Twitch Sub Badge Design Guide: Creating Loyalty Badges That Reward Your Community (2025)

Subscriber badges are the quiet workhorse of Twitch loyalty. While emotes get all the attention, badges silently signal who's been supporting your channel—and for how long. Getting them right creates a visual reward system that keeps subscribers feeling valued month after month.

Unlike emotes, badges are always visible next to a subscriber's name in chat. That permanence makes thoughtful badge design even more important. Here's everything you need to know about creating badges that work.

Twitch Sub Badge Size Requirements

Twitch requires three sizes for each subscriber badge, just like emotes:

Size	Dimensions	Usage
Small	18×18 pixels	Standard chat display
Medium	36×36 pixels	Hover/tooltip display
Large	72×72 pixels	High-DPI displays, previews

File Requirements

• Format: PNG with transparency
• Max file size: 25 KB per badge
• Background: Transparent recommended
• Style: Square (1:1 aspect ratio)

Understanding Badge Tiers

Twitch automatically assigns badges based on subscription duration. The default tiers are:

• 0 months: First-time subscriber
• 2 months: Early loyalty
• 3 months: Established supporter
• 6 months: Half-year milestone
• 9 months: Approaching anniversary
• 1 year: Major milestone
• 2 years: Long-term supporter
• 3+ years: Veteran status

You can customize which months get unique badges, but most streamers focus on the major milestones.

Badge Design Strategies

Strategy 1: Progressive Evolution

Start with a simple base design and add elements as tenure increases:

• Month 0: Basic logo or symbol
• Month 3: Add a border or glow
• Month 6: Add a crown, star, or secondary element
• Month 12: Gold version or special treatment
• Year 2+: Elaborate design with multiple elements

This approach rewards longevity visually—veterans' badges stand out in chat immediately.

Strategy 2: Level-Up System

Treat badges like RPG levels with clear progression:

• Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond
• Each tier has a distinct color but same base shape
• Easy for viewers to understand the hierarchy

Strategy 3: Narrative Journey

Tell a story through badge progression:

• A character that levels up over time
• A plant that grows from seed to flower
• A journey from novice to master

This approach is more creative but requires more design effort.

Design Best Practices

Keep It Simple at 18×18

Your badge will primarily display at 18×18 pixels. At this size, only the simplest shapes are readable. Test every design at actual size before finalizing.

Ensure Visual Distinction

Each tier should be instantly distinguishable from others. If badge 3 and badge 6 look similar in chat, the progression loses meaning.

Match Your Brand

Badges should feel like part of your channel's visual identity. Use your brand colors, tie into your emote style, and maintain consistency.

Test on Both Light and Dark Themes

Twitch has both light and dark modes. Your badges need to work on both backgrounds.

Use High Contrast

Badges appear in busy chat environments. Strong contrast and clear outlines help them remain visible.

Common Badge Design Mistakes

Too Much Detail

A detailed illustration that looks great at 72×72 becomes an unreadable blob at 18×18. Simplify ruthlessly.

Indistinguishable Tiers

If your 1-month and 6-month badges look too similar, subscribers don't feel rewarded for loyalty. Make progression obvious.

Ignoring the Small Size

Always design for 18×18 first, then scale up for the larger versions—not the other way around.

No Clear Hierarchy

Your longest subscribers should have badges that clearly stand out as "premium." If the 3-year badge doesn't look more impressive than the 1-month badge, something's wrong.

Badge Ideas by Channel Type

Gaming Channels

• Achievement emblems that upgrade
• Character classes (warrior → knight → champion)
• Ranks (private → general)

Art/Creative Channels

• Paint brushes with more colors over time
• Art supplies that accumulate
• Creative tools that evolve

Music Channels

• Musical notes that multiply
• Instruments that upgrade
• Record/gold record progression

Just Chatting/IRL

• Community-themed icons
• Inside joke references that build up
• Simple but elegant tier upgrades

Resizing Your Badges

Like emotes, badges need to be pixel-perfect at all three sizes. Create your design at a high resolution (at least 72×72), then carefully resize for the smaller versions.

While StreamEmote is optimized for emote sizes, badges follow the same principle: start large and scale down carefully, ensuring readability at the smallest size.

Final Thoughts

Subscriber badges are a long-term investment in your community. Well-designed badges create a visible loyalty ladder that motivates continued support. When a 2-year subscriber's badge makes them stand out in chat, that's recognition they earned—and it encourages others to stay subscribed too.

Take time to plan your badge progression. Think about what the 3-year badge will look like before designing the 1-month badge. Create a system that can grow with your community.

When your badge set is ready, pair it with matching emotes resized for every platform—a complete, cohesive channel identity.