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AI Didn’t Understand My Prompt

Editing tips for when the AI didn't get it right.

Updated over a week ago

1. Check Your Story Text

The AI looks at the story text on the left page to decide what to illustrate. If the text is vague or missing details, the picture may not match your vision.

  • Make sure your story text matches what you want to see in the illustration.

  • Example: Instead of “We went to the aquarium”, try “Sophie, age 4, clapped as dolphins leapt high in the aquarium tank.”


2. Use the Edit Feature

If the image still isn’t right, use the Edit tool to fine-tune.

  • Give a clear edit: “Make the dolphin bigger, keep everything else the same.”

  • Pick a reference image: Choose one of your original pictures to help the AI understand what you want.

  • Pick a style guide image: Select a generated image with the tone and colors you want. This keeps the style consistent across the book.


3. Use Regenerate

If you want to completely start fresh, use the Regenerate option.

  • This clears everything from the current illustration and creates a brand-new version from your story text.

  • Regenerate is best if the original picture feels very off or none of the edits are giving you the result you want.

  • Example prompt: “Regenerate this page with the same story text, but use the reference photo and style guide image.

    *The reference photo helps the AI determine what should be in the image. The style guide image helps the AI determine the tone, colors, and overall feel of the image. This helps keep everything consistent!


4. Editing Tips

  • Rephrase clearly: “Make the dolphin jump higher out of the water.”

  • Add missing detail: “Add Dad’s baseball cap back on his head, keep everything else the same.”

  • Simplify requests: Instead of “Make the water brighter, add more fish, and change my daughter’s shirt color” try “Make the water brighter. Keep everything else the same.”

  • Give style cues: Select the Style Guide image that best depicts the style and tone you want.

  • Anchor to reference: “Use the same little boy from my photos, with short brown hair and a red hoodie.”


5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Too many changes at once: “Make the shark bigger, add more coral, brighten the water, and fix Mom’s sunglasses.” This overwhelms the AI.

  • Vague language: “Make it cooler,” “Fix the background.” The AI doesn’t know what you mean.

  • Contradictory instructions: “Keep the turtle small, but also make it bigger.” This creates confusion.

  • Over-describing one detail: Repeating “blue stroller” or “curly hair” on every page may cause exaggeration.


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