"2024 Approved  Make Video Previews Stand Out with Neon Borders"

"2024 Approved Make Video Previews Stand Out with Neon Borders"

Joseph Lv13

Make Video Previews Stand Out with Neon Borders

Your YouTube video, or any other clip published on any forum, gets a larger number of hits if it has an attractive thumbnail. And, the fact is, a thumbnail becomes 10x more attractive when the main character that the image has have a neon border around it.

With that said, in the following sections, you will learn a couple of methods on how to add a YouTube thumbnail border around the main characters and/or objects that are significant to the clip.

In this article

01 Add Glowing Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail with Filmora

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Filmora Mac start interface

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Import videos to Filmora

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

add youtube thumbnail photo to Filmora

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

add human segmentation effect to youtube thumbnail

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

adjust thumbnail border settings

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

adjust thumbnail border settings

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

adjust border to photo

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

add neon effects to thumbnail photo

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

add title to thumbnail with border

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide.

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

take snapshot in Filmora

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

add neon border to thumbnail in Canva

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

 choose background in Canva

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

upload thumbnail in Canva

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Canva edit image

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

blur thumbnail image in Canva

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

add border to  thumbnail image in Canva

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

import thumbnail image to ps

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

remove thumbnail background in ps

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

outline thumbnail border in ps

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Filmora Mac start interface

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Import videos to Filmora

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

add youtube thumbnail photo to Filmora

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

add human segmentation effect to youtube thumbnail

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

adjust thumbnail border settings

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

adjust thumbnail border settings

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

adjust border to photo

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

add neon effects to thumbnail photo

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

add title to thumbnail with border

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide.

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

take snapshot in Filmora

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

add neon border to thumbnail in Canva

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

 choose background in Canva

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

upload thumbnail in Canva

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Canva edit image

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

blur thumbnail image in Canva

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

add border to  thumbnail image in Canva

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

import thumbnail image to ps

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

remove thumbnail background in ps

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

outline thumbnail border in ps

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Filmora Mac start interface

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Import videos to Filmora

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

add youtube thumbnail photo to Filmora

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

add human segmentation effect to youtube thumbnail

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

adjust thumbnail border settings

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

adjust thumbnail border settings

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

adjust border to photo

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

add neon effects to thumbnail photo

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

add title to thumbnail with border

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide.

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

take snapshot in Filmora

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

add neon border to thumbnail in Canva

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

 choose background in Canva

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

upload thumbnail in Canva

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Canva edit image

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

blur thumbnail image in Canva

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

add border to  thumbnail image in Canva

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

import thumbnail image to ps

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

remove thumbnail background in ps

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

outline thumbnail border in ps

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

02 Add a Glowing Neon Border in YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

03 Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Part 1: How to Add Neon Border to YouTube Thumbnail for Free with Filmora

Being one of the most versatile and intuitive post-production tools available in the market today, Wondershare Filmora X allows you to add a neon border to a YouTube thumbnail quite conveniently. You can learn how to get this done on Windows or Mac by following the steps given below.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add Image to the Timeline

Launch Wondershare Filmora X on your PC (a MacBook Pro M1 is used here), ensure that the project aspect ratio is set to 16:9 (Widescreen) on the splash screen, and click New Project. On the main interface, click the Preview quality and display settings icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, click Change Project Aspect Ratio, click to select 1280 x 720 (HD) from the Resolution menu of the Project Settings box, and click OK to save the custom project settings.

Filmora Mac start interface

Then select My Media from the menu bar if not already selected, click Project Media from the navigation pane, and click Import from the Media box to select and import the image of the main character or object that you want to use in the thumbnail.

Import videos to Filmora

Now, drag the image from the Media box to the Timeline at the bottom.

add youtube thumbnail photo to Filmora

Step 2: Clear Image Background, Add Border, and Add Custom Background

Go to Effects from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then AI Portrait from the navigation pane, and click and drag the Human Segmentation preset from the right box, and place it over the image track in the Timeline.

add human segmentation effect to youtube thumbnail

Double-click the image layer, scroll down the upper-left box to the Video Effects section, and use the Edge Thickness and Edge Feather sliders to adjust the character’s edges to make them as realistic as possible. Click OK when done.

adjust thumbnail border settings

Next, click and drag the Human Border preset over the image track in the Timeline, and follow the same procedure to customize the border. This will give the character a neon border effect.

adjust thumbnail border settings

Now, use the method explained earlier to import a custom image for the background, and drag and place it under the previous track in the Timeline.

adjust border to photo

If you are running the latest version of Filmora, you will find there are some neon light effects available under AI Portrait as well.

add neon effects to thumbnail photo

Step 3: Add Titles to Thumbnail

Go to Titles from the menu bar, click to select the Default tab and then Lower 3rds from the navigation pane, and click and drag your preferred lower-third preset from the right window to a separate layer in the Timeline. Double-click the lower-third layer, and use the available options in the upper-left window to change the text, its color, etc., and drag the textbox to place it to your preferred position on the image as well. Click OK to save the changes.

Next, click to select Titles from the navigation pane, and drag your preferred title from the right window to the upper-most track in the Timeline. Now use the method explained earlier to edit the text, its color, position, etc. to make it look professional.

add title to thumbnail with border

For more tips and tricks for creating YouTube thumbnail, you can check this You Tube thumbnail creating guide.

Step 4: Get the Neon Border Thumbnail

Click the Snapshot (Camera) icon from the upper-right area of the Timeline, go to My Media from the menu bar, right-click the thumbnail of the screenshot you captured, and click Reveal in Finder (on Mac) or Reveal in Explorer (on Windows) to get to the folder the YouTube thumbnail border is saved in.

take snapshot in Filmora

Part 2: How to Add a Glowing Neon Border in Your YouTube Thumbnail with Canva

Canva is another intuitive editing program that works on the web interface rather than having you download and install an app on your PC. You can add a neon border for YouTube thumbnails using Canva by following the instructions given below:

Step 1: Define Project Settings and Add a Background

After signing in to your Canva account, click Create a design from the top-right corner of the page, click Custom size from the bottom, define 1280 and 720 in the Width and Height fields on the box that appears respectively, and click Create new design.

add neon border to thumbnail in Canva

Now, click to select Background from the navigation bar on the left (if the Background tool is not visible, click More and then choose Background from the expanded list), and click to select a background from the images available in the center pane.

 choose background in Canva

Step 2: Upload an Image and Add Effects

Click Uploads from the navigation bar, click the More icon from the right of the Upload media button present at the top of the center pane, choose your preferred method to upload the image (with the transparent background) that you want to use, upload the image, and drag it from the center pane to the Canvas.

Note: You can use any of the tools available online to remove the background from your image for free.

upload thumbnail in Canva

To add a YouTube thumbnail border, make sure that the image that you added to the Canvas is selected, click the Duplicate icon from the upper-right area, and use the scaling handles of the copy of the image to increase its size a bit. Reposition the image back to its original location as well.

Then, click Edit image from the upper-left corner of the Canvas, click Duotone from the Edit image pane at the center, if need be, click See all, choose your preferred duotone effect to apply on the image, choose your preferred highlight and shadow colors from the box that appears next, and click Back from the top of the pane.

Canva edit image

Next, click See all next to the Adjust section from the center pane, and drag the Blur slider to the right to increase the blur effect on the image.

blur thumbnail image in Canva

Step 3: Position the Layers

While keeping the duplicate image selected, click the Position button from the upper-right area of the Canvas, and click Background to send the second image behind the first one to get the neon border effect for the photo.

add border to  thumbnail image in Canva

Part 3: How to Outline a Person in a YouTube Thumbnail with Photoshop

Because YouTube thumbnails are nothing but static images, creating YouTube thumbnail border with Adobe Photoshop is comparatively easier. The process of doing this is given below:

Step 1: Define Document Preferences and Import an Image

Launch Adobe Photoshop on your PC, click Create new, and on the New Document customization box, define the width and height values to 1280 and 720 pixels respectively. Select Transparent from the Background Contents menu as well if not already selected. Click Create from the bottom to create a new Photoshop document with the specified document settings. Next, open the folder that contains the source image, drag the photo to Photoshop, and press Enter to place the photo.

import thumbnail image to ps

Step 2: Remove Background from the Image

Make sure that the image layer is selected in the Layers panel on the right, go to Select from the menu bar at the top, and click Subject. From the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Add a mask icon to get rid of the background, leaving only the human on the Canvas.

remove thumbnail background in ps

Step 3: Add a Custom Background and an Outline Around the Subject

Use the method explained earlier to import a background image of your choice to Photoshop. Drag the background image layer to the bottom in the Layers panel. Double-click the masked layer, click to select Stroke from the left pane of the Layer Style box, and use the options available on the right to manage the size, color, position, etc. of the stroke that has been added around the human subject. Click OK when done, and then export the image normally to use it as a YouTube thumbnail border.

outline thumbnail border in ps

Summary

It is important to know that the default resolution of a YouTube thumbnail is 1280 x 720 pixels that is usually written and referred to as 720p. While adding a YouTube thumbnail border, it is also imperative to have a good sense of color combination and fonts. Furthermore, a decent tool like Wondershare Filmora X must be used to add an appealing neon border around the main subject in the thumbnail image easily and quickly.

Becoming a Trendsetter: YouTube Video Tactics

How to Get a YouTube Video Trending

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Ever think about how to get a YouTube video trending? It can come down to picking a topic that’s trending.

A trending topic is a subject which a lot of people are currently interested in. If you learn how to tap into what’s popular and cover it in creative and innovative ways then that will help your channel grow more quickly. You’ll get more views, more subscribers, and higher search rankings by following these simple tips.

  1. Think of ‘Trending’ as Relevant
  2. Find Trending Topics Within Your Niche
  3. Aim for Number 1
  4. Success Doesn’t Mean Making a Viral Video
  5. The Subscriber Snowball Effect

guide-to-grow-youtube-subscribers

1. Think of ‘Trending’ as Relevant

Instead of thinking of a trending video as a video that everyone is doing, think of it as a subject that is relevant to a lot of people. You want to cover topics that a lot of people care about.

A lot of YouTubers see huge channels have a lot of success posting videos that are very focused on the personal life of the creator (i.e. ‘I had the WORST day’) or which have very vague or sensational titles (i.e. ‘The horse knows what it did’) and decide that those are the kinds of videos they want to do too. However, the only reason large channels are able to be successful with these kinds of videos and titles is that they are already big. These creators have already grown themselves huge audiences of people who know and are interested in them personally.

As a smaller creator, you will not be successful if you only aim to do videos that are focused on you and your life. For example, if you have 100 subscribers and make a vlog about how your day went, then you have 100 people who may potentially find that interesting. The content might be good, but it won’t help you grow.

find your niche

Taking on trending topics shouldn’t mean taking on topics you aren’t actually interested in or don’t care about. Every genre on YouTube has its own trends, and you will often know about them just by virtue of watching other channels in your genre and talking to people who are interested in the same things as you. For example, if you’re a Gamer and your friends are also Gamers then you probably already know what Gamers are currently interested in.

If you do need help determining trends, here are 2 ways to do it:

  1. Visit 3 of the most popular channels in your genre (i.e. gaming, beauty, or prank) and see if there’s any overlap in the themes of their most recent videos.
  2. Go to Google Trends and look at the categories most relevant to your genre. To learn how to use Google Trends .

3. Aim for Number 1

think-in-divergent-way

Being trendy doesn’t mean you can’t be original. If you know what’s popular in your genre then that will enable you to ask yourself ‘what’s on-trend, but not being covered yet?’.

For example, if you know that relationship videos – topics like ‘how do you know a guy likes you?’ – are doing well then you can think about what other aspects of dating people might be interested in that don’t have many videos on them yet. If you’re one of the first to tackle something that’s on-trend you have a much better chance of getting that number 1 search engine ranking, and higher ranked videos always get more views.

4. Success Doesn’t Mean Making a Viral Video

viral-video

There’s a common misconception that in order to grow your channel you need to make your videos go viral. The truth is that having one or two viral videos probably won’t help you much. People don’t subscribe to one video, they subscribe for consistently good content.

It’s much better to have 10 videos on a popular topic that are doing alright than it is to have that one big viral hit. Those 10 videos will consistently bring in new viewers to your channel who are more likely to subscribe because they can see you have other content they’re interested in.

5. The Subscriber Snowball Effect

snowball-effect

When you make multiple videos around a trending topic, they’re more likely to come up as ‘related’ to each other than if you only cover the topic in one video. If someone enjoys one of your videos on that topic and can see there’s another right there in the related videos, there’s a good chance they’ll click on it.

This gets you more views on multiple videos, and more subscribers because it builds the expectation that you’re going to continue to keep covering relevant topics. Having viewers click from video to video on your channel also increases your watch time, which YouTube’s algorithm takes as a sign that they should rank your videos higher in search results (getting you even more views).

Do you have any of your own tips for how to get a YouTube video trending?

Finding the trend is integral for YouTube channel growth. A user-friendly video editing software will simplify the process of editing videos and saves your efforts. Get Wondershare Filmora by clicking the button below to make the coolest videos and see your viewers boom.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Ever think about how to get a YouTube video trending? It can come down to picking a topic that’s trending.

A trending topic is a subject which a lot of people are currently interested in. If you learn how to tap into what’s popular and cover it in creative and innovative ways then that will help your channel grow more quickly. You’ll get more views, more subscribers, and higher search rankings by following these simple tips.

  1. Think of ‘Trending’ as Relevant
  2. Find Trending Topics Within Your Niche
  3. Aim for Number 1
  4. Success Doesn’t Mean Making a Viral Video
  5. The Subscriber Snowball Effect

guide-to-grow-youtube-subscribers

1. Think of ‘Trending’ as Relevant

Instead of thinking of a trending video as a video that everyone is doing, think of it as a subject that is relevant to a lot of people. You want to cover topics that a lot of people care about.

A lot of YouTubers see huge channels have a lot of success posting videos that are very focused on the personal life of the creator (i.e. ‘I had the WORST day’) or which have very vague or sensational titles (i.e. ‘The horse knows what it did’) and decide that those are the kinds of videos they want to do too. However, the only reason large channels are able to be successful with these kinds of videos and titles is that they are already big. These creators have already grown themselves huge audiences of people who know and are interested in them personally.

As a smaller creator, you will not be successful if you only aim to do videos that are focused on you and your life. For example, if you have 100 subscribers and make a vlog about how your day went, then you have 100 people who may potentially find that interesting. The content might be good, but it won’t help you grow.

find your niche

Taking on trending topics shouldn’t mean taking on topics you aren’t actually interested in or don’t care about. Every genre on YouTube has its own trends, and you will often know about them just by virtue of watching other channels in your genre and talking to people who are interested in the same things as you. For example, if you’re a Gamer and your friends are also Gamers then you probably already know what Gamers are currently interested in.

If you do need help determining trends, here are 2 ways to do it:

  1. Visit 3 of the most popular channels in your genre (i.e. gaming, beauty, or prank) and see if there’s any overlap in the themes of their most recent videos.
  2. Go to Google Trends and look at the categories most relevant to your genre. To learn how to use Google Trends .

3. Aim for Number 1

think-in-divergent-way

Being trendy doesn’t mean you can’t be original. If you know what’s popular in your genre then that will enable you to ask yourself ‘what’s on-trend, but not being covered yet?’.

For example, if you know that relationship videos – topics like ‘how do you know a guy likes you?’ – are doing well then you can think about what other aspects of dating people might be interested in that don’t have many videos on them yet. If you’re one of the first to tackle something that’s on-trend you have a much better chance of getting that number 1 search engine ranking, and higher ranked videos always get more views.

4. Success Doesn’t Mean Making a Viral Video

viral-video

There’s a common misconception that in order to grow your channel you need to make your videos go viral. The truth is that having one or two viral videos probably won’t help you much. People don’t subscribe to one video, they subscribe for consistently good content.

It’s much better to have 10 videos on a popular topic that are doing alright than it is to have that one big viral hit. Those 10 videos will consistently bring in new viewers to your channel who are more likely to subscribe because they can see you have other content they’re interested in.

5. The Subscriber Snowball Effect

snowball-effect

When you make multiple videos around a trending topic, they’re more likely to come up as ‘related’ to each other than if you only cover the topic in one video. If someone enjoys one of your videos on that topic and can see there’s another right there in the related videos, there’s a good chance they’ll click on it.

This gets you more views on multiple videos, and more subscribers because it builds the expectation that you’re going to continue to keep covering relevant topics. Having viewers click from video to video on your channel also increases your watch time, which YouTube’s algorithm takes as a sign that they should rank your videos higher in search results (getting you even more views).

Do you have any of your own tips for how to get a YouTube video trending?

Finding the trend is integral for YouTube channel growth. A user-friendly video editing software will simplify the process of editing videos and saves your efforts. Get Wondershare Filmora by clicking the button below to make the coolest videos and see your viewers boom.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Ever think about how to get a YouTube video trending? It can come down to picking a topic that’s trending.

A trending topic is a subject which a lot of people are currently interested in. If you learn how to tap into what’s popular and cover it in creative and innovative ways then that will help your channel grow more quickly. You’ll get more views, more subscribers, and higher search rankings by following these simple tips.

  1. Think of ‘Trending’ as Relevant
  2. Find Trending Topics Within Your Niche
  3. Aim for Number 1
  4. Success Doesn’t Mean Making a Viral Video
  5. The Subscriber Snowball Effect

guide-to-grow-youtube-subscribers

1. Think of ‘Trending’ as Relevant

Instead of thinking of a trending video as a video that everyone is doing, think of it as a subject that is relevant to a lot of people. You want to cover topics that a lot of people care about.

A lot of YouTubers see huge channels have a lot of success posting videos that are very focused on the personal life of the creator (i.e. ‘I had the WORST day’) or which have very vague or sensational titles (i.e. ‘The horse knows what it did’) and decide that those are the kinds of videos they want to do too. However, the only reason large channels are able to be successful with these kinds of videos and titles is that they are already big. These creators have already grown themselves huge audiences of people who know and are interested in them personally.

As a smaller creator, you will not be successful if you only aim to do videos that are focused on you and your life. For example, if you have 100 subscribers and make a vlog about how your day went, then you have 100 people who may potentially find that interesting. The content might be good, but it won’t help you grow.

find your niche

Taking on trending topics shouldn’t mean taking on topics you aren’t actually interested in or don’t care about. Every genre on YouTube has its own trends, and you will often know about them just by virtue of watching other channels in your genre and talking to people who are interested in the same things as you. For example, if you’re a Gamer and your friends are also Gamers then you probably already know what Gamers are currently interested in.

If you do need help determining trends, here are 2 ways to do it:

  1. Visit 3 of the most popular channels in your genre (i.e. gaming, beauty, or prank) and see if there’s any overlap in the themes of their most recent videos.
  2. Go to Google Trends and look at the categories most relevant to your genre. To learn how to use Google Trends .

3. Aim for Number 1

think-in-divergent-way

Being trendy doesn’t mean you can’t be original. If you know what’s popular in your genre then that will enable you to ask yourself ‘what’s on-trend, but not being covered yet?’.

For example, if you know that relationship videos – topics like ‘how do you know a guy likes you?’ – are doing well then you can think about what other aspects of dating people might be interested in that don’t have many videos on them yet. If you’re one of the first to tackle something that’s on-trend you have a much better chance of getting that number 1 search engine ranking, and higher ranked videos always get more views.

4. Success Doesn’t Mean Making a Viral Video

viral-video

There’s a common misconception that in order to grow your channel you need to make your videos go viral. The truth is that having one or two viral videos probably won’t help you much. People don’t subscribe to one video, they subscribe for consistently good content.

It’s much better to have 10 videos on a popular topic that are doing alright than it is to have that one big viral hit. Those 10 videos will consistently bring in new viewers to your channel who are more likely to subscribe because they can see you have other content they’re interested in.

5. The Subscriber Snowball Effect

snowball-effect

When you make multiple videos around a trending topic, they’re more likely to come up as ‘related’ to each other than if you only cover the topic in one video. If someone enjoys one of your videos on that topic and can see there’s another right there in the related videos, there’s a good chance they’ll click on it.

This gets you more views on multiple videos, and more subscribers because it builds the expectation that you’re going to continue to keep covering relevant topics. Having viewers click from video to video on your channel also increases your watch time, which YouTube’s algorithm takes as a sign that they should rank your videos higher in search results (getting you even more views).

Do you have any of your own tips for how to get a YouTube video trending?

Finding the trend is integral for YouTube channel growth. A user-friendly video editing software will simplify the process of editing videos and saves your efforts. Get Wondershare Filmora by clicking the button below to make the coolest videos and see your viewers boom.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

Ever think about how to get a YouTube video trending? It can come down to picking a topic that’s trending.

A trending topic is a subject which a lot of people are currently interested in. If you learn how to tap into what’s popular and cover it in creative and innovative ways then that will help your channel grow more quickly. You’ll get more views, more subscribers, and higher search rankings by following these simple tips.

  1. Think of ‘Trending’ as Relevant
  2. Find Trending Topics Within Your Niche
  3. Aim for Number 1
  4. Success Doesn’t Mean Making a Viral Video
  5. The Subscriber Snowball Effect

guide-to-grow-youtube-subscribers

1. Think of ‘Trending’ as Relevant

Instead of thinking of a trending video as a video that everyone is doing, think of it as a subject that is relevant to a lot of people. You want to cover topics that a lot of people care about.

A lot of YouTubers see huge channels have a lot of success posting videos that are very focused on the personal life of the creator (i.e. ‘I had the WORST day’) or which have very vague or sensational titles (i.e. ‘The horse knows what it did’) and decide that those are the kinds of videos they want to do too. However, the only reason large channels are able to be successful with these kinds of videos and titles is that they are already big. These creators have already grown themselves huge audiences of people who know and are interested in them personally.

As a smaller creator, you will not be successful if you only aim to do videos that are focused on you and your life. For example, if you have 100 subscribers and make a vlog about how your day went, then you have 100 people who may potentially find that interesting. The content might be good, but it won’t help you grow.

find your niche

Taking on trending topics shouldn’t mean taking on topics you aren’t actually interested in or don’t care about. Every genre on YouTube has its own trends, and you will often know about them just by virtue of watching other channels in your genre and talking to people who are interested in the same things as you. For example, if you’re a Gamer and your friends are also Gamers then you probably already know what Gamers are currently interested in.

If you do need help determining trends, here are 2 ways to do it:

  1. Visit 3 of the most popular channels in your genre (i.e. gaming, beauty, or prank) and see if there’s any overlap in the themes of their most recent videos.
  2. Go to Google Trends and look at the categories most relevant to your genre. To learn how to use Google Trends .

3. Aim for Number 1

think-in-divergent-way

Being trendy doesn’t mean you can’t be original. If you know what’s popular in your genre then that will enable you to ask yourself ‘what’s on-trend, but not being covered yet?’.

For example, if you know that relationship videos – topics like ‘how do you know a guy likes you?’ – are doing well then you can think about what other aspects of dating people might be interested in that don’t have many videos on them yet. If you’re one of the first to tackle something that’s on-trend you have a much better chance of getting that number 1 search engine ranking, and higher ranked videos always get more views.

4. Success Doesn’t Mean Making a Viral Video

viral-video

There’s a common misconception that in order to grow your channel you need to make your videos go viral. The truth is that having one or two viral videos probably won’t help you much. People don’t subscribe to one video, they subscribe for consistently good content.

It’s much better to have 10 videos on a popular topic that are doing alright than it is to have that one big viral hit. Those 10 videos will consistently bring in new viewers to your channel who are more likely to subscribe because they can see you have other content they’re interested in.

5. The Subscriber Snowball Effect

snowball-effect

When you make multiple videos around a trending topic, they’re more likely to come up as ‘related’ to each other than if you only cover the topic in one video. If someone enjoys one of your videos on that topic and can see there’s another right there in the related videos, there’s a good chance they’ll click on it.

This gets you more views on multiple videos, and more subscribers because it builds the expectation that you’re going to continue to keep covering relevant topics. Having viewers click from video to video on your channel also increases your watch time, which YouTube’s algorithm takes as a sign that they should rank your videos higher in search results (getting you even more views).

Do you have any of your own tips for how to get a YouTube video trending?

Finding the trend is integral for YouTube channel growth. A user-friendly video editing software will simplify the process of editing videos and saves your efforts. Get Wondershare Filmora by clicking the button below to make the coolest videos and see your viewers boom.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

  • Title: "2024 Approved Make Video Previews Stand Out with Neon Borders"
  • Author: Joseph
  • Created at : 2024-05-31 13:41:05
  • Updated at : 2024-06-01 13:41:05
  • Link: https://youtube-stream.techidaily.com/2024-approved-make-video-previews-stand-out-with-neon-borders/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
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"2024 Approved Make Video Previews Stand Out with Neon Borders"