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A good prompt describes a scene the way a photographer plans it. These are the rules ArtDirect itself uses to write prompts, with examples to compare and a builder to try it out.
In short
Write full sentences instead of keywords. Name one clear main subject with material and surface, the place, the light with direction and time of day, the angle and focal length, and finally the mood. Phrase everything positively and never name what should not be in the image. 90 to 150 words are enough.
Six building blocks, one or two sentences each, in this order. This is exactly how ArtDirect builds its prompts before Google Gemini creates the image.
Image models like Gemini understand language. "Woman, laptop, office, modern" gives you generic stock photos. A full sentence with context gives you an image with a message.
Every image needs a centre. Several equally important things make it restless. Describe everything else as surroundings in the background.
Name time of day, direction and character: soft window light from the left, low evening sun from behind, even light under an overcast sky. Light decides whether an image looks like stock or like a magazine.
Angle and focal length shape the effect. 35 mm at eye level feels close and documentary, 85 mm with a wide aperture isolates the subject, a top view shows order.
"Beautiful", "modern" and "premium" are judgements, not descriptions. "Oak table with signs of use" or "matte black ceramic cup" give the model something it can show.
Writing "no people" pulls the model towards people. Describe what is visible instead. Real exclusions belong in the Avoid list, and only things that can actually go wrong with this exact subject.
Image models still often misspell text. Put headlines in the post instead. If you need lettering in the image, give it short and word for word in quotation marks.
A featured image needs 16:9, Pinterest 2:3, an image in the text often 3:2 or 4:5. Plan the subject so it has room in that format. ArtDirect picks the format to match the slot.
Do not repeat colours, light and visual style in every prompt. Set them once in the style rules. ArtDirect Pro adds reference images, an accent colour and image worlds per category.
If an image almost fits, describe only the change, such as "softer light on the wall, remove the streak on the face". ArtDirect Pro does this in edit mode, keeping composition and details.
Three typical posts, each with a weak and a strong prompt. The numbers in the strong prompt mark the building blocks of the formula.
Post: Keeping a household budget and tracking your spending
Weak prompt 9 words
woman, calculator, money, bills, modern, high quality, 4k, realistic
Missing: ScenePlaceLightCameraMood
Strong prompt 95 words
01A woman in her thirties sorts the month's receipts at her kitchen table on a quiet Sunday morning. 02In front of her lies an open paper household ledger with handwritten columns, a pencil and a small stack of receipts held by a wooden clip. 03Bright Scandinavian kitchen, white wall, a plant on the windowsill, softly out of focus. 04Soft morning light from a window on the left, gentle shadows. 05Eye level, 35 mm lens, shallow depth of field, focus on the ledger and her hands. 06Calm and organised, warm natural tones with a muted green accent.
Why the strong prompt works better
Post: The new autumn menu of our trattoria
Weak prompt 8 words
delicious pasta, italian food, restaurant, beautiful, professional photo
Missing: SceneLightCameraMood
Strong prompt 101 words
01A plate of fresh tagliatelle with brown butter and sage is set down on a rustic table in a small trattoria. 02Hand-cut ribbons of pasta, crisp sage leaves, flakes of parmesan and a light sheen of butter on a matte off-white stoneware plate. 03Weathered oak table, a linen napkin and a glass of water, the warm dining room blurred behind. 04Low evening side light from the right, warm highlights on the butter. 05Slightly above the table at 45 degrees, 50 mm lens, focus on the front of the plate. 06Inviting and authentic, warm amber tones with the green of the sage as accent.
Why the strong prompt works better
Post: Renewing the wiring in an old building safely
Weak prompt 8 words
electrician working, house, tools, no faces, no logo
Missing: ScenePlaceLightCameraMood
Strong prompt 108 words
01An electrician installs a new socket in a freshly plastered living room wall of an old building under renovation. 02Gloved hands guide a voltage tester into the open wall box, next to neatly bundled cables and a work light on a small tripod. 03Bare plaster wall, protective sheet on a herringbone parquet floor, tall window with old wooden frames. 04Cool daylight from the tall window mixed with the warm work light, clear contrast. 05Close shot from the side at chest height, 50 mm lens, focus on hands and socket, the person cropped at the shoulder. 06Precise and trustworthy, neutral tones with a single orange accent on the tool case.
Why the strong prompt works better
Describe your subject in one sentence and choose place, light, camera and mood. The prompt builds live and can be copied, for example into the prompt field of the ArtDirect studio.
03Place
04Light
05Camera
06Mood
Start with the subject
Your prompt appears here.
The building blocks are in English because image models follow photography terms most precisely that way. You can write your subject in any language.
Gemini understands both. English often renders photography terms such as focal length or backlight more precisely, which is why ArtDirect writes its prompts in English. You enter wishes and changes in your own language.
Between 90 and 150 words. Shorter prompts usually lack light and camera, longer ones quickly contradict themselves.
Image models like Nano Banana have no separate negative prompt field. Words like "no hands" draw attention to hands. Describe what is visible and use the Avoid list sparingly.
No. ArtDirect reads the post and the section around the image slot and writes the prompt itself following these rules. The tips help you adjust suggestions or set the direction with a wish of your own.
With fixed style rules in the ArtDirect settings. ArtDirect Pro adds reference images of your brand, an accent colour and image worlds per category.