Discord Server Banner Best Practices and Guidelines

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Detailed view of Ethernet and VGA ports on a server highlighting connectivity features.
Credit: pexels.com, Detailed view of Ethernet and VGA ports on a server highlighting connectivity features.

Creating a Discord server banner that accurately represents your community is crucial for attracting new members and making a good first impression. This banner should be visually appealing and communicate the server's theme or purpose.

A Discord server banner typically has a maximum size of 1280 x 720 pixels, so keep your design concise and focused. This size limit will ensure your banner looks great on both desktop and mobile devices.

To ensure your banner is easily readable, use a clear and simple font, and avoid cluttering it with too much text. A good rule of thumb is to limit your text to the server's name, a brief tagline, or a key phrase that summarizes the community's focus.

Remember, a well-designed banner can make or break a server's first impression, so take the time to get it right.

Curious to learn more? Check out: What Is a Community Server Discord

Creating a Discord Server Banner

Creating a Discord server banner is key for both your server's appeal and your profile's uniqueness. You can use various tools to create an eye-catching banner.

Credit: youtube.com, How to Add Banners to Discord Servers

Platforms like Canva and Kapwing.com provide banner templates, which are incredibly helpful for those who aren't skilled in graphic design. These templates can be easily customized to incorporate various elements like fonts, memes, and emotes.

You can add perks like countdowns, server boosts information, and more using various Discord bots or custom code. This will make your banner stand out and provide valuable information to your server members.

With online services like Canva and Kapwing.com, you can create a banner that speaks volumes about you or your server.

Designing a Banner

Designing a banner for your Discord server can be a fun and creative process.

To make your banner more appealing and effective, keep the design simple, as it will appear fairly small within Discord.

Choose a color scheme that matches your server's theme, and use high-quality images or GIFs that are clear and crisp. Avoid using blurry, pixelated, or distorted images.

Credit: youtube.com, CREATE a FREE Discord Server Banner with Photopea (NO Photoshop)

Adobe Photoshop or similar graphic design software offers the most control over the quality and aspect ratio of your banner. The recommended size for a Discord banner is 960x540 pixels.

Use an image that represents your game or brand, such as a high-quality image from the game or a custom image that aligns with your brand guidelines.

When creating a Discord banner, consider the aspect ratio, high-quality images, fonts, emojis, and emotes to make it unique and engaging.

To add an animated banner on Discord, you need a Discord Nitro subscription, which allows you to upload an animated GIF as your banner.

If you don't want to invest in a Discord Nitro subscription, you can use free options like Canva or Kapwing.com to create a banner that meets the community guidelines and maintains the correct aspect ratio.

To follow Discord's guidelines, keep the top 48 pixels of the image fairly simple and free of any busy imagery, and avoid uploading an image or GIF with a logo or text in it.

Use matching branding for all your server graphics to create a cohesive look for your Discord server.

Intriguing read: Game Dev Discord Server

Credit: youtube.com, ♡ How to create cute & basic banners ♡ (for beginners)

Here's a quick rundown of the key considerations for designing a Discord banner:

  • Aspect Ratio: Make sure the aspect ratio is correct; a distorted banner can be an eyesore.
  • High-Quality Images: Always use high-quality images, as pixelated banners don't look appealing.
  • Fonts: The text in your banner should be in English (or the language your server mainly uses) and easy to read.
  • Emojis and Emotes: These can add a touch of personality to your banner.
  • Animated GIFs: If you can, use animated GIFs to make your banner more engaging.

Banner Size and Dimensions

Discord recommends a server banner size of 960 x 540 pixels with an aspect ratio of 16:9.

You can upload a larger image, such as 1920 x 1080 pixels, and Discord will automatically resize it for you.

The supported file types are PNG, JPG, or GIF, and the banner file must be under 10 MB.

You can use an image editing software, such as Photoshop, GIMP, or an online tool, to create your server banner.

Discord recommends keeping the upper 48 pixels of your image simplistic, with no busy graphic design, illustration, or images.

A profile banner size is slightly different, with a recommended size of 600 x 240 pixels.

You can use animated GIFs for some added pizzazz, making your server banner stand out.

Banner Content and Regulations

Your Discord banner needs to follow some strict guidelines to ensure it's family-friendly. Your banner cannot contain any 18+ adult content, even if your channel itself contains gated adult content.

When choosing an image for your banner, keep it simple and easy to make out at a glance. It should not be overly cluttered and should contain clearly defined figures, contrasting colors, and potential white space. This will help draw more users to your server and prevent confusion.

Regulations

A thoughtful child attending a colorful community event with diverse participants.
Credit: pexels.com, A thoughtful child attending a colorful community event with diverse participants.

To create a Discord banner that complies with the community guidelines, you'll need to avoid any 18+ adult content, even if your channel itself contains gated adult content. Users of all ages will see your Discord banner, so it's essential to abide by this guideline.

Discord banners can't depict explicit content, violence, or hate speech, gore, cruelty to animals or other people, or any illegal behavior.

Your Discord banner should have a specific size and aspect ratio. The size should be at least 960×540 pixels, and the aspect ratio should be 16:9.

You should also keep the top 48 pixels of the image with a simple background.

Here are the guidelines for banner settings:

Animated banners have some specific rules to keep in mind. The animation will play for 5 seconds after the server is loaded, or for 5 seconds when you scroll through the channel list and the banner is redisplayed.

No logos or text in images

Close Up Photo of Cables Plugged into the Server
Credit: pexels.com, Close Up Photo of Cables Plugged into the Server

Discord's guidelines are pretty clear about images with logos or text - avoid them altogether. You should choose clear imagery with plenty of breathing room that represents your brand values.

Using a custom-designed image is a great idea, but if not available, a clean, colorful stock image that aligns with your brand will work well. This will help prevent clutter and make your Discord banner more readable.

Your logo is better suited for your Discord profile image, so reserve additional text for your About section and leave it out of your images altogether.

Choosing a Banner Image

Choosing a banner image for your Discord server is a crucial step in creating a great first impression. Avoid using images with logos or text, as they can make your server's title difficult to read.

Discord's guidelines suggest choosing clear imagery with plenty of breathing room that represents your brand values. You can use a custom-designed image if available, or a clean, colorful stock image that aligns with your brand.

Credit: youtube.com, 🖼️ How to Change Your Discord Server Banner | Step-by-Step Customization Tutorial

Consider using an image that represents your game or brand, such as a high-quality image from the game or a custom-made image that aligns with your brand guidelines. This will help users quickly understand what your server is about.

Remember to choose an image that's easy to make out at a glance, with clearly defined figures, contrasting colors, and potential white space. This will ensure that users can view your image clearly, even on their mobile devices.

Choose a Clear Image

A clear image is essential for a great Discord banner. Avoid using images with logos or text, as they can take away from your server's title and make it difficult to read.

Choose imagery that represents your game or brand, such as a high-quality image from the game or a custom-designed image that aligns with your brand guidelines. This will help users quickly understand what your server is about.

Select an image that is easy to make out at a glance, with clearly defined figures, contrasting colors, and potential white space. This is especially important for mobile device users, who may need to view your image in a smaller format.

Remember, a clear image will help draw more users to your server. If your image is cluttered or hard to understand, users will likely pass you by.

How to Get

A small group of people gathered at an outdoor coffee shop in a verdant, tropical setting.
Credit: pexels.com, A small group of people gathered at an outdoor coffee shop in a verdant, tropical setting.

To get a banner image that grabs attention, consider using high-contrast colors, like the combination of a dark blue background and bright orange text found in the "Color Psychology" section.

A good starting point is to choose an image that is at least 1200 x 630 pixels in size, as recommended in the "Image Size and Resolution" section.

Select a format that supports transparency, such as PNG or GIF, to create a clean and non-distracting design, as shown in the "Image Formats" section.

Make sure the image doesn't have any text or graphics that are too small or hard to read, especially if you're using a small banner size, as mentioned in the "Image Size and Resolution" section.

Use a simple and clear subject, like a single product or a simple background, as demonstrated in the "Subject Matter" section.

Uploading and Setting Up

To add a banner image to your Discord server, you need to boost your server enough to reach level 2. This will unlock the ability to upload a banner image.

Credit: youtube.com, How To Add A Banner To Your Discord Server On Mobile

Once you've reached level 2, you can upload a banner image by opening your server dropdown menu and clicking on Server Settings, then selecting "Upload Background." You can then find the image in your files or camera roll and upload it to your Discord server.

Animated banners are available to servers that have reached a certain boosting level and have a Discord Nitro subscription. To add an animated banner, click on Server Banner Background, then click Upload and choose your animated GIF.

Here's a step-by-step guide to setting up a server banner:

  1. Open Server Settings
  2. Select Overview
  3. Scroll Down to Server Banner Background
  4. Upload the Banner
  5. Save

Calvin Connelly

Senior Writer

Calvin Connelly is a seasoned writer with a passion for crafting engaging content on a wide range of topics. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Calvin has established himself as a versatile and reliable voice in the world of writing. In addition to his general writing expertise, Calvin has developed a particular interest in covering important and timely subjects that impact society.

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