# Prompt guide

Write a Sloosh prompt as a brief, not a bag of keywords: say the subject, the setting, the look and where the image will be used.

Last updated: 2026-10-05

**Key facts**

- A good Sloosh prompt is a brief in plain sentences covering four things: subject, setting, look and use.
- Prompt limits in Sloosh depend on the model: 2,500 characters on Kling, 3,000 on Veo 3.1, 5,000 on FLUX 3 Image and Ideogram 4.5, 32,000 on GPT Image and 50,000 on Nano Banana and Gemini Omni.
- In Sloosh, set aspect ratio and resolution in the chips under the prompt, not in the prompt: the prompt shapes the composition, the chip sets the canvas.
- When a Sloosh result is close, change one detail at a time; if you rewrite everything, you can't tell what helped.

Web page: https://sloosh.ai/docs/prompt-guide

## Write a brief

Cover four things, in plain sentences:

- Subject: what's in the picture, with the details that matter.
- Setting: where it is, what's around it, the time of day.
- Look: lighting, lens, colours, mood.
- Use: where it's going, which decides the framing and the empty space for text.

**Example: product photo**

```text
A tan leather tote bag on a marble side table next to a window. Soft morning light from the left, long gentle shadows. Warm, calm colours. Shot at eye level with a 50mm lens. Leave clear space on the right for a headline.
```

## Be specific where it counts

"A bag" gets you any bag. "A tan leather tote with brass buckles" gets you yours. Put the detail into the subject and keep the rest short.

## See the difference

Both images below came from GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst. The first prompt names a subject and a light, so the model picks everything else. The second is a brief: it says what the object is, its details, how it's packaged and what it's for.

**A short prompt**

```text
a ceramic coffee mug on a wooden table, soft morning light
```

**A brief**

```text
Create a collectible action figure of a vintage-style toy propeller airplane with rounded wings, a front-mounted spinning propeller, slightly worn paint edges, classic childhood proportions, designed as a nostalgic holiday collectible, in blister packaging.
```

Short prompt: ![A speckled ceramic mug of coffee on a wooden table in warm morning light](https://sloosh.ai/docs/example-mug.webp)

A brief: ![A red vintage toy propeller plane in holiday blister packaging, with Christmas lights behind it](https://sloosh.ai/docs/example-toy-plane.webp)

_A short prompt is fine for a quick idea: the mug looks good, but the model chose the mug, the table and the props. The brief got a specific product, its packaging and a holiday setting, all from the words._

## Use references for what words can't do

If the result must show your real product, a real person or an exact style, attach it as a [reference](https://sloosh.ai/docs/references.md) and say in the prompt what it's for.

**Example: with a reference**

```text
Use the bag in the first image. Place it on a sunny beach towel with sunglasses beside it. Keep the bag's colour and stitching exactly as they are.
```

## Change one thing at a time

When a result is close, keep the prompt and change one detail. If you rewrite everything, you can't tell what helped.

## Guides by model

Each model family reads a prompt a little differently: [Prompting GPT Image](https://sloosh.ai/docs/prompting-gpt-image.md), [Prompting Nano Banana](https://sloosh.ai/docs/prompting-nano-banana.md) and [Prompting Gemini Omni](https://sloosh.ai/docs/prompting-gemini-omni.md). For video in general, see [Video prompts](https://sloosh.ai/docs/video-prompts.md).

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I write a good AI image prompt?

Write a brief in plain sentences, the way you'd brief a photographer: the subject with its details, the setting, the look (light, lens, colours) and where the image will be used. For example: "A tan leather tote on a marble side table, soft morning light from the left, leave clear space on the right for a headline."

### Do words like 4k or ultra detailed improve an AI image prompt?

No. Keyword strings such as "4k, ultra detailed, trending" add noise, not detail. In Sloosh, set 4K in the size chip, and replace mood words like "premium" or "cinematic" with what you can see: where the light comes from, the colours and the materials.

### How do I get readable text in an AI image?

Put the exact words in quotes, say where they sit and what the lettering looks like, and say they appear once. In Sloosh, GPT Image and Nano Banana Pro are the strongest at type, and turning Enhance off keeps your wording exactly as typed.

### What happens if my prompt is too long in Sloosh?

Generate turns off and the line under it says the prompt is too long for the model. Sloosh Studio shows a character counter as you near the model's limit, which ranges from 2,500 characters on Kling to 50,000 on Nano Banana. Shorten the prompt or switch to a model with a higher limit.

### Do I need to write prompts differently for each AI model?

A little. In Sloosh, GPT Image reads a prompt like a spec sheet, Nano Banana reads it as a scene described in sentences, and Gemini Omni wants one continuous shot. See [Prompting GPT Image](https://sloosh.ai/docs/prompting-gpt-image.md), [Prompting Nano Banana](https://sloosh.ai/docs/prompting-nano-banana.md) and [Prompting Gemini Omni](https://sloosh.ai/docs/prompting-gemini-omni.md).