Whether you’re a streamer or just starting to think about becoming a streamer, overlays and graphics are usually the first thing on your mind when you stream.

It can be off putting and scary to not only set up your stream but include graphics that pop.

Luckily, there are resources that can help you design your own overlay and help with the large task that is organizing your stream in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Making an Overlay for Your Twitch Stream

Creating an overlay with tools is the perfect middle ground for someone on the fence about purchasing premium overlays.

Plus designing an overlay will help you figure out exactly what it is you like about graphics in general.

Do you like a certain color palette? A certain animation style? If you take the time to seriously work through the design process, you’ll come out with a lot of useful information!

We’re going to share a few different overlay makers and highlight some of the features that come with the maker.

Along the way will be some tips and general overlay ideas that can help you figure out exactly what you want from your stream’s design.

OvrStream

Taken straight from their website, OvrStream is a great resource for people just getting started with designing graphics for overlays.

They take a lot of the common features, like graphics sizing and attributes such as colors or graphics, and make them easily accessible and workable.

A big part of learning design elements is learning what works with what. With a simple UI and simple parameters for customizing elements of stream overlays, you can test out hundreds of different element combinations in order to find what works best for you.

OvrStream has the cleanest and swiftest pace of working, with all of the options outlined for you. It can be a little daunting at first, but after a bit you’ll have total control of these features, meaning you’ll be ahead of the pack on creating an overlay that sets you apart from other streamers.

Strmaker

Something that Strmaker aims to help with is avoiding clutter and confusion of design by working on different elements separately.

This style of design is perfect for someone looking to take creating a minimalist overlay one step at a time. Want to work on your panels and test them out for a week? Strmaker can make it happen!

While some might argue that aesthetic and coercion of different elements is difficult unless you work on all of them at the same time, taking a separate approach has benefits as well.

Strmaker is the best way to create a step-by-step explanation of your ideal overlay to a potential artist or graphic designer. If you show an expert three distinct designs for three different elements, all of which is easily done with Strmaker, then they’ll have an easy time understanding what you like.

Overlayr

Overlayr is a widget-based overlay design engine that lets you work with already created widgets and customize them to what you like.

It is arguably the easiest overlay creator to work with, meaning it is a beginner-friendly resource for new streamers! Work quickly and easily with Overlayr to come up with plenty of simple overlays.

The best part about being able to make something so fast is that there is potential to work with consultants around your design. In most industries you’d need a few days or a week to come up with designs to show someone, but with Overlayr you can make any design you want with their widget system without much effort.

More importantly, a simple system like Overlayr helps you answer an important question. What do I not like in this design?

If a widget doesn’t have a certain feature, you’re one step closer to understanding that you want a specific feature or design. From there, you can find overlays that fit your wants and customize those overlays on your own!

Nerd or Die’s Overlay Maker

Nerd or Die’s overlay maker is a download-free designer that takes the least hassle out of any of these makers to get started on. Above are a few of the options, although there are as you scroll down the page and mess with the different bars and colors.

Despite the flexibility of being download-free, this also means that features can’t be completely fleshed out. This maker is a great tool for brainstorming and outlining a basic design that you want to work further with in a different application.

You’ll want to use this maker in combination with another maker mentioned above to get full potential out of your overlay!

What’s Next?

The first step to growing your stream is tackling the tough parts like nailing an aesthetic and designing your own overlay.

If you work with these makers, you’re sure to find an overlay that works great for you and has enough personality to set you apart from the crowd!

However, your streaming design journey doesn’t end here. As you grow, so will your stream.

Eventually, it might be worth it to link up with a professional graphics designer or overlay creator and see if they could make your overlay even cleaner. Reaching out to the person who worked on your favorite streamer’s overlay is an awesome way to find a design perfect for you.

Like everything in a career or hobby, constant adaptation and reinventing yourself is a must if you want to grow in an industry. Don’t be afraid to take the step of making your own overlay, there are plenty of tools for you!