How to write an AI image prompt
A short pattern for text-to-image prompts: subject, composition, lighting and style, plus how to edit an existing picture with reference images.
Step by step
Lead with the subject
Start with the subject and its most important visual detail, for example a ceramic mug with a chipped glaze.
Name the composition
Say how the frame is built, for example close-up portrait, wide establishing shot or top-down flat lay, instead of leaving it implied.
Set the lighting and mood
A few words such as soft window light or harsh noon sun anchor the look more than style adjectives alone.
Name the medium or style
Say photorealistic, watercolor illustration or 3D render when it matters. Most models default to a photographic look if you do not.
Keep it short and positive
One or two sentences, under about 60 words, describing what you want rather than what to avoid.
Pick the aspect ratio and generate
Choose the shape for where the image will be used, check the credit cost, and generate. Compare a second model if the first result is not right.
A worked example
Draft: A coffee cup.
Rewritten: A white ceramic coffee cup on a dark wooden table, top-down flat lay, soft window light from the left, photorealistic.
Editing an existing image
Models that accept reference images can edit or restyle a picture you upload: Nano Banana (up to 10), GPT Image 2 (up to 16), and Flux-2 Pro (up to 8). Describe the change you want, not the whole image again.
Transparent backgrounds
Transparent-background output is available on GPT Image 2. It is useful when you want to place a subject on your own layout.
Frequently asked questions
Which image model should I use?
They differ in measurable ways: the aspect ratios and resolutions they output, how many reference images they accept, and whether they can make transparent backgrounds. Each model page lists these, and you can run the same prompt through two models to compare.
Can I edit a photo I already have?
Yes, on models that accept reference images: Nano Banana (up to 10), GPT Image 2 (up to 16), and Flux-2 Pro (up to 8).
Can the prompt assistant improve my image prompt?
Yes. Turn on Enhance in the image generator and it rewrites your draft using the same pattern: subject, composition, lighting and style.
Keep reading
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