Podcast cover and OG image template

A podcast episode link competes with every other link in a feed. The show name is not the hook; the episode is. The card should make the specific conversation feel worth an hour, not remind people that the show exists.

Why this layout works

The Off Hours

Cutting our image build to nothing

with Priya Raman, staff designer

The cover art is a brand asset, not an information layer. It should be placed, not stretched, and it should never crowd the headline. If the art is detailed, give it a smaller slot; a complete small image reads better than a cropped face.

What to put on the card

• Episode title: the question or the promise. How to ship a design system alone beats Episode 42.
• Guest: a name and, if useful, a role. Keep it to one line.
• Show name: in the domain line or the wordmark, not the headline.
• Cover art: the show's existing artwork, placed rather than stretched.
• Episode number: optional. Useful for a long-running series, but never the main type.

ogimg.in

Every link, a better card

Two shapes are worth having: a split card for guest-led episodes, where the portrait or cover art matters, and a centred card for topic-led episodes, where the question is the draw. Both use the same brand mark and type system, so the show stays recognizable.

Size and export

How to make it yours

1. 01Open the podcast cover template.
2. 02Set the episode title and guest.
3. 03Place the show's cover art and check that it is not cropped.
4. 04Set the show name in the domain line.
5. 05Check the card at 300 px wide and in a messaging preview.
6. 06Export and add the image to the episode page.

Common mistakes

• Making the show name the largest element. The episode is the hook.
• Stretching square cover art into a wide slot. Place it and let the background do the work.
• Using an episode number as the headline. It means nothing to a new listener.
• Putting the guest name in a tiny line that disappears at thumbnail size.