Overlays serve as a crucial component of your Twitch stream. In addition to using free or paid overlays, you can also get creative and design your own. In this article, we’ll explore what you should consider when crafting your Twitch overlays.
What are overlays and why should you use them for your Twitch stream?
Stream overlays refer to graphics or animations that overlay your main content during streams on platforms like Twitch and can be integrated using streaming software like Streamlabs OBS. They are used to visually enhance the stream and provide viewers with useful information such as recent followers, donors, or your social media handles.
As streaming has become increasingly mainstream, it’s essential to differentiate yourself with your overlays on platforms like Twitch. Custom overlays not only look good but also convey a sense of professionalism, making your stream unique and increasing your brand recognition. Moreover, they demonstrate your commitment to your channel and community.
The most important basic Twitch overlays
If you want to make your Twitch stream visually appealing, it’s advisable to have various overlays for different scenes in your repertoire. You can follow these basic overlays as a guide:
- Start Overlay: The start overlay informs viewers that your Twitch stream is about to begin. During this time, viewers can tune in and anticipate the start (with or without a countdown).
- Game Overlay: Your game overlay can include game information, your facecam, or details about current followers, subs, etc., and should visually match your game.
- Chat Overlay: If, in addition to your main content, you have segments where you interact only with your chat, a separate Twitch overlay for this purpose is ideal. It can display your webcam alongside the chat and new followers or subs.
- Pause Overlay: Especially during extended streaming sessions, you’ll need breaks from time to time. Your pause overlay can inform viewers (with or without a countdown) that you’ll be back soon.
- End Overlay: The end overlay notifies viewers that your Twitch stream has just ended. For example, you can thank them for watching or direct them to your social media channels.
What should you consider when creating a Twitch overlay?
Don’t overload your Twitch overlay
First and foremost, it’s crucial to consider what you want to showcase in your overlay. This largely depends on your content. If you stream games, it’s common to include your camera feed to show yourself while playing. Additionally, you can choose to display your own logo, streamer name, recent followers and donations, particularly generous donations, or your social media handles. The chat is often also incorporated into the overlay so that viewers can read it even in fullscreen mode. The possibilities for what you can include in your overlay are diverse. However, you should be careful not to overload it; otherwise, you risk distracting too much from your main content.
Choose a consistent, appealing, and channel-relevant design
When designing your overlays, consider what best fits your Twitch stream and yourself. If you spend most of your time in your stream playing a single game, it makes sense for the overlays to be visually aligned with that game. If you spend most of your time interacting with your community and showing yourself, choose a design that suits your personality and background. Again, less is often more. Your overlay should complement your Twitch stream and not distract from the content. Additionally, the design should match the overall aesthetic of your Twitch channel.
Pay attention to the size of your Twitch overlay elements
Choosing the right size for your overlay elements is a delicate balance. On one hand, they need to be easily recognizable and readable; otherwise, they won’t add any value. On the other hand, your overlay shouldn’t cover important parts of your stream.
Avoid using too many animations
In addition to static overlays, you can also use animated overlays. Static overlays are simple graphics that overlay your content and do not change. Dynamic overlays can change during the stream. While dynamic overlays are more exciting, too much animation can become distracting.
How can you create your own Twitch overlays for your stream?
Twitch stream overlays are created using image editing software like Adobe Photoshop or a free alternative like GIMP.
First, take a screenshot of the content for which you’re creating the overlay, such as your favorite game. With the screenshot as a base, you can ensure at each step that the overlay doesn’t cover important parts of your content.
Next, open a new file in your image editing software. Ensure that the file dimensions are correct – for example, for an HD resolution, you should use dimensions of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The background of the file must be set to transparent so that viewers can see your content instead of the background. Alternatively, you can also mark elements that need to be transparent in the Twitch stream with a bright color (e.g., the classic bright green as in the greenscreen). This color can then be filtered out in your streaming software.
Then, you can start overlaying your desired content onto the screenshot on a new layer using the image editing software. It’s helpful to use horizontal and vertical gridlines to frame the Twitch overlay for better orientation. These gridlines can be hidden at the end. It’s best to use a new layer for each element or group of elements. This allows you to export the content individually and position it more easily in your streaming software later.
Once you’ve finished editing, save and export your file. For exporting, the PNG format is most suitable as it preserves transparency.
For adding animated elements, software like After Effects is often used. You can simply import your static Twitch overlay created with Photoshop, for example, into After Effects and continue editing it there. To also preserve transparency here, the alpha channel must be activated before rendering.
What are the alternatives to self-created Twitch overlays?
If you don’t want to create your own Twitch overlays, you can also purchase them from various online shops or use free variants.
Preconfigured premium Twitch overlays
Many platforms offer premium Twitch overlays in preconfigured complete packages so that your entire stream has a consistent look. These packages can include overlays for different scenes, webcam overlays, banners, alerts, animated transitions, and sounds. Basic versions with essential features are often sold alongside more expensive premium versions with all sorts of accessories. Typically, you’ll also receive the source files so that you can make custom adjustments.
The downside here is that any Twitch streamer can use the preconfigured designs included in these packages. This could limit your recognizability.
Custom Twitch overlays
If you absolutely want a unique Twitch overlay, you can also have one customized according to your preferences. There can be significant price differences here, depending on whether the provider uses templates for creation or creates a completely new Twitch overlay without using templates.
Creating custom Twitch overlays may take several days and be more costly, but you’ll then have a unique design that sets you apart.
Free Twitch overlays
If you don’t want to create your own Twitch overlays or spend money on a stream overlay, you can also opt for free variants. They are ideal for streaming beginners who don’t want to invest a lot upfront.
However, if you find that streaming is something permanent for you and you want to stand out, we recommend using preconfigured premium Twitch overlays or custom Twitch overlays (self-created or purchased). Free options usually have limitations in terms of customization, so you risk losing your personal touch.