Fonts for Thumbnails

Updated Aug 2025. Choose condensed, high‑contrast fonts that stay legible at small sizes and behind subjects.

Recommendations

Condensed bold sans‑serifs: Oswald, Anton, League Spartan, Impact‑style families.
Keep stroke thin and increase if background is noisy.
Use tight letter‑spacing on condensed fonts; avoid negative letter‑spacing on very small text.
Pair with short hooks (2-5 words) for fast scanning.

Test on a phone: step away and confirm every letter remains readable.
Prefer uppercase for emphasis but avoid shouting - mix case for longer hooks.
Use high‑contrast color (white/yellow) plus stroke; avoid colors that clash with skin tones.
Keep eyes unobstructed - nudge text when overlapping facial features.

Ready to apply these tips?

Create your own text-behind thumbnails with the perfect fonts.

Updated Aug 2025. Choose condensed, high‑contrast fonts that stay legible at small sizes and behind subjects.

Condensed bold sans‑serifs: Oswald, Anton, League Spartan, Impact‑style families.
Keep stroke thin and increase if background is noisy.
Use tight letter‑spacing on condensed fonts; avoid negative letter‑spacing on very small text.
Pair with short hooks (2-5 words) for fast scanning.

Test on a phone: step away and confirm every letter remains readable.
Prefer uppercase for emphasis but avoid shouting - mix case for longer hooks.
Use high‑contrast color (white/yellow) plus stroke; avoid colors that clash with skin tones.
Keep eyes unobstructed - nudge text when overlapping facial features.

Ready to apply these tips?

Create your own text-behind thumbnails with the perfect fonts.