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YouTube Thumbnail Generator

YouTube thumbnails with your face, in any cinematic style

Upload one photo of you, pick a look from the style library and generate the thumbnail image. Keep the same face across a series, then add your title and size it to 1280×720.

See how it worksCreate a thumbnail

Images run on credits. The default model needs no plan; 4K images need the Creator plan.

Original portrait photo of the detective

Your photo

The detective in a neon-lit noir frame

Neon Pulse Noir

The same face on every thumbnail, whatever the look.
Photo to start
1
Your photo is the reference for every image
Styles
460+
Genres, directors, anime, eras and moods
Standard output
2K
4K images need the Creator plan
Credit packs from
$4.99
No plan needed for the default model

Where the thumbnail fits

The thumbnail is the first frame most viewers judge a video by, and on a channel it is also a brand: the same face, recognisable at a glance, on every upload. SceneSteller generates thumbnail images from a photo of you in the style you choose, from film noir to cyberpunk to a director’s look, so a series reads as one channel instead of a pile of one-offs.

Studio makes the image. The title goes on in Typography Lab or in the editor you already use, and the free image resizer crops the result to YouTube’s 1280×720. If you make the video in SceneSteller too, use the same reference photo for the thumbnail and for the video’s main character so both show the same person.

From a look to a titled image, in the product

Pick a look, generate the image, then add the title in Typography Lab and choose the size to export.

Picking a look in the style builder, adding title text in Typography Lab and choosing a platform size to export. Silent screen recording from an earlier version of the SceneSteller interface.

Why thumbnails eat the week

Sound familiar?

  • Commissioning a custom thumbnail for every upload?

    Generate thumbnail images on credits. A standard 2K image on the default model costs 12 credits and a 4K image costs 18.

  • AI tools give you a stranger’s face?

    Start from your own photo, so the person on the thumbnail is recognisably you.

  • Every thumbnail looks unrelated?

    Reuse one style across a series and the channel reads as one show.

  • Generic templates?

    460+ cinematic styles. Large-format epic. Pastel symmetry. Your vibe.

Three steps to a thumbnail

  1. Step 1: Upload a clear photo

    One well-lit photo of your face. It is the reference for every thumbnail you make from it.

    One photo is enough

  2. Step 2: Pick a look

    Choose a preset or build a look in the style builder: genres, directors, eras, moods.

    460+ styles

  3. Step 3: Generate, title and size

    Generate, keep the strongest variation, add the title and size it to 1280×720 for YouTube.

    Typography Lab · Free image resizer

Why creators make thumbnails here

For channels that want the same face and a consistent look on every upload.

  • Your face, not a stock face

    Every image starts from your photo, so viewers see the person they subscribed to.

  • Cinematic styles

    Choose from 460+ styles: film genres, directors, anime, eras and moods.

  • A look per series

    Keep one style for a series so every episode is recognisable in the feed.

  • Variations

    Generate another take of the same idea and keep the strongest one.

  • Title text

    Typography Lab is included from the Starter plan; add and style the title right on the image.

  • Thumbnail size

    The free image resizer has a YouTube Thumbnail preset at 1280×720 and runs in your browser.

Thumbnail questions

How do I make a YouTube thumbnail with my face?

Upload a clear, well-lit photo in Studio, choose a style and generate. Make a few variations, keep the strongest, then add your title and size it to 1280×720.

Will my face look the same in every thumbnail?

Your photo is the reference for each image, so the result keeps your likeness. Photographic and cinematic styles stay closest to it; heavily stylised looks such as anime or comic change more.

Can I add text to the thumbnail?

Yes. Typography Lab is included from the Starter plan and adds and styles title text on an image. You can also take the image into any editor you already use.

What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?

YouTube recommends 1280×720 pixels, a 16:9 frame. The free image resizer has a YouTube Thumbnail preset that crops and resizes to that size in your browser.

How much does it cost?

Images run on credits. The default model needs no plan; 4K images need the Creator plan. A standard 2K image on the default model costs 12 credits and a 4K image costs 18. Credit packs run from Spark ($4.99 for 40 credits) to Nova ($74.99 for 750 credits).

Can I use the thumbnails commercially?

Under the Terms of Service you may use generated images in personal or commercial projects, subject to applicable law and third-party rights. You need the rights to any photo you upload.

Making the video too?

Script to Video turns a script into scenes with the same character in every one, adds narration and composes the video for you to export and upload.

See the script-to-video workflow
  • Scene 1: The detective crouches behind a marble pillar as a masked thief cuts a painting from its frame
  • Scene 3: The detective studies case files under a desk lamp in a dim office
  • Scene 6: The detective watches the painting returned to the museum at dawn

Put your face on the next thumbnail

One photo, one look per series, the same person on every upload.

Images run on credits. The default model needs no plan; 4K images need the Creator plan.

Create a thumbnail