What a reference template does
A reference template is an image you hand the generator as a style and layout guide. It is not copied and it is not traced — the generator reads the composition, colour treatment and general shape of the frame, then builds your scene with your subject and your headline in that shape.
Use one when you already know what the frame should look like: subject on the right, big number on the left, dark background. Skip it when you want the generator to compose freely.
Three ways to set one
- The template gallery. Click Reference template on the dashboard to open the picker. The gallery holds proven layouts — see the templates gallery for what each one is good for.
- Upload your own. Same picker, "Upload your own image". This is how you reuse a thumbnail of yours that already performed — the fastest route to a consistent-looking channel.
- Pull one from a video URL. Paste any YouTube link and Thumblore fetches that video's thumbnail to use as the reference. See using a video URL as a reference.
Whichever you pick, a preview appears on the dashboard with an X to clear it. Only one reference is active at a time.
Your own winner is the best reference you have
When a thumbnail performs, upload it back as the reference for the next video. Do that four or five times and the channel develops a recognisable look without you ever writing a style guide.
What carries across, and what does not
| Carries across | Does not |
|---|---|
| Overall composition and balance | The reference's subject or face |
| Where text sits relative to the subject | The reference's actual words |
| Colour treatment and contrast level | Specific background objects |
| Density — busy vs. minimal | Any branding or logos in the reference |
Your saved avatar always wins over the face in the reference. That is the point: the layout is borrowed, the identity is yours.
Combining a reference with the other fields
A reference constrains the shape of the frame; the other fields fill it. They work best together:
- Reference + scene description — the strongest pairing. The reference decides the layout, the description decides what is actually in it.
- Reference + mood — use when you like the composition of the reference but want a different grade. The mood overrides the reference's colour feel.
- Reference alone — workable, but you are handing over most of the creative decisions. Expect more variance.
Pitfalls
- Referencing something wildly off-format. A vertical image as a reference for a 16:9 thumbnail produces awkward results. Match the aspect ratio.
- Referencing a very busy thumbnail. Density carries across. If the reference has six elements, yours will too, and it will not survive being shrunk to sidebar size.
- Copying a competitor's exact thumbnail. Referencing a layout is normal practice; reproducing someone's specific artwork, branding or likeness is not. Use their structure, not their frame.
- Expecting the text to carry. The reference's words are not reused. Type your own headline in the text fields.
Building a reference library
Before you generate anything for a new series, spend ten minutes collecting references. Our free thumbnail downloader pulls the full-resolution thumbnail off any video, so you can save the five best-performing frames in your niche and use them as your reference set. The colour palette extractor will pull their palette out at the same time, which is the other half of a brand kit.