As livestreaming becomes an increasingly popular way to share content and connect with communities online, you may find yourself browsing Twitch or even creating your own Twitch channel. Whether you come this interactive live video streaming service to watch gamers play the latest video game releases, cheer on esports pros, or listen to Q&As with your favorite content creators, you’ll find a robust library of live, never-ending entertainment.
With thousands of creators and gamers spanning a variety of super-niche to highly popular interests, it’s important to find ways to make your Twitch channel stand out. One simple opportunity to do this is by creating a personalized and professional-looking profile banner. Find out how to make a profile banner for Twitch that attracts audiences and is true to your channel.
What is Twitch?
Twitch is a social streaming platform that was founded in 2011. Now owned by Amazon, the service is best known for its video game livestreams. However, with more than 15 million daily active users, Twitch attracts audiences for a wide variety of content categories that extend beyond gaming, from cooking to sports to travel, talk shows, music, and more.
Users can tune in live to watch and interact with gamers, creators, and streamers, as well as their communities. It’s easy, as a viewer, to create an account, browse channels, and find ones that interest you. You might search streams or channels by category, recommendations from Twitch, or look for creators you already know are active on the platform.
Why create your own Twitch profile banner?
With millions of users posting on Twitch every month, building an audience of subscribers as a social media broadcaster isn’t necessarily an overnight feat. Especially in broader or more popular content categories, you have to find ways to stand out from similar streamers and gain a competitive edge. Designing a creative, unique, and visually pleasing profile banner is a simple and effective way to start.
Twitch banners are one of the most prominent features of a channel profile. They span the top of a profile and are often one of the first things a user will see about your channel—and when users are scrolling through dozens of channels at a time, making a strong first impression is essential. Not only can a well-designed banner help your page pop, it’s an opportunity to provide more information about your channel and add personal branding, which may help users recognize you from other social sites or platforms where you have a following.
How to design your own Twitch banner
You don’t need to be a graphic designer to make a Twitch banner that looks professional, nor do you need to spend hours of time fiddling with fonts or grappling with graphics. Making an eye-catching Twitch banner is easier than you think, and by following these tips, you can create a custom, beautifully branded banner for yourself.
Start with a Twitch banner template
The easiest way to get started creating your Twitch profile banner is to pick out a customizable template. Using a template ensures your banner will be the right size and shape to fit a Twitch profile. Plus, templates give you a basis for your banner with pre-designed elements that you can then customize and make your own.
If you browse banner templates and can’t find anything that catches your eye, you can always create a design from scratch. This may also be a good option if you already have branded designs that you use on other social sites and want to transfer to Twitch.
Customize with your own designs
With a customizable template, it’s simple to turn a generic design into a personalized profile banner. Insert your own imagery or graphics; add and adjust text, fonts, and sizing; and tweak the colors to match your brand as a streamer. By tweaking and adjusting the different design elements to fit your channel’s content and tone, you can make a banner that looks like it was custom made.
If you have a digital presence and following on other social sites, a website, or a blog, your Twitch profile banner is a great place to help your audience recognize you. By using consistent colors, logos, and imagery across your different online profiles, you can build a personal brand that is easily noticeable.
Save and publish your Twitch profile banner
Once you’re satisfied with your banner design, save and download it to your computer. Make sure to save your banner as either a JPEG, PNG, or GIF and no larger than 10MB. To add your banner to your channel profile, go to your Channel Settings. You can find this page by clicking on your profile icon and choosing settings in the dropdown menu. There, you’ll see an Update button under the Profile Banner header. Click and choose the file from your computer.
Tips to make a banner for Twitch
To create a Twitch profile banner that looks great and attracts new subscribers, try following these design best practices.
Twitch banner size and shape
Make sure your banner doesn’t get cut off or resized by following the sizing guidelines from Twitch. The recommended size is 1200x480px and images will be scaled to fit these dimensions. According to Twitch, the best way to ensure a consistent profile banner look across different screens is to make your banner image as wide as possible and concentrate graphics on the left side. Because social platforms may periodically update sizing requirements, be sure to check the Twitch site to confirm their current sizing.
Text and font
Don’t overwhelm users by using too much text on your banner. Because your banner will be overlaid with your channel’s videos, keep text short and sweet with an easy-to-read font.
Twitch profile banner colors
If you have a color palette picked out for your brand, you might choose to stick with those colors for consistency. To help your banner pop among others, consider using bright or contrasting colors.
Graphics, images, and logos
Your banner is one of the first things users see on your channel profile, so use it to convey what your videos are about or who you are. Consider using your own images or logo as part of your design. Don’t be afraid to get creative with editing tools and effects to create patterns or other visual designs.
Get your game on with a custom Twitch profile banner
Give your Twitch channel a chance to shine with a custom, professional-grade banner design that stands out from the crowd. Turn a template into a unique profile banner that shows viewers what you and your videos are all about and features your personal brand.
Learn more
Interested in perfecting your banner on all your social media accounts? Read the following articles for tips and tricks: