How I Make My YouTube Thumbnails from Start to Finish (with Free PSD Download)
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- This is EVERYTHING I know about making UA-cam thumbnails. I originally wanted to simply show how to create the glow effect using Procreate, but while I was at it I gave myself the thumbs up to share the entire process. Nailed it.
You can download the free PSD file with the thumbnail from this video and a few other examples right here:
himynameistom.com/downloads
There is A LOT of info in this video, so feel free to use the chapter markers to thumb through everything. I’m using a 2020 12.9” iPad Pro in this video, but you can achieve these results on any Apple Pencil compatible iPad with Procreate installed.
This is a very time-consuming process, but thumbnails on UA-cam are incredibly important and if you’re putting a lot of time and energy into your videos, then it’s worth taking the time to help them succeed by creating the best thumbnail that you can.
📼 More videos to help you level up your thumbnails:
•My Original Thumbnail Tutorial: • How I Make My UA-cam ...
•Hand Lettering Basics: • Hand Lettering Basics ...
•Product Photography Process: • Simple Tips & Tricks f...
•The blue SM7B wind screen I’m using is from reporterstore.com. This isn’t an affiliate link, it’s just a common question 😁
🎙 And speaking of mics, if you're ready to start your own podcast be shure to check out The Podcaster Playbook, my step-by-step course to help you launch your show!
podcasterplaybook.com
•Chapters:
0:00 - Thumbnailed It
1:04 - Thumbnail Examples
6:05 - Photoshop Process (The Basics)
9:12 - Taking a Great Thumbnail Photo
10:23 - How to Export a Screenshot from Final Cut Pro
11:09 - Importing Images to Photoshop
14:29 - Image Editing & Touchup with Photoshop
16:14 - Testing the Text
17:16 - Moving the Image to Procreate
18:00 - Adding Glowing Outlines with Procreate
19:40 - Adding Lens Flares with Procreate
21:10 - Hand Lettering in Procreate
25:14 - Sending Elements from Procreate to Photoshop
27:13 - Final Adjustments in Photoshop
30:14 - The Effort is Worth it!
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- Who Am I? -
Hi! My name is Tom Buck. As a lifelong A/V nerd, I’m here to help you level up the audio and video quality of your streams, podcasts, puns, and videos. I was a high school Digital Media teacher for 11 years, and I started this channel in 2017 as a project to share my enthusiasm for digital media and teaching others while having fun along the way.
New videos are uploaded every Thursday morning, and more often when possible!
•Read my Ethics Statement about objective reviews, sponsored content, and brand partnerships:
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#thumbnails #procreate #photoshop
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Episode 247: Everything I know About Making UA-cam Thumbnails from Start to Finish. - Фільми й анімація
•You can download the free PSD file for this thumbnail here: himynameistom/com/downloads
Chapters:
0:00 - Thumbnailed It
1:04 - Thumbnail Examples
6:05 - Photoshop Process (The Basics)
9:12 - Taking a Great Thumbnail Photo
10:23 - How to Export a Screenshot from Final Cut Pro
11:09 - Importing Images to Photoshop
14:29 - Image Editing & Touchup with Photoshop
16:14 - Testing the Text
17:16 - Moving the Image to Procreate
18:00 - Adding Glowing Outlines with Procreate
19:40 - Adding Lens Flares with Procreate
21:10 - Hand Lettering in Procreate
25:14 - Sending Elements from Procreate to Photoshop
27:13 - Final Adjustments in Photoshop
30:14 - The Effort is Worth it!
Thanks for giving me the kick in the pants to stop being lazy with my thumbnails (and adding a little inspiration on the side)
I'm so jealous of the scenery and environments you have to work with for your thumbnails!
I love your commitment to that shade of blue. My favourite colour too.
It's the best. 🙌
Yeah well, that’s just like, your opinion. Man.
It does work for Tom, more than I’m comfortable admitting as a heterosexual male. It’s also soft on the eyes and seems to blend really well with lots of those neon-sorta colors. I think red is the best, personally. And I’m very defensive about it.
Bro. You put an absurd amount of work into these videos. I suppose it’s not work if you love it, but I doubt the tedious repetitive aspects aren’t super awesome fun. Maybe? Either way, you’re extremely concise and comprehensive in your manner and speech. No wonder you’re a teacher. Sorry, Educator of the Future! You kick ass, dude.
Thanks man! That means a lot! I try super hard to make things as good as I can.
your photoshop template is help me a lot , thank you so much , i just realize that you give not one , but multiple thumbnail example , wish you get blessed
I'm so happy to hear it was helpful! Sometimes just seeing another person's workflow/process is the best way to learn.
@@tombuck you are right , talking about workflow , how many people are doing your youtube channel , what are their job desc , have you ever talk about that on the video ?
Your office setup is really cool, colourful, vibrant and nice!
Thank you! I really appreciate that! It's always a work in progress, but it's a fun project 👍
Best thumbnail tutorial I’ve ever seen! Tom you are the best.
Glad it was helpful! Thumbnails can be so tough 😮💨
For as simple as it looks. You don't know how much work goes in to it. I think this video truly shows how talented you are. And it shows in this video.
Thank you! It’s a process that took time to evolve, but it’s worth it. Plus it can end up being pretty fun if you keep trying new things and bringing in new skills.
Thank you for the information and for not making these like crossing a desert. The light conversation with humor helps.
Thank you! I'm glad the video was more like a dessert than a desert 😁
Two THUMBS up for this thumbnail video. It's the attention to detail, and extra time spent behind the scenes, that adds up to create a polished and excellent finished product. Thanks for the reminder that an engaging thumbnail is NOT an extra or after thought, but a crucial component of a video's success.
Let me tell you how worried I was that the thumbnail for the video wouldn't turn out good. It would've been awful to talk about this for 30 minutes and then end up with an absolute piece of garbage at the end 😁
(but it would've been kind of funny too)
Now THIS is a great thumbnail video ! Thanks Tom.
I’m glad it was WORTH your time!
@@tombuck : LOL, epic
Thanks buddy. I really need to up
My thumbnail game. I’ve long thought your thumbnails are among the best out there! Keep crushing it 💪🏻😊
Thanks Ben! Congrats to you guys! Things are really looking incredible over on your channel.
*Mind blown* by how thorough you are about your creative process.
It's at the core of your videos and I find it very inspiring. Thank you Tom!
Thank you! I really appreciate that. I think being so conservative about things like this has definitely inhibited growth over time, but my hope is that it will allow things to be sustainable in the long term.
I absolutely love grabbing a frame from a video, with the obvious intention of using it as a Thumbnail instead of taking a myriad of pictures. Great tips, Tom!
It definitely helps to film in 4K if you’re going to use a screenshot, and then it works really really well. 👍
Great video Tom!
Very helpful vid, Tom!
Thanks Patrick!
Wow sooo cool! Thanks for sharing!
Nailed it Tom! What a great video. Thank you 👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed it! I'd been wanting to make this one for a while!
Hands down my new favorite video. Awesome walk through!!
I love this! Thanks for the kind words!
WOW! What a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing your talents!
I'm glad you liked it! Hopefully there's some helpful stuff in there!
You really have some of the best Thumbnails! I don't have your artistic talent!
Thanks! It's always an evolving process, but trying to do new little creative things helps to keep it fun rather than tedious.
This is super cool! Thanks for sharing your process!
Thanks for watching! I hope it was helpful! I really appreciate the time you've spent digging through my channel- it means a lot!
@@tombuck I been following since Enthusiasm Project. And it's not just the puns, I swear!🤣
Super video bud needed this 👍🏼
I'm really glad to hear that, I hope it's helpful!
Always a huge fan of your thumbnails !! 😍😍😃🙌 So catchy and creative!! Thank you for this thorough video!! ❤️ It’s super helpful!
I really appreciate that! Glad it was helpful!
@@tombuck 😊😃
I’ve watched this 3 times. Awesome. You really helped me a Tom. I’d love to see how you designed you UA-cam cover art (Header) it is amazing
So glad it's been helpful! There's a banner template on the Downloads page of my website if you need it 👍
@@tombuck thank You. I’ll check it out.
Loved it!
Glad to hear that!
Great video! Never really noticed how dusty all of my thumbnails were until you talked about dust. Haha.
It's one of those things where once you notice it you can unsee it. 😬
Funny related note though- I was looking at the drone photo you sent Heather yesterday and admiring the photo editing. It really looks outstanding.
@@tombuck Thank you!
Tom I saw all 30 minutes, one of the more interesting videos. Your thumbnails look 🔥 great video 💪🏻
Thanks so much! I'm glad it didn't feel too long! The original footage was over 90 minutes... 😬
“Doesn’t have to be perfect” meanwhile
erases speck of dust not visible to the human eye.
I’m a walking contradiction 😬
@@tombuck I honestly loved the video and I go through nearly the exact same process minus photoshop, don’t know how to use it but I make all my thumbnails on procreate.
thank you for this video....thumbnail creation is an artform on it's own
It's crazy, there's so much that goes into it and there's always more to learn and experiment with.
I really like your thumbnails so very interesting video, thanks Tom
Thanks Daniel! I really appreciate that!
This is SUPER helpful!!! I generally like my thumbnails to date, but I want to make them even better, & this might be just what I needed to help use Photoshop to make them even better. Thanks Tom!
There are so many little tricks in Photoshop. I only scratched the surface here with dust removal and dodge/burn, but you can really make things pop in a unique way. 👍
@@tombuck I haven’t really used Photoshop much yet & had some difficulty figuring it out when I tried last week. Need to watch some of your older videos about this (I think you have photoshop videos from a while back) as I really need to learn how to use that powerful program!!!
It really just takes time/poking around with different tools to see what works best. I’ve also heard great things about Affinity Photo, but haven’t used it myself.
Just started UA-cam and this video really helps
Nice! I’m so glad to hear that. Good luck with your channel!
Thank you
Watched the whole thing….wow! I hate making thumbnails lol 😂 great job!!
Haha, they can definitely be a pain but it can be kind of fun once you use it as an excuse to try new things like a mini design project.
Okay. You’ve inspired me to level up my thumbnails.
You crush it at everything you do Ben. 🙌
That’s a awesome video !
Thank you very much!
Man, this is such a great video, Tom! So interesting to see your whole process. Although, now you've got me wanting to get an iPad and Apple Pencil just for thumbnails 😭
It’s honestly super worth it, especially with more affordable iPads. The whole setup is cheaper than a Wacom tablet and is much more portable (and I find the Apple Pencil to be more accurate than a Wacom pen). I also added a cheap matte screen protector from Amazon and now it really does feel almost like drawing on paper.
@Daniel Langewisch Me too! Now I just have to sell a kidney
your blue microphone looks so good.
Thanks! I really like the windscreen and how it looks on camera 😁
As usual it is very very interesting 🙂
Thank you! hopefully you're able to get a few ideas to take away for yourself 👍
@@tombuck for sure and I would like to learn more about procreate
Tom, thank you for everything that you do! Your videos have been invaluable to my education.
I've watched your various videos on using the iPad to create titles and I've also watched your RODECaster Pro +iPad +GarageBand video and your teleprompter video. I'm curious how else you incorporate your iPad(s) into your workflow. Have you considered putting together a short video on that - all things the iPad is /does for Tom Buck's daily workflow?
Wow Philip! Thank you!
I'm currently working on a Final Cut Pro course, but something iPad related could be interesting. I do use it for quite a bit. I've also been working towards earning my pilot's license and it's been fascinating to see how the iPad is used in aviation- there are a lot of models and features that the tech community overlooks but are absolutely essential to other communities. Neat!
Sooo Rad Tom, thanks!!!!!!!!!
You’re welcome! I’m planning to do a live thumbnail workshop this Thursday 👍
Brother you are ALWAYS adding value🏆🏆
How did you get the Blue Mic cover???
Thanks Greg! It's from reporterstore.com. They have all kinds of awesome stuff like this (I'm not affiliated with them, I just recently found them and went on a shopping spree).
Tom, I've cited you in my video about my home studio for online teaching. Thanks for the inspiration! Go to 15m30s.
Wow! It means a lot that you'd trust my input that much. Thank you!
Come on Tom! so i need right now an Ipad Pro, good job! 😂
Haha, the iPad really is worth it with the Apple Pencil, especially when compared to the cost of a Wacom Cintiq.
Are we “FONT” of that joke? Your a real “Character”!! When you talk about the font and size I really don’t see the “Point”. 🤪
I don’t want to brush this off because it’s a real stroke of genius.
@@tombuck regardless, I will keep your tips in my pallet of tools. Sometimes though when using digital brushes i get frustrated and really bristle at the thought of using them.
@@tombuck good come back. You're the pun supremo.
You're amazing!
You are!
@@tombuck My channel is about podcasting and I try to help people make their podcast.
Your channel helps me make these videos and evolve more about video and audio.
I hope to meet you one day.
Hugs from Brazil!
(ps. Sorry for my bad English.)
So informative! Thanks Tom!
You’re welcome Tom!
thank u
You're welcome!
Tom Buck thumbnails are ALWAYS on point! Your glow outline process is soooo much easier than I thought! Not to mention the awesome hand lettering that needs to be a font! 👍
Love the glow! It’s really fun to use the light pen.
You just earned a like!
We should do a collab some time Tom!
OK, off-topic first. You've got the best "low camera angle" on UA-cam haha. Suttly finessed 😎... And thank you for this wonderfully detailed walkthrough, but my handwriting is too similar to yours, so no "copy/paste" darn Buck...
Haha, thanks as always! Don't worry if our writing is similar, it just means we're super cool. And you're a much better musician than I'll ever be 😁
Awesome!!! Thank you for this Tom!!! 🙌🏾
Hope it helps! I don’t talk a ton about the photography part in here, but I do link to another video that does 👍
Simply an amazing walk-through of the process, and you have definitely inspired me to consider learning these tools more! I have a few questions:
(1) I have found that the playback/preview quality in FCPX isn't the actual quality of the footage (i.e. I believe it plays back at a lower resolution for performance sake). How to get a higher quality playback, so that you can perform a screen capture and get a high quality image?
(2) Do you create a Photoshop "template" that already has the essentials and layers ready so you can use it each time?
(3) How did you create the "essentials" folder in Photoshop that has all of the elements in there?
THANKS!
Hey! I can answer your questions:
1) You can adjust the playback quality in your final cut settings. Sometimes things like graphics and whatnot will always play back at a lower quality until the project is rendered out.
2) There's a link in the description where you can download my exact template for free. And yep, I use the same file every time and then delete elements as they're no longer needed.
3) In the Layers window you can create a folder, give it a name, and then add other layers to it.
@@tombuck WONDERFUL! Thank you for your reply and help. I greatly enjoy your videos and content.
I thought, I should message to see if it’s made a difference. And then I thought, why did I choose to watch this video… and I remembered.. oooooooo SHINY THUMBNAIL 😂😂😂
There’s a lot of pressure when making a thumbnail for a video about thumbnails! 😬
Great video, Tom. Where did you find a coloured windscreen for your SM7B? I’ve been looking for an orange one everywhere and can’t find any! Did you spray paint it yourself?
It's from reporterstore.com and they have every color (including an awesome orange). I thought about painting it myself, but was worried about breathing in fumes or damaging the foam. However they dye theirs works really well- they have no odor or anything. The only difference is they don't have the little plastic ring that the official Shure windscreen has.
@@tombuck Awesome. Thanks for coming back to me. I'll check them out!
Great video Tom. In what resolution do you upload the thumbnails to youtube (size & dpi). Thanks
I use 1920X1080 with a dpi of 300. As long as the file size is under 2mb it works great.
@@tombuckThanks Tom, I thought you reduced to 72 dpi for web when uploading
Hello friend 👋 nice sharing 👌 l love it ♥️ keep it up 👍 awesome video 👍 love from Mr Doma gaming ♥️♥️♥️
Thanks so much!
Ahh, interesting.
*My brother try Electrovoice RE20, your voice is going to be like a real radio announcer*
I'm really interested in that one! I actually had a dream about it the other night because apparently I'm now someone who literally dreams about microphones.
I'm getting the idea that I'm not that creative as far as thumbnails, go...I don't have any any podcast equipment anyway, but this thumbnail stuff confuses me.
Isn't it ok to just have the same thumbnail, and underneath it print "EPISODE 1,2,3 etc" ?
The Thumbnail within the Thumbnail for the Thumbnail video! Very awesome meta!
So meta!
He has released the secret sauce!!!!
For the low low price of free-99!
@@tombuck alright where do I Venmo the -.99? Haha, I’m loving your content. I’m excited for your continued success, great job with everything you are doing!
Hey Tom, great educational video, as usual.
About that blue mic foam cover, where can I find one in green?
Thanks! The windscreen is from reporterstore.com
Great video!! But using the computer mouse with your right hand and the Apple pencil with your left hand?? What kind of ambidextrous creator are you? 😝 Ha, ha.
Haha, the perks of being a lefty I guess?
Didn’t finish this yet, but I figured I’d nail down a question. Have you done a video yet, on you filming/planning a video, start to finish? I can’t place on thumb on, how how long it takes from you starting to posting.
I did do a workflow video that covers the process somewhat. Its anywhere from 1-3 days usually. I’ve been trying to take more time editing lately, which I think really helps. Even just letting a finished video sit overnight and coming back to it with fresh eyes makes a difference.
@@tombuck for sure! Dope, I’ll go back and look for the thumbnail!
🙂👍
Hmm using my strong powers of deduction I think your favorite color is blue 😉
Your deductive reasoning blue me away 😱
What kind of microphone is that, that your using?
It's the Shure SM7B 👍
@@tombuck Thank You Tom. I'm new at this and after googling this, it seems that there are two choices, can you please direct me in the right direction. The one you are using has a great sound coming from it. Is it a Cardioid or the Dynamic model??? Thanks again.!
The new drag and drop feature will be faster than airdrop when the new operating system is released. Airdrop is why I stick with Apple!
It's pretty fantastic and was an absolute lifesaver when I was teaching. We had a Mac lab and students constantly needed to share things and transfer stuff to/from phones. Things would've been much harder without Airdrop.
Just a question, iS the Mv7 really worth the upgrade in terms of AUDIO quality if i am already using a generic 50$ mic and would be using it in USB mode? coz hearing in videos it doesnt seem worth that 250$.
-Thanks
This is the SM7B, but if you’re happy with your mic, then there’s no reason to spend the extra money on something else. 👍
Hey Tom! Any chance of having alternatives listed in the description for none Apple users? Software/Hardware alternatives I mean. Is really cool to see the gif version of all the process. Reminds me when I used to have that sharp eye for details. I'm training those muscles again but always good to see it in action. And I just watched 7min of the video so far, I have 23min to go for more inspiration. Thanks.
It’s a looooong one haha. As for no. Apple alternatives, photoshop is available eon PC, but I don’t know what a good Procreate option would be. I’m sure there’s a way to do something similar in Photoshop or possibly with Adobe Sketch in a tablet.
@@tombuck I do have Photoshop but the iPad and the pencil, or Procreate... nada. Super nice video! Gracias Tom!
WTB: Your handwriting as a font LOL.
Now THAT'S a way to monetize! 😁