Image Generation Prompts Guide

Use Nano Banana and GPT img for image generation and editing. Keep prompts focused on what you want to change.

Core rule

When a reference clearly shows a face, outfit, pose, or layout, avoid describing it again in detail. Ask the model to preserve it, then describe the changes. These instructions guide the result; they do not guarantee an exact match.

Add details only when they are missing from the reference or need to change.

Preserve the face

Use the reference to identify the face instead of listing every feature:

Keep the facial identity, structure, features, and expression from the provided reference.

Preserve the hairstyle and outfit

Refer to the visible hairstyle and outfit directly:

Keep the hairstyle, outfit design, and colors from the provided reference.

Only add a specific note when something is not visible in the reference, when the generation keeps drifting, or when you explicitly ask for a change.

An example of using Nano Banana Pro with proper prompting techniques to generate an image of a character in a scene. Learn more by exploring our comprehensive guide to achieving character consistency in 2026.
An example of using Nano Banana Pro with proper prompting techniques to generate an image of a character in a scene. Learn more by exploring our comprehensive guide to achieving character consistency in 2026.

Avoid left / right

Nano Banana can confuse left and right. Use objective spatial descriptions or object relationships instead, such as:

  • the side facing the window
  • the side facing the camera
  • upper frame
  • lower frame
  • foreground, background
  • the edge near the character

Use short reference labels

  • the provided sketch
  • the provided character reference
  • the provided face reference
  • the provided outfit reference
  • the provided base image

Preserve composition, character, and camera

State which reference controls each part of the image:

Use the sketch for composition, framing, camera position, and pose.
Use the character reference for facial identity.
Use the outfit reference for clothing design and colors.

An example of using Nano Banana Pro with proper prompting techniques to generate an image with a character. Generated with the following prompt: “Use the provided sketch as the composition reference. composition 100% exactly match the provided sketch. camera position 100% unchanged. framing 100% unchanged. character pose 100% match the provided sketch. Keep the broken white birch snag, the marked branch, the swamp layout, and the overall spatial arrangement 100% unchanged. Use the provided face reference for the character identity. facial identity 100% match the provided face reference. facial structure 100% match the provided face reference. facial features 100% match the provided face reference.”
An example of using Nano Banana Pro with proper prompting techniques to generate an image with a character. Generated with the following prompt: “Use the provided sketch as the composition reference. composition 100% exactly match the provided sketch. camera position 100% unchanged. framing 100% unchanged. character pose 100% match the provided sketch. Keep the broken white birch snag, the marked branch, the swamp layout, and the overall spatial arrangement 100% unchanged. Use the provided face reference for the character identity. facial identity 100% match the provided face reference. facial structure 100% match the provided face reference. facial features 100% match the provided face reference.”

Avoid vague cinematic language

Replace vague mood labels with visible details: light direction, shadows, fog, texture, and depth of field. For example, describe a dim room lit by one window instead of only saying "cinematic".

Avoid open-ended words

Choose one result instead of offering alternatives such as "maybe" or "could be". Describe the image you want now. If you refer to an earlier version, attach it as a reference rather than assuming the model remembers it.

Avoid long negative lists

Use positive final-state descriptions whenever possible. For example, instead of writing "no glass," write:

an open carriage window, with mist drifting through the opening

Edit prompts

For edit prompts, use this structure:

Edit the provided base image.
Keep the composition, camera position, and framing unchanged.
Only change [...].

Foreground, midground, background

Foreground, midground, and background can be described when their visual function matters, but do not over-explain what the reference already shows. Only write what affects the generation:

  • foreground wool blanket heavily out of focus
  • focus on the character's face
  • background snowy forest extremely out of focus
  • distant fog and soft bloom outside the window

Be specific about lighting

Define the light source, direction, bright areas, dark areas, and bloom:

  • the carriage interior stays very dim
  • the only clear light source comes from outside the window
  • soft morning light passes through dense fog and falls on her face
  • bright areas carry soft bloom

Describe focus for live-action images

Choose the part of the image that should be in focus. For a softer live-action look, try:

  • focus on the character's face with slight lens softness
  • the face is the clearest part of the frame
  • foreground and background are heavily out of focus

Use these suggestions for a live-action look. Other styles, such as anime, may need different focus treatment.

An example of using Nano Banana Pro to generate a scene, using prompting to specify the lighting, camera focus, foreground and background exactly.
An example of using Nano Banana Pro to generate a scene, using prompting to specify the lighting, camera focus, foreground and background exactly.

Add texture where it fits

For a less polished look, add a few camera or material details that suit the scene. Avoid adding every effect at once:

  • subtle film grain
  • slight chromatic aberration
  • slight sensor noise
  • mild lens softness
  • soft white bloom
  • very light indoor haze
  • natural imperfect real-camera rendering
  • realistic fabric texture
  • realistic paper texture
  • realistic skin texture
  • visible pores
  • freckles
  • realistic wood texture
  • realistic metal texture
  • material wear
  • aged surface
  • use marks

Start with clear lighting and believable materials. Add grain, wear, or lens effects only where they support the image.

An example of an image of a scene using Nano Banana Pro and proper prompting techniques to achieve desired the lighting, background, foreground, and camera focus. Alongside a reference sketch, this image was generated with the following prompt: “Cool blue-gray nightfall light filtered through heavy fog. No direct sunlight. Focus sits on the two large leaning trunks and the water passage, but not perfectly locked or clinically sharp. Foreground branches can be heavily out of focus. Background fades strongly into fog. Natural imperfect real-camera rendering, subtle film grain, slight sensor noise, mild lens softness, soft white bloom in the fog, realistic wet bark texture, realistic water texture, material wear, aged surface, and traces of use.”
An example of an image of a scene using Nano Banana Pro and proper prompting techniques to achieve desired the lighting, background, foreground, and camera focus. Alongside a reference sketch, this image was generated with the following prompt: “Cool blue-gray nightfall light filtered through heavy fog. No direct sunlight. Focus sits on the two large leaning trunks and the water passage, but not perfectly locked or clinically sharp. Foreground branches can be heavily out of focus. Background fades strongly into fog. Natural imperfect real-camera rendering, subtle film grain, slight sensor noise, mild lens softness, soft white bloom in the fog, realistic wet bark texture, realistic water texture, material wear, aged surface, and traces of use.”

Keep prompts concise

Use references for the details you want to keep. Describe only changes, missing details, and specific problems to fix. Check the result before adding more instructions.