and visually appealing thumbnail.
Q: How can I add elements and text to my thumbnail in Canva?
A: Canva offers sections such as templates, elements, uploads, and photos for adding graphics, images, and text to your thumbnail design. You can easily personalize your thumbnail by exploring these features.
Q: How can I customize and finalize my thumbnail design in Canva?
A: To customize and finalize your thumbnail design in Canva, you can utilize text options, style palettes, like sections, logos, and folders available on the platform. These features allow you to make adjustments to your design and save preferred elements for future use.
Q: How can I enhance my thumbnail with advanced tweaks in Canva?
A: To enhance your thumbnail with advanced tweaks in Canva, you can adjust the background, incorporate images, and utilize the background remover tool to create a visually appealing composition. Canva provides various tools to help refine your thumbnail design.
Q: What are the final touches and refinements I can make to my thumbnail in Canva?
A: For final touches and refinements to your thumbnail in Canva, consider the positioning of elements, background selection, and text placement to ensure a polished and professional look. Canva offers multiple customization options to refine your thumbnail design.
Q: How can I add style and appeal to text and elements in Canva?
A: To add style and appeal to text and elements in Canva, you can select suitable backgrounds, adjust their positions, and integrate relevant text to enhance the overall look of your thumbnail. Canva provides a range of features for creating visually appealing and engaging designs.
