PROMPT GUIDE
How to Write an AI Image Prompt That Produces Better Results
A good AI image prompt is not a bag of keywords. It is a compact creative brief: clear about what matters, flexible about what does not, and written in an order that makes the image easy to imagine.
Start with the non-negotiable subject
Name the central subject first, then add the one or two details that make it specific. A ‘woman in a café’ could become ‘a ceramicist in a sunlit neighborhood café, hands dusted with clay.’ Specificity gives the model something concrete to build around.
Add the scene and visual priorities
Build outward from the subject. Mention the setting, then the visual choices that change the result: point of view, composition, light, color, texture, and mood. You do not need every category every time. Include the details that would make you reject an otherwise good image if they were wrong.
- Composition: close-up, overhead view, centered, wide establishing shot, or room for headline copy.
- Lighting: soft window light, dramatic backlight, overcast daylight, or direct flash.
- Material and texture: brushed steel, translucent glass, coarse paper, crisp cotton, or visible film grain.
- Atmosphere: calm, celebratory, surreal, intimate, playful, or editorial.
Use a clear prompt order
A reliable order is: subject → scene → composition → lighting → style and finish. This is not a magic formula, but it keeps the instruction readable and makes omissions easier to spot. Write in natural language before reaching for fragments or technical tags.
Revise one variable at a time
When an image misses the mark, do not rewrite everything. Keep the successful parts and change one high-impact variable: framing, time of day, material, expression, or style. Small controlled changes teach you more than starting from zero each time.