Prompting Guide

Prompting in InvokeAI works best when you describe the image clearly, then refine only the parts that matter. This page focuses on practical prompt-writing habits.

Subject

Start with the main thing you want to see: a character, object, scene, or action.

Style or Medium

Add the visual language: photograph, watercolor, oil painting, 3D render, anime illustration, and so on.

Lighting and Composition

Describe the camera angle, framing, lighting, environment, color palette, or mood that will shape the image.

Detail and Finish

Add a few high-value quality cues such as fabric texture, shallow depth of field, natural skin texture, or painterly brushwork.

A simple pattern that works well is:

subject, style or medium, lighting or composition, a few important details

Not every prompt needs every category. Start simple, then add detail only when the model needs more direction.

Positive and negative prompts

Positive Prompt

Use the positive prompt to describe what you want the model to create. Put the most important idea early and keep the wording concrete.

Negative Prompt

Use the negative prompt to remove recurring problems or unwanted traits. Keep it short and targeted instead of pasting a giant list into every generation.

Good negative prompts usually name specific failure modes: blurry, distorted hands, low detail, extra limbs.

A practical prompting workflow

1. Start with the core image

   Write the clearest version of the image you want before adding stylistic extras.

2. Add style and composition

   Once the subject is right, add medium, lens, lighting, mood, background, or framing details.

3. Test with a fixed seed

   When you are learning what a prompt change does, keep the seed stable so you can compare results directly.

4. Change one thing at a time

   If you add five new terms at once, you will not know which one helped.

5. Escalate only when needed

   If the result is close but one element is too weak or too strong, adjust the prompt for weighting. If you want lots of variations, use dynamic prompting.

Here is the same idea refined in stages:

portrait of a woman

portrait of a woman, studio photograph, soft key light

portrait of a woman, studio photograph, soft key light, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field, natural skin texture

Write for the model you are using

The same prompt can behave very differently across models.

• Photo-oriented models respond well to camera, lens, lighting, and texture language.
• Illustration models often respond better to medium, art direction, and shape language.
• Specialty models may expect specific trigger words, subjects, or styles from their own model card.

When advanced syntax helps

Reach for advanced syntax when a normal comma-separated prompt is almost right, but you need more control. Use advanced syntax when one term needs more or less influence, mix concepts or styles, or create many prompt variations from one template.

Common mistakes

• Packing too many unrelated ideas into one prompt.
• Using long generic quality-word lists before you know the base prompt works.
• Treating the negative prompt as a trash can for every bad outcome.
• Expecting identical behavior across models, schedulers, and workflows.
• Changing prompt, model, seed, and settings all at once while troubleshooting.

Example prompts

Photographic portrait

Positive prompt

editorial portrait of a woman in a charcoal coat, studio photograph, soft key light, subtle rim light, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field, natural skin texture

Negative prompt

blurry, low detail, waxy skin, extra fingers

Environment concept art

Positive prompt

ancient stone temple built into a cliffside, fantasy concept art, misty sunrise, towering scale, moss-covered stairs, cinematic atmosphere

Negative prompt

flat lighting, low contrast, muddy details

Product-style render

Positive prompt

sleek ceramic teapot on a matte stone surface, product photography, clean studio lighting, soft shadow, high detail, minimal background

Negative prompt

cluttered background, distortion, duplicate objects

Stylized illustration

Positive prompt

fox courier crossing a rainy city street, storybook illustration, bold shapes, glowing shop signs, reflective pavement, warm and cool color contrast

Negative prompt

photorealistic, dull colors, low detail