Once nearly exclusive to gamers, Twitch has gone mainstream and is now the streaming platform of choice for more than 30 million people. If you’re a Twitch streamer, that means there are more potential followers browsing the platform than ever before.
To turn those potential followers intoactualfollowers, your streamer profile has to stand out. And, where better to start than the largest piece of real estate on the page?
Design one of the best Twitch banners out there—and see your following go up and up!—with the help of this quick guide:
- What is a Twitch banner?
- Best practices for designing Twitch profile banners
- 10 Twitch banner ideas for any kind of channel
- Simple steps for making your own banner online
Like anyother social media banner, Twitch banners are a graphic element displayed at the top of your Twitch profile.
Banners exist to:
- Introduce Twitch users to your channel
- Give them an idea of what to expect from your streams
- Encourage them to follow your channel, come back for the next stream, or take some other action
The best Twitch banners not only share information, but also match the streamer’s overall aesthetic and vibe, whether that’s energetic, chill, goofy, or sweet.
Twitch Profile Banners vs. Video Player Banners
When talking about banners, it’s important to understand the difference between Twitchprofilebanners (sometimes called “covers” or “headers”) and Twitchvideo playerbanners. Here’s what creators need to know.
Twitch Profile Banners
Twitch profile banners used to be more prominent than they are now. Before 2020, they were pinned to the top of your profile and were visible whether you were online or not.
Today, however, profile banners are more of a background element than a typical social media cover.
Note that if you do not upload a custom profile banner, Twitch will create a default banner from a solid color and your username, as shown in the example above.
Twitch Video Player Banners
Twitch video player banners have become much more important and visually prominent compared to profile banners.
A video player banner is what appears at the top of your channel any time you’re offline—which is why it’s frequently called an “offline banner,” as well.
Unlike the profile banner, Twitch will not create a default video player banner if you don’t upload your own.
Regardless of the channel size or audience, the best twitch banners stick to the same best practices. Follow their lead when designing your own.
1. Use the Recommended Dimensions
Twitch recommends the following sizes for your banners:
- Twitch profile banner: 1200 x 480px
- Twitch video player banner: 1920 x 1080px
2. Design from the Upper-Left
Because Twitch profiles are responsive, your profile banner will be resized according to the browser/screen on which it’s viewed.
For the best look across all screen sizes,Twitch recommendsfocusing the graphic elements toward the upper-left. In other words, think of your profile banner as being “stuck” to the upper-left corner and stretching down and right to fill larger screen sizes.
3. Capture Your Channel’s Essence
Are you an any-percent speedrunner? An improv comedian who reacts to the chat? A makeup artist who streams tips and tricks? These are all popular types of content on Twitch, and each should have averydifferent banner style.
Ideally, within just a few seconds, a new follower would be able to get a feel for your personality, tone, and content, just by looking at your channel’s banners. (Don’t worry, we’re sharing plenty of Twitch banner examples below.)
4. Provide a Next Step
If a user has landed on your channel, it’s safe to say they want to watch your content—but you can’t be online 24/7, right? Instead of sending them away totally empty-handed, provide another way to engage with your content until you’re back online.
This next step could be:
- Finding you on social media
- Going to your website
- Sending you an email
- Supporting you via Patreon or another creator market
- Knowing when to tune in for your next stream
5. Keep It Minimal
Whether you’re working on your Twitch profile banner or your video player banner, simplicity is always a good rule of thumb. Nothing more than a well-curated color palette and an interesting font can be enough to draw viewers in.
Avoid using too many words or excessively busy images on your banners, as these can be more distracting than helpful.
10 Creative Twitch Banner Ideas & Examples
These Twitch banner examples show just how unique your design can be while still adhering to the best practices described above. Click any template to customize it inCreate.
1. Techie Blue
A cool background image and techie font speak volumes with very little text.
2. Bright Next Steps
This offline banner template provides a clear next step by spelling out the creator’s social media handle.
3. Retro Video Games
Whether it’s the font, color choices, or graphics, everything about this Twitch profile banner works to communicate what the channel’s all about.
4. Dreamy Cloudscape
In this Twitch banner example, surreal pink clouds form the perfect background for a thin, airy font and a sleepy emoticon logo.
5. Gray Matter
Selective use of red makes this channel’s name and logo stand out, along with a subtle but delightful background created from the logo’s icon.
6. Mood-Setting Photography
A simple photograph can work wonders for a Twitch banner. (If you design your banner inCreate, you can pull beautiful images directly from Shutterstock’s massive stock library.)
7. Trendy Gradient
A color gradient background is another way to add visual interest to your banner without adding any busy design elements.
8. Holographic Rainbow
Thanks to its uncommon background, this Twitch banner will certainly catch the eye. The holographic effect hearkensback to the ’90swhile still feeling on trend.
9. Sunset Pixels
Another arcade-style design, this template captures the perfect mood for vintage game enthusiasts.
And, in case you didn’t know, you can turnanygraphic into a pixelated design inCreate. Just click the graphic or image and then clickEffects > Pixelate.
10. Futuristic Sci-Fi
Grab the attention of Twitch users with an arresting photo like this one, which manages to blend the energies ofcyberpunk, sci-fi, and Lady Liberty.
Feeling inspired by the Twitch banner examples above? Then hop intoCreateto customize your own. Even with no design experience, it takes no more than a few minutes to be live-stream-ready.
Here’s how to make Twitch profile banners or video player banners online:
- Get started however you prefer: By choosing aTwitch template, by editing anyTwitch banner asset from Shutterstock’s library, or by opening a blank canvas fromthe Create homepage.
- If you have alogoor other brand assets, upload them by clickingImages > Upload. If you don’t have your own assets, feel free to pull from Shutterstock’s stock photos and illustrations.
- Use Create’s built-in tools to customize every element—colors, fonts, photos, text content, social media handles, and more.
- Play around with interesting edits such as filters, blend modes, outlines, and pixel effects until your design looks 100% you.
- To finish up, clickDownloadfrom the top menu and then choose PNG or JPEG.
Pro tip: If you’re starting with a Twitch profile banner template but want to use it for your video player banner instead (or vice versa), that’s easy to do. Just click Smart resize and type in the recommended dimensions: 1200 x 480px for a profile banner or 1920 x 1080px for a video player banner.
Once your Twitch profile banner and offline banner are designed, you’re ready to get to the heart of it all: Streaming content that people love.
Good luck, and don’t forget to give your new community some custom emotes too!
License this cover image mockup via ShotPrime Studio, Ingrid Gretel, and wacomka.
DesignerShutterstock CreateSocial Media Designs
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