Downloading a thumbnail
Download from the editor's download button, or from any thumbnail card in Projects and Downloads. A dialog confirms the export and then saves the file.
Exports are at the image's original resolution, with no resizing and no cropping. What you generated is what lands on your disk. Any text layers and cutout layers are flattened into the file at full resolution at that moment.
The Downloads screen
Downloads is a flat grid of every thumbnail you have generated, newest first. It is the fastest way to find something when you do not remember which project it belonged to. For the structured view — grouped by project and template name — use Projects.
The watermark
| Plan | Export |
|---|---|
| Free | Carries the Thumblore badge. Locked on. |
| Starter, Pro, Studio | Clean by default. The badge can be switched back on in Settings if you want it. |
The download dialog tells you which state you are in before you commit, with a link either to Settings or to Billing. Full detail in removing the watermark.
Uploading to YouTube
YouTube's requirements for a custom thumbnail:
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1280×720 minimum (1280 px wide minimum) |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| File size | Under 2 MB |
| Formats | JPG, PNG, GIF (JPG is the sensible choice) |
Thumblore's 16:9 exports meet the resolution and ratio requirements. If a file lands over 2 MB, run it through the free image compressor — it gets under the limit in your browser without a visible quality drop and without uploading your image anywhere.
Check it at real size before you upload
A thumbnail is designed at 1280 px and seen at 168–360 px. The free thumbnail preview tool renders yours at every size YouTube actually uses — search, sidebar, mobile home, end screen. It takes ten seconds and catches unreadable text every time.
Other platforms
For sizes Thumblore does not generate natively — square posts, banners, ad units — download the image and run it through the free social media image resizer, which cuts one hero image to every ratio a platform expects. For vertical surfaces, generate natively at 9:16 instead of cropping; a crop of a horizontal composition almost never survives.
If a download fails
- Nothing happened. Check your browser's download blocker — the file is generated in the page and saved directly, and some blockers stop that silently.
- The button is disabled. The dialog waits until it has confirmed your plan, so it knows whether to apply the badge. It resolves in a moment.
- The file is huge. Compress it before uploading to YouTube; see above.
- You wanted the pre-edit version. Undo in the editor back to the state you want, then download. Undo history is kept with the draft.