Corey Haines
07db354ccc
* feat: add image skill for AI image generation and marketing visuals Covers AI image generation (Gemini, Flux, Ideogram, DALL-E, Midjourney), design tools (Canva, Figma), marketing workflows (blog heroes, social graphics, product mockups, profile/listing banners, brand assets), image optimization, and OG/social preview images. Includes prompting reference guide with model-specific tips. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> * fix: apply accuracy fixes from Codex review - OpenAI: DALL-E 3 → GPT Image family (DALL-E 3 deprecated) - Gemini: use official naming, keep Nano Banana as context - Ideogram: remove ungrounded ~90% accuracy claim - All pricing: replace hard numbers with doc links - LinkedIn company cover: note recommended 4200x700 - WebP/AVIF: adjust browser support to ~96%/~94% - Flux: remove specific reference image count (varies by variant) Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> --------- Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
230 lines
7.9 KiB
Markdown
230 lines
7.9 KiB
Markdown
# AI Image Prompting Guide
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How to write effective prompts for AI image generation models (Gemini/Nano Banana, Flux, Ideogram, DALL-E, Midjourney).
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---
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## Prompt Structure
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A strong image prompt follows this formula:
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```
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[Subject] + [Setting/context] + [Visual style] + [Lighting] + [Composition] + [Technical specs]
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```
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### Example Prompts by Use Case
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**Blog hero — SaaS product:**
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```
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A clean workspace with a laptop displaying a colorful analytics dashboard,
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minimalist desk with a coffee cup and notebook,
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bright natural window lighting from the right,
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shallow depth of field, commercial photography style,
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1200x630, high resolution
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```
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**Social media graphic — announcement:**
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```
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Abstract flowing gradient in deep purple and electric blue,
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geometric shapes forming a network pattern,
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dramatic rim lighting on edges,
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modern tech aesthetic, clean and minimal,
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1080x1080, vibrant colors
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```
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**Product lifestyle shot:**
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```
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A person in a modern office smiling while looking at a tablet,
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showing a project management interface on screen,
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warm candid photography, natural lighting,
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medium shot, shallow depth of field, editorial style
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```
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**Profile banner — professional:**
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```
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Wide panoramic abstract background in navy blue and teal,
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subtle geometric grid pattern with soft gradient,
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clean corporate aesthetic, muted lighting,
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1584x396, no text, space for logo overlay on left third
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```
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**Directory listing — Product Hunt:**
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```
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Product screenshot on a clean gradient background,
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soft shadow underneath, slight 3D perspective tilt,
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modern SaaS product presentation style,
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1270x760, bright and professional
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```
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---
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## Style Keywords
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### Photorealistic
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- "commercial photography"
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- "shot on Canon EOS R5"
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- "editorial style"
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- "natural lighting"
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- "shallow depth of field"
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### Clean/Corporate
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- "clean modern aesthetic"
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- "minimal design"
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- "professional corporate style"
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- "bright and airy"
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- "white background"
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### Illustrative
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- "flat vector illustration"
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- "isometric 3D render"
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- "hand-drawn sketch style"
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- "watercolor illustration"
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- "line art"
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### Abstract/Brand
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- "flowing gradient"
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- "geometric pattern"
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- "abstract data visualization"
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- "particle effects"
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- "holographic iridescent"
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### Tech/SaaS
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- "dark mode UI aesthetic"
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- "neon accent lighting"
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- "glassmorphism"
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- "futuristic minimal"
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- "developer-focused"
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---
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## Lighting Keywords
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| Term | Effect | Best For |
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|------|--------|----------|
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| **Natural light** | Warm, organic feel | Lifestyle, editorial |
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| **Studio lighting** | Even, controlled | Product shots |
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| **Rim lighting** | Edge highlights, dramatic | Hero images, abstract |
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| **Soft directional** | Gentle shadows, dimensional | Blog headers |
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| **Volumetric** | Light rays, atmospheric | Dramatic, cinematic |
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| **Flat/even** | No shadows, clean | Icons, diagrams |
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| **Golden hour** | Warm orange tones | Lifestyle, outdoor |
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| **High key** | Bright, minimal shadows | Clean, corporate |
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---
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## Composition Keywords
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| Term | Effect | Best For |
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|------|--------|----------|
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| **Rule of thirds** | Subject off-center | Editorial, lifestyle |
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| **Centered** | Subject in middle | Product shots, icons |
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| **Wide/panoramic** | Expansive view | Banners, headers |
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| **Close-up/macro** | Detail focus | Texture, product detail |
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| **Bird's eye/overhead** | Top-down view | Desk setups, flat lays |
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| **Negative space** | Room for text overlay | Blog headers, banners |
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| **Symmetrical** | Balanced, formal | Corporate, luxury |
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---
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## Model-Specific Tips
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### Gemini Image (Google)
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- Best all-around for marketing images — good quality, reasonable cost
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- Supports **image editing** — upload an existing image and describe changes
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- Decent text rendering — can handle short headlines
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- Specify "high resolution" for best output
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- Works well with detailed, descriptive prompts
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- Same API as text generation — easy to integrate
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### Flux (Black Forest Labs)
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- **Multi-image reference** is the killer feature — upload product screenshots, brand assets, or style references
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- Best for **brand consistency** across a set of images
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- Use Flux Pro for final assets, Flux Dev for rapid iteration
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- Flux Klein for high-volume batch generation (cheapest)
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- Style transfer via reference images > style keywords in prompt
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- Prompts can be shorter than other models — the references do heavy lifting
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### Ideogram
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- **Best text rendering** of any model (industry-leading accuracy)
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- Use when you need headlines, taglines, or brand names in the image
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- Style reference system (up to 3 images) for brand consistency
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- Supports "Magic Prompt" auto-enhancement
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- Keep text requests simple — 3-5 words max for reliability
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- Best for social graphics and banners that need text baked in
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### GPT Image (OpenAI)
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- Current models: `gpt-image-1` and variants (DALL-E 3 is deprecated)
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- Integrated with ChatGPT — conversational image generation
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- Good at following detailed prompts
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- Decent text rendering (behind Ideogram, comparable to Gemini)
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- Automatic prompt rewriting — may deviate from exact request
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- Best for quick one-offs through ChatGPT interface
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- API gives more control than ChatGPT interface
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### Midjourney
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- Highest aesthetic quality for artistic/editorial images
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- No official API — Discord-based or web interface
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- **Not agent-friendly** — use for manual creative exploration only
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- Style flags: `--style raw` for less stylized, `--ar 16:9` for aspect ratio
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- Best for hero images where pure visual quality matters most
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- V6+ has improved text rendering but still unreliable
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---
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## Common Prompt Mistakes
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| Mistake | Why It Fails | Fix |
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|---------|-------------|-----|
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| "A professional image" | No visual detail | Describe subject, setting, style, lighting |
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| Long paragraph of text in image | Models can't render paragraphs | 3-5 words max; add text in post |
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| "Make it look good" | Not actionable | Specify style: "commercial photography, bright" |
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| 200+ word prompts | Models lose focus | 40-80 words, specific over comprehensive |
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| No aspect ratio | Random output size | Always specify dimensions or ratio |
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| "Logo in bottom right" | Unreliable placement | Add logos in post-processing |
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| "Make it viral" | Not a visual instruction | Describe the aesthetic you want |
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| Requesting UI screenshots | AI hallucinates interfaces | Capture real screenshots instead |
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---
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## Batch Generation Workflow
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When you need multiple images with consistent style (e.g., a blog series or social campaign):
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1. **Generate 3-4 test images** with different style prompts
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2. **Pick the winning style** based on brand fit
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3. **Save the exact prompt** as your template
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4. **Use Flux multi-reference** — upload the winning image as a style reference
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5. **Batch generate** variations with the same style, different subjects
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6. **Post-process** — add text overlays, logos, crop to platform sizes
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---
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## Aspect Ratios Quick Reference
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| Use Case | Ratio | Pixels | Notes |
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|----------|-------|--------|-------|
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| Blog hero / OG image | 1.91:1 | 1200x630 | Universal web standard |
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| Full-width hero | 16:9 | 1920x1080 | Website headers |
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| Instagram Feed | 1:1 | 1080x1080 | Square |
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| Instagram Feed (tall) | 4:5 | 1080x1350 | More screen real estate |
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| Stories / Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | Vertical full screen |
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| LinkedIn cover | 4:1 | 1584x396 | Personal profile |
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| Twitter/X header | 3:1 | 1500x500 | Profile banner |
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| Product Hunt gallery | 5:3 | 1270x760 | Launch page |
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| GitHub social preview | 2:1 | 1280x640 | Repo link card |
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---
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## Cost Optimization
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- **Iterate at low quality first** — use Flux Dev or Gemini Flash for drafts, upgrade for finals
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- **Use references over long prompts** — Flux multi-reference produces more consistent results with fewer retries
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- **Batch similar requests** — generate all blog headers in one session with the same style
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- **Cache and reuse** — abstract backgrounds, patterns, and textures can be reused across multiple images
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- **Post-process instead of re-generate** — crop, overlay text, and adjust color in code rather than generating new images
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