Prompt recipes for images

Prompts for the image generator and the image enhancer. They work differently: the generator invents a picture, the enhancer modifies one you supply, so their prompts are shaped differently too.

For the underlying method, see Write a useful image prompt.

Generator recipes

Each is two or three sentences — subject, setting, light, composition. Set the style preset and aspect ratio with the controls, not the prompt.

Hero band with space for a headline

Wide interior of a modern workshop, soft daylight from the left, machinery slightly out of focus behind, generous empty space on the right.

Product on a plain surface

Single ceramic mug on a pale grey surface, clean studio lighting, soft contact shadow, no props, camera slightly above eye level.

Product in a scene

Leather satchel on a worn oak desk beside a notebook and a cup, warm afternoon light from a window, shallow depth of field.

Flat illustration for an article

Flat illustration of connected nodes forming a simple network, muted blue and sand palette, generous white space, no text.

Abstract background for overlaid text

Soft gradient texture in warm neutral tones, very low contrast, no focal point, suitable behind white text.

Team or workplace scene

Two colleagues reviewing a printed plan on a workbench, natural light, mid-shot, neither face towards the camera.

The last clause avoids one of the most common problems: generated faces that you should not present as real people.

Seasonal or campaign image

Overhead flat lay of autumn ingredients on dark slate, warm side lighting, generous space at the top for a headline.

Clauses worth adding

The no text clause is worth including nearly always. Generated lettering is unreliable, and text you need is better added in your page builder.

Enhancer recipes

The enhancer changes an image you selected. Prompts describe the change, not the whole picture, and are optional when a style preset is chosen.

Relight without changing the subject

Improve the lighting and colour balance. Do not change the product, its colour, its texture or its shape.

Change the surface

Place the product on a rich wooden surface with a soft shadow. Keep the product exactly as it is.

Clean up a busy background

Simplify the background to a plain neutral tone. Do not alter the subject.

Match a look across a batch

Match the lighting and mood of Image #2. Keep the subject of Image #1 unchanged.

Reference numbering

The enhancer accepts up to three optional reference images, each 2 MB or smaller. The numbering is fixed:

• Image #1 — the image being processed;
• Image #2, #3, #4 — the optional references, in slot order.

That is what makes prompts like use the lighting of Image #2 work, and it is the reliable way to keep a batch consistent: supply one reference that defines the look. See Improve an existing image.

The clause that matters most in enhancement

Keep the product exactly as it is.

Enhancement can change colour, texture, finish and proportions. For product photography that is not a quality improvement — it is a misrepresentation of what a customer will receive. Name what must not change, and check the result. See Review generated and edited images.

What to leave out of image prompts

• Adjective stacks. "Stunning, beautiful, 8K, award-winning" adds nothing after the first word.
• Real people's names, and anything asking for a recognisable likeness.
• Brands and trademarks.
• The style, ratio and quality, which are controls.
• Contradictions, such as minimalist but richly detailed.

Iterating cheaply

Iterate at a lower resolution, changing one element per attempt — subject, then light, then composition. Once the composition is right, compare a different model or higher OpenAI quality if the result needs improvement. Check the estimate after changing settings.

Save the wording that worked as a template under Image generator, which is also offered in the enhancer. See Create a prompt template.