Prompt Engineering: A Practical Guide With 10 Templates
Practical prompt engineering: the six elements of a strong prompt, techniques that reliably improve answers and ten copy-ready templates for everyday work.
How to Write Better Image Prompts
How to write AI image prompts that work: subject, style, composition, lighting, colour and mood, with before-and-after examples, templates and common mistakes.
Key takeaways
- Describe the subject, setting, style, composition, lighting and mood, in that order.
- Be concrete: “soft morning light through a window” beats “beautiful lighting”.
- Iterate one change at a time, and say what you don’t want, such as text or logos.
On this page
Image generators respond to specific, visual language. The difference between a generic result and a striking one is usually a few well-chosen details. Here’s a structure that works across most tools.
The six-part structure
- Subject: what’s in the image. “A ceramic coffee mug on a wooden table.”
- Setting: where it is. “In a sunlit kitchen.”
- Style or medium: photo, watercolour, 3D render, flat illustration.
- Composition: close-up, overhead, wide shot, rule of thirds, shallow depth of field.
- Lighting: soft morning light, golden hour, studio lighting, neon.
- Mood and colour: calm, energetic, muted earth tones, bold primaries.
Before and after
| Weak prompt | Better prompt |
|---|---|
| “A nice coffee picture” | “Close-up photo of a speckled ceramic coffee mug on a worn oak table, steam rising, soft morning light from a window, shallow depth of field, warm muted tones” |
| “Logo for a bakery” | “Flat vector icon of a simple wheat stalk inside a circle, one colour, bold shapes, no text, white background” |
| “Futuristic city” | “Wide-angle 3D render of a green futuristic city with rooftop gardens, sunset light, calm hopeful mood, no people” |
Tips that make a big difference
- Be concrete. Replace adjectives like “beautiful” with things you can see.
- Say what you don’t want: “no text, no logos, no watermarks.”
- Specify aspect ratio where the tool allows it: 16:9 for banners, 1:1 for social posts.
- Iterate one change at a time, so you learn what each word does.
- Use reference images if the tool supports them, for consistent style.
Templates you can copy
- Product photo: “Studio photo of [product] on [surface], [lighting], [background colour], soft shadows, high detail, no text.”
- Blog header: “Editorial photo of [scene] in [place], [time of day] light, [mood], wide shot, space on the left for a headline, no text.”
- Illustration: “Flat illustration of [subject], [colour palette], simple shapes, friendly style, white background.”
Use AI images responsibly
Label AI-generated images where it matters, check usage rights and never create misleading images of real people or events. Our guide to spotting AI-generated images and deepfakes explains why this matters. For text prompts, see our prompt engineering guide.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my AI image have strange text?
Many generators struggle with text. Ask for “no text” or add text afterwards in a design tool.
How long should an image prompt be?
One or two detailed sentences is usually enough. Longer isn’t always better.
Can I use AI images commercially?
It depends on the tool’s licence. Check the terms before commercial use.
Sources
Every article is edited by a human and checked against our editorial policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
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