The first of the many steps towards succeeding on Twitch is to optimize your channel. Among many other things that need sorting, there’s the offline banner. While you’re free to get as creative as possible, there is a recommended Twitch offline banner size that you have to stick with.
A Twitch offline screen is essentially what the people who visit your channel see when you’re, well…offline.
It provides a chance to engage with anyone who visits your Twitch channel and share any important information (for instance, a lot of streamers use them to share their streaming schedules).
If you’re designing a Twitch banner for the first time, keep reading. In this article, I’ll go over:
- The recommended Twitch offline banner size (and other requirements)
- A quick size guide for other Twitch graphics
- How to design an offline banner like a pro
- Best practices to make the most out of your banner
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
What’s the Perfect Twitch Offline Banner Size?
The recommended size for Twitch offline banners is 1920 x 1080 pixels. These dimensions are suitable for larger display screens as well. This is an aspect ratio 16:9.
This will prevent parts of your Twitch image from being cut off and appear without getting pixelated.
In addition to the above, make sure that your offline banner is in GIF, JPG, or PNG format. Furthermore, the max file size/image size is 10MB.
Why Bother Creating an Offline Banner for Your Twitch Channel?
When it comes to building a following on social media, first impressions matter a lot.
The same is the case with Twitch.
You have to remember that Twitch TV is no longer just an online community for gamers – it’s a multi-million dollar platform that has changed the lives of many people.
If you’re serious about creating a strong presence on Twitch, one of the many things other than a catchy username, you have to do is create an awesome offline banner.
This can help you:
- Create a good first impression (and give your Twitch channel visitors something to look at while you’re offline).
- Share your usual streaming schedule (trust me, it helps a lot and can actually drive people to return to your channel when you’re actually streaming).
- Share your social links (earn followers on other platforms while you sleep/don’t use Twitch).
- Place any CTA that leads the user elsewhere (these can be temporary – for instance, sharing a link to a sponsor’s landing page).
Twitch Size Guide
Getting the Twitch offline banner size right is just one tiny part of the puzzle – there are a ton of other Twitch images to sort out, each of which, have their own recommended dimensions.
To avoid mixing it up, here’s a quick Twitch size guide that you can refer to at any time (simply bookmark this post or take a screenshot):
- Profile Banner – this is basically a cover image that goes on your Twitch channel. The recommended Twitch banner size is 1920 x 480 pixels.
- Twitch Panel – these are special panels that can be used to share useful information about you and your streams. The ideal Twitch panel size is 320 x 160 pixels.
- Twitch Profile Picture/Avatar – the perfect Twitch profile picture size is 800 x 800 pixels.
- Video Player Banner – for best results, these should be kept at 1920 x 1080 pixels.
- VOD Thumbnail – the recommended Twitch thumbnail size is 1280 x 720 pixels.
- Twitch Overlay – the perfect size for overlays (and webcam overlays) is 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Make sure to stick with the recommended dimensions to make your channel seem professional.
Design a Custom Twitch Banner in a Few Minutes
Now that you know the ideal Twitch offline banner size, it’s time to get to work and design a masterpiece.
However, whipping a visual asset from scratch isn’t exactly easy.
And not everyone can afford to hire professional graphic designers for such gigs.
But with Pixelied, you don’t have to worry about any of that.
It’s an awesome Canva alternative and a highly affordable online graphic design tool for small teams and individuals.
What makes it different from using Photoshop? Pixelied offers a wide selection of Twitch banner templates to choose from, which you can then conveniently customize to your liking.
Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how you can use Pixelied to create an offline banner like a professional graphic designer:
Step 1: Open Pixelied’s Editor (it’s Free)
To get started, simply go to our free Pixelied editor.
The next step is simple – browse through Pixelied’s vast library of Twitch offline banner templates and select one that you fancy.
You can get access to all the essential tools and hundreds of exciting templates without paying a dime.
Click on a template that you want to customize.
Step 2: Customize your Design
When you click on a template, it’ll load on to the editor.
This is what it looks like:
When it comes to online graphic designing tools, Pixelied has one of the most intuitive user-interfaces and some of the most advanced features.
Here’s what’s under the hood:
- Wide Selection of Templates – the coolest thing about Pixelied is its awesome collection of templates for different social networks, email, and blogs. No more keeping track of the dimensions – simply select a feature and you’re ready to roll.
- Royalty-Free Stock Images – I know what you’re thinking. “I can get free stock photos from hundreds of websites, what’s so special about this feature?” Well, Pixelied gives you direct access to them, which means you won’t have to switch tabs or leave the editor.
- 900+ Google Fonts – just like the royalty-free stock photos, Pixelied also directly sources hundreds of free Google fonts right there on its editor.
- SVG/Vector Uploading – if you have a custom SVG/vector file that you’d like to use in your designs, you can. Furthermore, you can even change its colors (something not being offered by other design tools).
- Design Elements and Icons – instantly spice up your visuals and make them look more professional with the help of icons and elements.
Additionally, you can remove backgrounds from images with a single click (useful for adding your face to your Twitch offline banner), add borders, change line height and spacing, and much more.
Best Practices to Make the Most Out of Your Offline Banner
Anyone can adhere to the recommended Twitch offline banner size.
But when it comes to actually designing them, not everyone can make the most out of them.
Here are some tips (or best practices, if you will) to help you create the perfect offline screen for your Twitch profile:
1. Make Your Banner Branded
First and foremost, if you already haven’t, I suggest creating a proper brand style guide for yourself.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a gamer, musician, or just a guy who’s on Twitch for fun – just do it.
Every Twitch streamer should have a personal brand.
And all elements on your channel – your offline banner included – should reflect that personal brand of yours.
For this purpose, you can:
- Create and use a personal logo (or share the logo of your team, if you have one)
- Stick to a certain font
- Use consistent color scheme
In addition to the above, use anything else that might help set you apart and make you more memorable.
2. Share Your Streaming Schedule
Besides having an info panel that talks about it, you should also share your streaming schedule on your offline banner.
It doesn’t have to be witty. Something simple along the lines of “catch me live on (Days and Time)” should do the trick.
A potential or a new follower who’s not familiar with your timings will know exactly when to stop by to see you in action.
3. Promote Yourself
Another great use of an offline banner is to promote yourself (and your business partners).
Even if you have special dedicated panels for this purpose, make sure to write your social handles and invite people to follow you.
Furthermore, you can share any temporary links to your sponsor’s website.
4. De-Clutter Your Banner
While it’s true that your entire Twitch profile (offline banner included) should be full of strategically placed calls-to-action, it’s important not to get carried away.
Whether you’re designing your cover image or an offline screen, don’t add too much copy or too many elements.
Use the right contrast, suitable typography, necessary copy, and leave enough breathing room.
In simple words, you don’t want to overwhelm the users.
Ending Note
An offline banner, when done right, can do wonders for your Twitch channel.
While it may seem like a small thing at first, think of everything that you can accomplish with just this one single element.
Just make sure that you get the dimensions right (we’ve got that covered with our ready-to-use templates), follow the best practices, and you’ll be alright.
