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Series thumbnails: a whole season in one go
Survival days, episode numbers, part 1 to part 20: series mode turns one design into a full set of matching YouTube thumbnails and downloads them as a single ZIP. Free to try, no sign-up.
Why series thumbnails matter
When a viewer finishes Day 12, the best thing that can happen is that Day 13 is instantly recognisable in their feed. Consistent series thumbnails do that: same layout, same colours, same face position, with only the episode number or a short hook changing. They also make your channel page look organised, which helps new viewers binge.
The catch is the busywork. Making 30 nearly identical thumbnails by hand means 30 rounds of edit, export and rename, and one typo in Day 23 that you spot after uploading. Series mode removes that.
How series mode works
- Design episode one. Start from any template or your own layout. Get the look right once.
- Mark what changes. Open series mode and tick the text layers that change per episode, such as the day number or a subtitle.
- Enter the values. Type one value per line, or a range like 1-30. Add a prefix or suffix, so “1-30” with the prefix “DAY ” becomes DAY 1 to DAY 30. You can mix lines and ranges, too.
- Preview the batch. Every episode appears in a grid. Turn on “Shrink long text to fit” so longer titles don't overflow.
- Fix any one-offs. Open a single episode to change its text size or values without touching the rest, or open it in the full editor.
- Download a ZIP. Choose PNG or JPG (JPG is kept under YouTube's 2 MB phone limit) and download every thumbnail at once, with tidy file names.
Save the series for next week
Click Save series and the layout and variables are stored in your browser. When the next episode is due, reopen it from Saved series and click Next episode for the following number. Nothing is uploaded; it all stays on your device.
Free and Pro limits
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Thumbnails per batch | 3 | Unlimited batches, up to 200 per ZIP |
| Saved series | 1 | Unlimited |
| Watermark | None | None |
| Export | 1280×720 PNG or JPG | Adds 4K (3840×2160) and WebP |
Free is enough to try it on your next three episodes. Pro is for channels publishing long runs.
Series thumbnail ideas
- Day counters for survival, hardcore and “100 days” challenges. Make the number the biggest thing on the thumbnail.
- Part numbers for let's plays and story playthroughs, with a short hook that changes each time.
- Episode plus guest for podcasts and interview shows: same frame, new name and face.
- Progress bars or tiers for build series and glow-ups, where the before/after changes each episode.
- Lesson numbers for tutorial courses, so viewers can find the next step in your playlist.
For gaming series, the gaming layouts make a strong episode-one design. Before you batch-export, run a quick click check on the longest title in the run, and check the size guide if you're unsure about formats.
FAQ
Can I make series thumbnails for free?
Yes. Free mode makes 3 thumbnails per batch and saves 1 series, with no watermark. Pro removes the batch limit (up to 200 per ZIP) and saves every series.
Can more than one text layer change per episode?
Yes. Mark as many text layers as you like as variables, each with its own values, prefix and suffix.
What if one episode title is too long?
Turn on “Shrink long text to fit”, or open that one episode and adjust its text size without changing the others.
Where are my series saved?
In your browser's storage on your device. Nothing is uploaded to Thumbnailr.
Ready to make yours? It's free, with no sign-up.