Ideogram prompt guide

How to prompt Ideogram

1. Open with one sentence naming the image type and what it shows; the first words carry the most weight.
2. Write full sentences, not tag lists, so relationships between elements are clear.
3. Put every piece of on-image text in double quotes, near the start of the prompt, with its placement.
4. Keep rendered text short; each extra word raises the chance of a typo.
5. Describe lettering by its look (bold, condensed sans-serif, playful script, vintage) rather than naming fonts.
6. With several text blocks, describe them in reading order, top to bottom, each with words, style and position.
7. Follow the order: summary, subject details, pose/action, secondary elements, setting, lighting, framing, finish.
8. Describe only what can be seen; tie abstract ideas to concrete objects, poses or expressions.
9. State absences positively ('an empty street') instead of using 'no' or 'without'.
10. Keep busy backgrounds simple when the image carries text.
11. For exact layouts (posters, branded graphics), use a JSON prompt with high_level_description, style_description and compositional_deconstruction.
12. Turn Magic Prompt off when the wording must be kept exactly.

The shape of a good prompt

[Image type] of [main subject], with the text "[EXACT WORDS]" in [lettering style, colour] at [position]. [Subject details]. [Pose/action]. [Secondary elements]. [Setting/background]. [Lighting and atmosphere]. [Framing/composition]. [Finish: medium, texture, palette].
(Aspect ratio, seed and quality are set in the app, not the prompt.)

Avoid

• Burying the text you want rendered at the end of the prompt
• Long passages of on-image text
• Negations like 'no people', 'without a logo'
• Contradictory style or mood descriptors
• Vague adjectives such as 'beautiful' or 'amazing' instead of medium and technique
• Putting --ar or other parameters in the prompt text

Example

Request a cozy coffee shop poster for autumn

A vintage screen-printed poster with the headline "AUTUMN BREWS" in bold cream serif capitals across the top and "Pumpkin spice • Maple latte • Chai" in small clean sans-serif along the bottom. A steaming ceramic mug of spiced latte sits on a wooden window ledge in the foreground. Behind it, a quiet, empty street on a rainy autumn evening, maple leaves scattered on wet pavement. Warm amber light glows from tall café windows. Centered vertical composition with plenty of space around the text. Flat illustration with visible paper grain in burnt orange, mustard and deep teal.