How to make custom Twitch emotes (2026 guide)
The complete 2026 guide to making custom Twitch emotes — sizes, file formats, how many you need per sub tier, what they cost, and the fastest way to get a full consistent set.
To make custom Twitch emotes in 2026 you need: a character or design, each emote exported as a transparent PNG at 112×112, 56×56, and 28×28 pixels, kept under 1MB each, then uploaded in your Twitch Creator Dashboard under Affiliate/Partner → Emotes. The hard part isn't the upload — it's getting a consistent set where every emote looks like the same character.
How many Twitch emotes do you need?
Affiliates unlock 1–5 emote slots; Partners unlock up to 60 across sub tiers, bits, and follower emotes. Most growing streamers want a starter set of 6–12 that covers the reactions chat actually spams: a hype/pog face, a laugh, a love/heart, a rage, a cry, and a sleep/lurk. A full channel identity is closer to 20.
What size should Twitch emotes be?
Twitch requires three sizes of every emote, all square transparent PNGs under 1MB:
| Size | Where it shows |
|---|---|
112×112 | Emote picker, hover preview |
56×56 | Medium chat display |
28×28 | Inline in chat (the one that matters most) |
The 28×28 is the real test: if your emote isn't readable at that size, it fails in chat. Bold shapes and one clear expression beat fine detail every time.
The fastest way to make a full consistent set
You have three routes. Hire an emote artist($15–77 per emote, 1–3 weeks) for premium hand-drawn work. DIY in Procreate/Photoshop if you can draw. Or use an AI emote tool built for character consistency. The catch with generic AI generators is your character drifts between images — emote 1 and emote 12 look like different mascots. Pile solves this specifically: describe your character or upload a reference, and get 20 emotes of the same character — already cropped to all three Twitch sizes, transparent PNG, under the 1MB cap, with a commercial license — for $9.99. Free preview before you pay.
How to upload emotes to Twitch
- Open the Twitch Creator Dashboard → Viewer Rewards → Emotes
- Upload the 112×112 master; Twitch auto-suggests the smaller sizes (upload all three for best quality)
- Name each emote with your channel prefix (e.g.
mochiPog) so it's unique and recognizable - Assign to a sub tier, then submit for review (usually approved within a day)
Ready to ship a pack?
20 character-locked emotes, every platform size, $9 per pack. No subscription required.
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