Why Your Video Poster Size Determines First Impressions
Your video poster, the thumbnail that sits in front of a trailer or highlight reel, is often the very first thing a ticket buyer sees before they decide to click play or buy a seat. Get the video poster size wrong, and you end up with a blurry, cropped, or stretched image that quietly tells viewers your show isn't worth their time. Get it right, and that same thumbnail becomes a small but real driver of clicks and ticket sales.
This matters more on a box office page than almost anywhere else, because you're competing for attention in the same scroll as everything else a family or patron is looking at that day. CUR8 supports optimized poster sizes so your thumbnails load fast and stay sharp across phones, tablets, and desktops, but you still need to hand it the right file.
Recommended Video Poster Dimensions and Format
The good news is that you only need to remember a handful of numbers.
Preferred Dimensions
Aim for 1530 by 860 pixels. That widescreen ratio displays cleanly across CUR8's layouts without CUR8 needing to crop your image in an awkward or unflattering way. If your source photo or video frame is a different aspect ratio, crop it to widescreen before you export rather than letting the platform do it for you.
Supported Formats and Resolution
Export your thumbnail as JPEG or PNG. Both formats give you a solid balance of image quality and file size, which keeps your box office page loading quickly. For resolution, 72 to 150 DPI is the sweet spot: crisp enough for screens, without an oversized file that slows your page down. Keep the finished file reasonably small so buyers aren't waiting on it to load before they can browse what's playing.
How to Upload Your Video Poster in CUR8
Once your thumbnail graphic matches those specs, the upload itself only takes a minute:
- Open your project in CUR8.
- Navigate to the Media or Video section.
- Click Upload Video Poster, or Edit Poster if you're replacing one on an existing video.
- Select the graphic you exported at the recommended size.
- Save your changes.
Your new poster will display everywhere that video appears, on your box office page, in promotional pages, and in share previews when someone forwards the link to a friend or family member.
Design Tips for a Video Poster That Gets Clicks
Hitting the right dimensions is only half the job. A few design choices make the difference between a thumbnail people scroll past and one they tap:
- Use a compelling frame from your video, or a strong photo from the show itself, rather than a generic placeholder.
- Add a short text overlay, like the show title or "Watch Trailer," so viewers know exactly what they're about to click.
- Keep high contrast between your text and background so it stays readable even on a small phone screen.
- Avoid clutter. A clean, focused image reads faster than a busy one, especially at thumbnail size.
Good design paired with the right technical specs is what actually increases clicks and interest in your show.
Pro Tip: Preview Before You Publish
Before you upload, preview your poster on a phone screen, a tablet, and a laptop. If a face gets cut off, or your text overlay shrinks down to nothing on mobile, go back and adjust the crop or the type size before you save it. This one extra check is what keeps your video poster looking sharp no matter how a viewer finds your show.
Once your posters are dialed in, the next step is making sure the rest of your program stays organized and easy for your team to manage as you add more video and media over time. Ready to put your best foot forward for your next show? Make your moment with CUR8.