Color & contrast that pops

Contrast is what separates your subject from the background — and your thumbnail from everyone else's. You need both.

Separate subject from background

• Use a warm subject on a cool background (or vice versa).
• Add a light rim or white outline around your character.
• Darken or blur the background so the subject sits in front of it.

Stand out from the neighbors

Look at the top experiences in your genre. If they're all blue skies and green grass, a sunset orange or neon purple palette will grab attention before a single detail is read.

Saturation, not chaos

Bright is good; rainbow is not. Pick one dominant color, one accent, and let everything else support them.