Twitch emotes are a huge part of how streamers and their communities express themselves. Whether you’re reacting to a clutch play, a bad pun, or a hype moment, emotes are the language of Twitch chat.
In this guide you’ll learn the exact sizes, formats, and design tips to help you create sharp, eye-catching emotes that stand out. You’ll also get access to a free downloadable template to make the process easier.
🧠 What are Twitch emotes?
Twitch emotes are small custom images that viewers use in chat to react, respond, and express themselves. They’re a core part of Twitch culture and help build a stronger connection between streamers and their communities.
Unlike standard emojis, Twitch emotes are unique to each channel. Streamers can upload their own designs, giving subscribers exclusive access to emotes that reflect the personality and vibe of the stream.
If you’re looking for ideas or inspiration, check out our full collection of custom emote designs to see what’s possible.
Emotes appear at a tiny size in chat, so they need to be instantly recognizable even at low resolution. That’s why a good emote design focuses on bold expressions, clear shapes, and strong contrast.
📏 Twitch emote sizes (all tiers)
Twitch requires each emote to be uploaded in three sizes: 28×28, 56×56, and 112×112 pixels. These are automatically used in different places across the platform, like chat, hover previews, and the emote picker.
To keep your emotes looking sharp at every size, you’ll need to design them at the largest resolution first and then scale them down. This helps preserve clarity and prevents blurring or distortion.
Twitch emote size requirements:
- 28 × 28 px (chat display)
- 56 × 56 px (hover and previews)
- 112 × 112 px (emote picker and high-res views)
- Format: PNG with a transparent background
- Max file size: 25KB per image
You can either upload each size manually or use Twitch’s auto-resize tool during the upload process. However, manually exporting all three sizes yourself gives you better control over quality.
Want a shortcut? Download our free emote size template to skip the setup and get started faster.
🛠️ Best canvas size to start with
When designing Twitch emotes, always start with a larger canvas than the final size. This gives you more control over detail, line weight, and overall clarity.
The ideal starting size is at least 500×500 pixels, but many designers prefer working at 1120×1120 pixels or higher. This allows for clean scaling down to Twitch’s required emote sizes (112, 56, and 28 px) without losing sharpness.
Recommended setup:
- Canvas size: 1120 × 1120 px
- Resolution: 300 DPI (optional, for print-quality exports)
- Background: Transparent (PNG format)
Resize tips:
- Design at full size, then export clean versions at 112px, 56px, and 28px
- Always preview your emotes at the smallest size before uploading
- Avoid tiny details or thin lines that won’t survive at 28px
This workflow helps ensure your emotes look professional and crisp no matter how they’re displayed.
⚡Want a custom design for your Twitch or Stream?
We create banners, icons, overlays, and animated packages that are perfectly sized for Twitch and styled to match your brand, stream, or community vibe.
🎨 Tips for great emote design
Great Twitch emotes are easy to recognize, full of personality, and readable even at the smallest size. Since most emotes show up as just 28 pixels wide in chat, your design choices need to be bold and clear.
Some essential tips to help your emotes stand out:
🔍 Focus on clarity
Great Twitch emotes are easy to recognize, full of personality, and readable even at the smallest size. Since most emotes show up as just 28 pixels wide in chat, your design choices need to be bold and clear.
😄 Exaggerate expressions
Emotes should instantly show emotion or reaction. Go big with facial expressions and body language as subtle details won’t translate at 28px.
🎯 Keep text minimal
If you’re adding text to an emote, use only one or two large letters. Most full words won’t be readable at small sizes, and they often make the emote look cluttered.
🎨 Stay on-brand
Make sure your emotes match your stream’s style and color palette. This helps build brand recognition and gives your community a consistent visual language.
Want professional-looking emotes without starting from scratch? Check out our custom Twitch emote packages or use our free template to build your own.
💡 Animated emote sizes
Animated Twitch emotes follow the same size rules as static ones, but with a few extra requirements. If you want to add movement to your emotes, make sure your files meet Twitch’s specific animation guidelines.
Size and format requirements
- 28 × 28 px
- 56 × 56 px
- 112 × 112 px
- File format: GIF only
- Max file size: 1MB
- Frame limit: 60 frames
- Looping: Must loop smoothly
Designers typically create animated emotes using tools like Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, or Spine, then export to a GIF format that matches Twitch’s limits.
Pro tips:
- Keep animations simple and short. Subtle loops work best
- Avoid flashing lights or strobe effects (Twitch may reject them)
- Test your animation at 28px to make sure it still reads well
Done well, animated emotes can add life to your channel and encourage more subscribers to unlock them.
📦 Free Twitch emote template (.PSD or .PNG)
To speed up your design process, we’ve created a free Twitch emote template you can download and use right away. It includes properly sized artboards at 112×112, 56×56, and 28×28 pixels. This is exactly what Twitch requires.
What's included:
- Layered PSD file with guides and smart objects
- Transparent PNG versions of each size
- Built-in safe zones and example layouts
This template is perfect whether you’re creating your first emote or just want a reliable setup to speed things up. It’s formatted for Photoshop but can also be used in other design tools that support layers.
Want a more custom look? Use the template as a base or starting point for your own unique designs.
🚀 How to upload emotes to Twitch
Once your emotes are ready and meet Twitch’s size and format rules, uploading them to your channel is simple. Here’s how to do it step by step:
Upload process:
Go to your Twitch Creator Dashboard
Navigate to Viewer Rewards > Emotes
Choose your emote slot (e.g. Tier 1, Bit Emotes, or Follower Emotes)
Upload all three required sizes: 112×112, 56×56, and 28×28 px
Name your emote and assign a unique code (like
LIONHYPE)Submit for review (Twitch usually approves within a few hours)
Tips to avoid rejection:
- Make sure your file sizes are within the limit
- Use transparent backgrounds (PNG or GIF only)
- Avoid copyrighted material, blurry images, or hard-to-read designs
You can also find Twitch’s full emote guidelines and requirements on their official help page.
🤔 Twitch Emote FAQ
What size is a Twitch emote?
Twitch emotes are required in three sizes: 28×28, 56×56, and 112×112 pixels. All must be PNG files with transparent backgrounds and a file size under 25KB.
What size does a Twitch emote need to be?
You’ll need to upload all three: 28px, 56px, and 112px versions. This ensures your emotes scale cleanly across all Twitch devices and chat settings.
How big should a Twitch emote be when designing?
Start with a large canvas like 500×500 or 1120×1120 pixels. This gives you plenty of room to work with detail before exporting the smaller required sizes.
Why does my Twitch emote look blurry?
Most often, it’s due to scaling down from a low-resolution canvas or using fine details that get lost at 28×28. Stick to bold shapes, thick lines, and high contrast.
What’s the best format for Twitch emotes?
Twitch only accepts PNG for static emotes and GIF for animated ones. Both must have transparent backgrounds.
How long does Twitch emote approval take?
It varies. Twitch may approve your emote within minutes, but during busy periods, it can take up to 48 hours or more. Verified Partners get faster review times.
How do I upload a Twitch emote?
Head to your Creator Dashboard → Viewer Rewards → Emotes and click “Upload.” Drag in your 28px, 56px, and 112px PNGs. Once submitted, Twitch will handle the approval process.
🔗 More resources
Want to dive deeper into Twitch graphics and stream branding? These guides break down everything you need to know:
Discord Size Guide – Optimize icons, banners, and profile images for your server
Twitch Size Guide – Find the ideal dimensions for everything Twitch related.
Each one includes design tips, file format advice, and ready-to-use templates.
