---
title: "How to make perfect Google Forms header images"
description: "Need to add a Google Forms header image that matches your brand? Here's how to add a header image in Google Forms and get a matching color scheme."
image: "https://images.ctfassets.net/lzny33ho1g45/4ODoWVyzgicvbcb6J9ZZZ5/f3b97fcb023e904b4446fdc33ed22e49/google-forms-hero-green.png"
---

# How to make perfect Google Forms header images

Need to add a Google Forms header image that matches your brand? Here's how to add a header image in Google Forms and get a matching color scheme.

A few years ago, my friends and I created a just-for-fun ice cream business. (We made ice cream flavors inspired by our rescue dogs.) Making the ice cream aside, we wanted all other operations to be as low-effort as possible, so we used Google Forms to collect customer orders. 

Google Forms definitely hit the [no-fuss-yet-robust](https://zapier.com/blog/google-forms-tips/) criteria, but its default color theme (purple) didn't match our style. So one silly dog photo and a few light edits later, we added a custom header image to Google Forms. 

Here, I'll show you how to make perfect Google Forms header images and get a matching color scheme.

**Table of contents**: 

- [How to add a Google Forms header image](#add)
- [How to create a Google Forms header image that matches your brand](#create)
- [How to customize your Google Forms theme](#customize)
- [Automate Google Forms with Zapier](#automate)
- [Google Forms header image: FAQs](#faqs)

## How to add a Google Forms header image 

When you create a new form, Google Forms won't automatically populate a default header image. It just gets straight to business: form title followed by questions. If you want to add a little personality to your form or customize it to match your company's brand, here's how. 

1. Click the **Customize Theme**_ _icon, which looks like a paint palette.

2. In the _Theme_ side panel that appears, under _Header_, click **Choose image**.

3. In the _Select Header_ window, you can choose from a selection of pre-made headers, add an image from your [Google Photos account](https://zapier.com/blog/google-drive-vs-google-photos/), or click **Upload** to add your own. If adding your own image, make sure the main focus fits within a 4:1 aspect ratio (more on what that means later) because you'll be prompted to crop it later on.
4. Once you've edited the header image to your liking, click **Done.**

It's worth mentioning that you'll likely have to try out a few images before you find one that works with Google Forms' odd aspect ratio. For example, in this photo of Zapier's unofficial mascot, Winston, the cropping tool is forcing me to trim out his best feature: his ears. And I simply won't stand for that. 

This image of Winston snoozing works much better. All key areas of fluff are present and accounted for. 

If all you want to add is a custom Google Forms header, then you're all set! But if you want to customize the form further to match your branding, keep reading.

## How to create a Google Forms header image that matches your brand

If you want to include your company's branding on your Google Form, just uploading an image of your logo probably won't fit. 

Since Google Forms forces an aspect ratio of 4:1, you'll need to make a custom image that includes your logo and is 1600x400 pixels—or four times wider than it is tall. 

If you don't have a kit of brand visuals handy, you can use a [free graphic design software tool](https://zapier.com/blog/graphic-design-tools-for-social-media-images/) or even an [AI image generator](https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-image-generator/). For this article, I used [Canva](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-use-canva/) to quickly create a branded header image for the fictional company, Winston.ly. 

## How to customize your Google Forms theme 

When you add a custom Google Forms header image, it'll automatically adjust the form color scheme to complement the image, meaning it should roughly match your branding right away. But if you want to modify the color scheme further, it's really easy.

1. Click the **Customize Theme **icon.
2. You can choose from a handful of complementary color themes, which Google Forms autopopulates based on your header image. Or you can click the **Add custom color** icon, which looks like a plus sign, to pick a color scheme.

You can also change the font style and size for your Google Forms headers, questions, and text. 

Before you ask: Yes, I did mean to choose _Comic Sans_. 

## Automate Google Forms with Zapier

Once you've got your Google Form in publish-ready shape, the next question is what to do when someone submits a response. With [Zapier's Google Forms integration](https://zapier.com/apps/google-forms/integrations/), you can build an automated system that does everything from [notifying your team in Slack about a new submission](https://zapier.com/blog/integrate-google-forms-with-slack/) to [turning those submissions into tasks in your project management app](https://zapier.com/blog/turn-google-forms-entries-into-tasks-projects/) to [generating responses using AI](https://zapier.com/blog/answer-form-responses-with-openai/). 

You can build automations in Zapier's visual workflow builder. Or, if you spend most of your time in a tool like ChatGPT or Claude, you can use [Zapier MCP](https://zapier.com/mcp) to review Google Forms submissions and take action on them straight from your AI chatbot. Zapier lets your AI tools connect to  other apps through OAuth-backed connections, with permissions you control, instead of copying sensitive data into and out of the chat window. 

Learn more about [how to automate Google Forms](https://zapier.com/blog/automate-google-forms/).

## Google Forms header image: FAQs

For the most part, creating and customizing Google Forms is straightforward. But, in my opinion, there are a few basic actions that are inexplicably less so. Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions. 

### What's the right Google Forms header image size? 

The recommended Google Forms header image size is 1600x400 pixels. 

### How do I resize an image to fit a header in Google Forms?

There's no straightforward way to reposition or resize an existing Google Forms header image. Instead, you'll have to re-upload your image. 

1. Click the **Customize theme** icon.
2. In the _Theme_ side panel, under _Header_, click **Image uploaded**.
3. Choose a pre-made image or upload a new header.
4. Adjust the cropping tool as needed.
5. Click **Done**.

You can also use an [image editing tool](https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-photo-editor/) to make it the right size before you upload.

**Related** **reading**:

- [The best free survey tools and form builders](https://zapier.com/blog/best-free-survey-tool-form-app/)
- [SurveyMonkey vs. Google Forms: Which should you use?](https://zapier.com/blog/google-forms-vs-surveymonkey/)
- [Google Forms vs. Jotform: Which should you use?](https://zapier.com/blog/google-forms-vs-jotform/)
- [The best Google Forms alternatives](https://zapier.com/blog/google-forms-alternatives)

_This article was originally published in January 2021 by Justin Pot. The most recent update was in May 2026. _