How to make a Linus Tech Tips thumbnail

The analysis of the 10 most-viewed thumbnails points to one dominant format: a cringe reaction paired with a hero product. Two subjects carry the image: a person pulling an uncomfortable, wincing face and the product the video is about. The reaction gives the viewer a feeling, the product tells them what the video covers.

The analysis identifies a single main format. Its strength is that it explains the video in one glance: here is a thing, and here is how the presenter feels about it. Below is how to build it.

• Split the frame. Put the face on one side and the product on the other so neither covers the other.
• Make the face big. The reaction has to read at phone size, so crop from roughly the shoulders up.
• Make the product the hero. Show it large, at an angle where its shape is instantly recognisable.
• Connect them. Turn the face or eyes toward the product so the reaction clearly refers to it.
• Keep the background quiet. A simple backdrop keeps attention on the two subjects.

In this format the face is not decoration, it is half the message. A cringe reaction signals that something about the product is wrong, risky or surprising, which gives the viewer a reason to click and find out what. You can start from your own photos with a thumbnail from a photo.

• Shoot several takes of the same reaction and pick the one that reads clearest when shrunk down.
• Exaggerate slightly: a subtle expression disappears at small sizes.
• Keep the face well lit and sharp; a blurry reaction loses its effect.
• Only use a cringe face when the video really has a flaw, fail or risk to show.

Our analysis does not include a breakdown of text or a specific font, so do not chase an exact typeface. In a reaction plus product format the picture does most of the work, which leaves text as an optional extra rather than the main hook.

• Use 0 to 2 words, or none at all.
• Add words only if they add something the image cannot show, not repeat the title.
• Choose a heavy, simple font that stays readable at small size.
• Place text where it does not cover the face or the product.

The analysis gives no specific color data, so treat this as practical guidance for the format. The goal is separation: the face and the product must pop from the background even on a small phone screen. For general rules, see the YouTube thumbnail design guide.

• Light the face evenly so the expression is easy to read.
• Pick a background color that contrasts with both the skin tone and the product.
• Avoid busy, detailed backgrounds that compete with the two subjects.
• Check the thumbnail at small size and in dark mode before publishing.

1. Pick a reference thumbnail in this style and press Generate in this style.
2. Add your photos in the Face block, ideally with a clear cringe or shocked expression.
3. Describe the video idea, including the product and what goes wrong or surprises you.
4. Enter 0 to 2 words in the Thumbnail text field, or leave it empty.
5. Generate 2 to 4 variants and compare them at small size before choosing one.

• Fake reaction. A cringe face on a video with nothing cringe-worthy feels like bait and hurts trust.
• Tiny product. If the product is small or at an odd angle, viewers cannot tell what the video is about.
• Too many elements. Adding a third or fourth subject breaks the simple two-part story.
• Face and product disconnected. If the reaction is not aimed at the product, the image loses its meaning.
• Text overload. A full sentence on top of a face and product makes the thumbnail unreadable on a phone.
• Copying the creator. Using Linus's face, logos or text is not a style, it is someone else's work; borrow the format only.