Image Generation Prompt Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Start
Core Use Cases
General Prompting Tips (All Models)
Quality Control & Troubleshooting
GPT‑4o: Tips & Prompt Library
Nano Banana: Tips & Prompt Library
Prompt Templates
General Prompting
1) Quickstart
Basic Prompt Sandwich
Goal: what you need and where it will be used.
Scene & Style: subject, composition, mood, references, camera position
Output specs: format, aspect ratio, background
Example
Goal
Create a photo of a wedding invitation
Scene & Style
Invitation is on a tasteful wooden desk. The card is hefty, with eggshell textures, and beautiful embossings, with elegant decorations abstractly representing the couple tastefully integrated into the designs. Iconography is used, but sparingly and in a minimalist way. Perfect typesetting.
Output
Format is (4:3).
2) General Prompting Tips (All Models)
Use Descriptive Language
Provide vivid adjectives and adverbs to paint a clear picture. Try to incorporate concrete descriptors over vague ones.
Provide Descriptive Context
State where and who: campaign, persona, market, channel.
“I'm opening a traditional concept restaurant in Marin called Haein. It focuses on Korean food cooked with organic, farm-fresh ingredients, with a rotating menu based on what's seasonal. I want you to design an image - a menu incorporating the following menu items - lean into the traditional/rustic style while keeping it feeling upscale and sleek.”
Provide Image Composition
For complex images or posters that need layout directions, clarify details on where the subject and text should be.
“Top text: Menu, Bottom Text: Follow us on Instagram”
Rule of thirds, center frame, top‑left safe margin, full‑bleed, negative space for copy (left 40%), product hero, flat‑lay, macro, isometric, over‑the‑shoulder.
Specify Style and Format
Specify medium (photo, 3D, illustration), aesthetic (brutalist, Muji‑minimal), palette, grain, post‑processing.
Aspect ratio (1:1, 4:5, 16:9, 9:16, 21:9), resolution.
Clear Goal
Start a fresh chat per project to avoid context confusion and drift.
Generate Multiple Images
Clearly state: how many options, and what to vary (composition, angle, color only). Note: May not work sometimes.
3) Troubleshooting
Common Issues & Fixes
Plastic skin / over‑smoothing → “preserve real skin texture, limit smoothing”; add “natural pores”.
Wavy text/labels → Request “vector‑clean label rendering”; if critical, composite real label separately.
Wrong color → Provide hex codes (if supported).
Over‑busy composition → Specify negative space percentages and single focal point.
Inconsistent series → Lock seed/size/angle; define a mini style guide.
GPT‑4o: Tips & Prompt Library
Tips
Use explicit action verbs.
Prefer clear directives like draw, render, edit, remove, replace, re-light to specify exactly what should happen.
Example: “Edit the portrait: remove flyaway hairs and re-light with a soft rim from back-right.”
Leverage GPT-4o for complex scenes.
GPT-4o follows detailed instructions reliably and can handle compositions with 10–20 discrete objects in a single prompt when each is named, positioned, and styled clearly.
Switch to a reasoning model for multi-step tasks.
For long or interdependent instructions, ask the model to plan steps first, then execute.
Example: “Outline the edit plan (bullets), then perform steps 1–3.”
Capture the source prompt for precise follow-ups.
Ask the model to return the exact image-generation prompt (and settings, if available) so you can make targeted edits in later turns.
Example: “Return the exact prompt and size/seed used.”
Work in multi-turns for controlled revisions.
Use back-and-forth prompting to iterate: lock what stays the same, change only one or two variables per turn (e.g., background, color way).
Example: “Keep composition and lighting; replace background with a New York street, late afternoon.”
Leverage multi-turn generation.
Take advantage of having context consistent throughout prompting. Such as, creating video games: core asset (e.g., a character) -> iterate into adjacent pieces (e.g. game art style, opening screen, HUD/playing interface, level tiles, and key poses)
Front-load clarity to reduce rework.
Make the initial prompt unambiguous: specify goal, subject, composition, lighting, style, and output specs (ratio, size, format). This minimizes revisions and avoids context drift.
Example skeleton: “Goal → Subject → Composition → Lighting → Style → Output (size/ratio/format).”
Prompt Samples
Realistic Product Photo from Combined Photos
Input images to generate a new image of a gift basket containing the items in the reference images
Generate a photorealistic image of a gift basket on a white background labeled 'Relax & Unwind' with a ribbon and handwriting-like font, containing all the items in the reference pictures
Lifestyle vertical ad
Render a lifestyle scene: young Filipino man in a bright bathroom, applying face wash foam, smile, candid. Natural morning light, warm tones, minimal decor. Leave 25% top area free of subjects for text. 9:16, 2160×3840, JPG, no watermark.
Stylized illustration
Create a flat, vector‑style illustration of a dog care routine: 3 panels, clean lines, pastel palette, large icons, accessible design. 3000×1500 (2:1), SVG if supported else PNG.
Nano Banana: Tips & Prompt Library
Tips
Paint a picture. Be as specific as possible when prompting rather than just listing keywords.
State context and intent. Tell the model what it’s for so style follows function.
e.g., “Design a logo for a high-end, minimalist skincare brand,” not just “Make a logo.”
Iterate in small moves. Don’t chase perfect on try one; use follow-ups to nudge.
e.g., “Warmer lighting.” “Keep everything; make the expression more serious.”
Break it into ordered actions. Give step-by-step instructions for complex scenes.
e.g., “1) Render a misty forest at dawn. 2) Add a moss-covered stone altar in the foreground. 3) Place a single glowing sword on the altar.”
Phrase negatives as positives. Describe what should be present to exclude what you don’t want.
e.g., “An empty, deserted street with no people, no vehicles, quiet storefronts.”
Use Photography terms for realistic images. Mention camera angles, lens types, lighting, and fine details to guide the model toward a photorealistic result.
Provide Font Styles. For more control, mention text details such as font style and overall design
Create a “mask”. Define an edit mask in plain language to target just one area and leave the rest untouched.
Prompt Samples: Image Generation
Photo Realistic Images
A photorealistic [shot type] of [subject], [action or expression], set in [environment]. The scene is illuminated by [lighting description], creating a [mood] atmosphere. Captured with a [camera/lens details], emphasizing [key textures and details]. The image should be in a [aspect ratio] format.
Text in Images
Create a [image type] for [brand/concept] with the text "[text to render]" in a [font style]. The design should be [style description], with a [color scheme].
Product Mockups
A high-resolution, studio-lit product photograph of a [product description] on a [background surface/description]. The lighting is a [lighting setup, e.g., three-point softbox setup] to [lighting purpose]. The camera angle is a [angle type] to showcase [specific feature]. Ultra-realistic, with sharp focus on [key detail]. [Aspect ratio].
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