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Pure text-to-image generation for all creative scenarios (no reference photo). Covers logo design, poster design, illustration, meme, game assets, social media…
image-create
Use this skill for all pure text-to-image generation requests on Starchild.
Covers: logo design, poster design, illustration, meme creation, game assets, social media content, 3D rendering, educational illustrations, fashion design, food photography, pet illustrations, wedding design, holiday marketing, and artistic style creation.
Core principle: call the provided script. Do not re-implement proxy/billing plumbing.
When to use image-create vs image-portrait:
image-create → user wants to CREATE something from a text description (no face/identity needed)
image-portrait → user wants a portrait with their face/identity preserved from a reference photo
1. Quick start — basic generation (most common)
⚠️ Execution context — read this first.
The code blocks below are Python, not shell commands. Starchild's bash tool
runs /bin/bash -c, which cannot parse exec(open(...)) — pasting them directly
into a bash command will fail with syntax error near unexpected token 'open'.
Also, exec(open(...)) inside python3 -c fails with NameError: __file__
because the script uses __file__ for path resolution.
Use python3 - <<'EOF' with from exports import when calling via the bash tool:
python3 - <<'EOF'
import sys
sys.path.insert(0, "skills/image-create")
from exports import generate_image
result = generate_image(
prompt="a futuristic city skyline at sunset with flying cars",
)
print(result)
EOF
The heredoc (<<'EOF') preserves all quotes and newlines — no escaping needed.
exec(open('skills/image-create/generate_image.py').read())
result = generate_image(
prompt="a futuristic city skyline at sunset with flying cars",
)
# result -> {"success": True, "images": [{"local_path": "output/images/..."}], ...}
2. Quick start — with category preset
exec(open('skills/image-create/generate_image.py').read())
result = generate_image(
prompt="StarChild AI platform",
category="logo",
style="tech",
)
3. Quick start — category only (no custom prompt)
exec(open('skills/image-create/generate_image.py').read())
result = generate_image(
category="3d",
style="diorama",
)
# Uses the built-in style template as the full prompt
Delivering the result to the user — IMPORTANT
Never hand the user the raw fal.media URL. fal serves files with restrictive CSP headers. The only reliable delivery path is the already-downloaded local file:
Use each image's local_path (e.g. output/images/xxx.png) — the script always downloads on success.
Tell the user the files are saved to output/images/ and viewable in the workspace file panel.
On Web channel, embed inline so the user can preview in chat:
On Telegram / WeChat: send via send_to_telegram(file_path="output/images/...", message_type="image") or send_to_wechat(file_path="output/images/...", message_type="image").
4. Parameters
Parameter
Required
Default
Description
prompt
yes*
—
Text description of the desired image
category
yes*
—
Preset category (see §5)
style
no
"default"
Sub-style within the category (see §5)
model
no
"nanopro"
Model: "nano2" (fastest ~15s), "nanopro" (balanced ~25s, default), or "gpt" (best quality ~150s)
count
no
1
Number of images to generate (1–4)
aspect_ratio
no
auto
Output ratio: 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, 21:9. Auto-selected by category if not set.
image_path
no
—
Optional local file path for reference/inspiration image
image_url
no
—
Optional public URL for reference/inspiration image
*At least one of prompt or category must be provided.
Prompt priority: prompt + category/style (enhanced) > prompt only > category + style > category default.
Aspect ratio auto-selection: When not explicitly set, the script picks the best ratio for the category (e.g., 1:1 for logos, 3:4 for posters, 16:9 for banners).
5. Category and style presets
E: Design — Logo (category="logo")
⚠️ AI cannot reliably render text. Generate the icon/symbol only; add text/wordmark in a design tool (Figma, Canva, Illustrator).
Style
Key
Best for
Abstract geometric
abstract
Tech, conceptual brands (Nike swoosh style)
Pictorial icon
pictorial
Universal brands, works without text (Apple style)
Mascot character
mascot
Friendly brands, food, sports (KFC style)
Tech company
tech
SaaS, AI, fintech startups
Food brand
food
Restaurant, bakery, organic
Fashion brand
fashion
Luxury, apparel, beauty
Gaming
gaming
Esports, game studio
General
default
Any professional logo
Logo prompt anti-patterns (avoid):
❌ "logo with text 'Company Name'" — text will be garbled
❌ "photorealistic logo" — logos aren't photos
❌ "3D rendered logo" — too complex, won't scale down
✅ "flat vector logo of [subject], minimal geometric style, single color, white background"
E: Design — Poster (category="poster")
Style
Key
Best for
Recommended ratio
Movie poster
movie
Film promotion, cinematic
3:4
Music festival
music_festival
Concerts, festivals
3:4
Tech conference
tech_conference
Tech events, hackathons
3:4
Travel destination
travel
Tourism, wanderlust
3:4
Product launch
product_launch
Product announcements
3:4
Minimalist art
minimalist
Home decor, gallery
3:4
Sports event
sports
Athletic events
3:4
General
default
Any poster
3:4
E: Design — Illustration (category="illustration")
Style
Key
Best for
Fantasy
fantasy
Fantasy worlds, magic, dragons
Sci-fi
scifi
Futuristic scenes, space
Children's book
children
Kids content, storybooks (ages 3-5)
Editorial
editorial
Magazine, article headers
Botanical
botanical
Scientific plant illustrations
General
default
Any illustration
E: Design — Meme (category="meme")
Style
Key
Best for
Animal meme
animal
Cute/funny animal memes
Reaction
reaction
Reaction templates
Surreal
surreal
Absurdist internet humor
General
default
Any meme
K: Game Assets (category="game_asset")
Style
Key
Best for
Common sizes
Character concept
character
RPG characters, heroes
1024x1024
Environment
environment
Game worlds, levels
1920x1080
Weapon/prop
weapon
Items, weapons, artifacts
1024x1024
UI icon
ui_icon
Game UI, mobile icons
32x32 to 128x128
Pixel sprite
pixel_sprite
Retro game characters
32x32 to 64x64
Tileset
tileset
Seamless environment tiles
256x256 to 512x512
General
default
Any game asset
1024x1024
M: Social Media (category="social_media")
Style
Key
Best for
Recommended ratio
Resolution
Instagram post
instagram
IG feed posts
1:1
1080x1080
小红书
xiaohongshu
Xiaohongshu posts
3:4
1080x1440
TikTok cover
tiktok_cover
TikTok thumbnails
9:16
1080x1920
YouTube thumbnail
youtube_thumbnail
YT thumbnails
16:9
1280x720
Banner
banner
Twitter/YouTube banners
16:9
1920x1080
Story
story
IG/FB stories
9:16
1080x1920
General
default
Any social content
1:1
1024x1024
N: 3D (category="3d")
Style
Key
Best for
3D character
character
Pixar-style characters
Product render
product
Product visualization
Diorama
diorama
Miniature scenes, isometric
App icon
icon
iOS/Android app icons
3D text
text
Chrome/metallic text
3D scene
scene
Low-poly environments
General
default
Any 3D render
P: Education (category="education")
Style
Key
Best for
Textbook
textbook
Textbook illustrations
Infographic
infographic
Data visualization
Science
science
Scientific diagrams, anatomy
History
history
Historical scene reconstruction
Diagram
diagram
Technical process diagrams
General
default
Any educational content
Q: Fashion (category="fashion")
Style
Key
Best for
Clothing design
clothing
Garment sketches, fashion plates
Accessory
accessory
Jewelry, bags, shoes
Nail art
nail_art
Nail designs
Textile pattern
textile
Fabric patterns, surface design
General
default
Any fashion design
R: Food (category="food")
Style
Key
Best for
Dish photo
dish
Food photography, editorial
Menu design
menu
Restaurant menus
Packaging
packaging
Food packaging design
Recipe card
recipe_card
Recipe illustrations
General
default
Any food content
S: Pet (category="pet")
Style
Key
Best for
Humanized pet
humanized
Pets in human clothes
Renaissance
renaissance
Royal/regal pet portraits
Cartoon
cartoon
Disney/Pixar style pets
Merchandise
merchandise
Pet-themed product patterns
Memorial
memorial
Pet tribute artwork
General
default
Cute pet illustrations
I: Product Photography (category="product")
Derived from product-photography skill best practices.
Style
Key
Best for
Hero shot
hero
Primary product image, magazine ads
Packshot
packshot
E-commerce listings, Amazon (pure white bg)
Lifestyle
lifestyle
Product in context, editorial
Flat lay
flat_lay
Instagram, top-down arrangement
General
default
Any product photo
Product photography tips:
Hero shot: product fills 80% of frame, slight 15-30° angle for dimension
Packshot (Amazon): pure white background, product fills 85%+, no props/text/watermarks
Always specify lighting: "soft studio lighting", "dramatic rim lighting"
For e-commerce: "sharp focus", "no shadows" or "subtle shadow only"
Y: Wedding (category="wedding")
Style
Key
Best for
Format
Classic invitation
invitation
Floral elegant invitations
5x7 inches
Modern invitation
invitation_modern
Minimalist invitations
5x7 inches
Rustic invitation
invitation_rustic
Bohemian invitations
5x7 inches
Venue preview
venue
Venue decoration preview
—
Save the date
save_the_date
Pre-announcement cards
4x6 inches
General
default
Any wedding design
—
Z: Holiday Marketing (category="holiday")
Style
Key
Best for
Christmas card
christmas_card
Christmas greetings
Chinese New Year
chinese_new_year
春节 designs
New Year
new_year
New Year celebrations
Valentine's
valentines
Valentine's Day
Halloween
halloween
Halloween designs
Promotional
promotional
Sale banners, promos
Mid-Autumn
mid_autumn
中秋节 designs
General
default
Any holiday content
Major holiday calendar for campaign planning:
Holiday
Timing
Best for
Chinese New Year
Jan-Feb
Gifts, family, food
Valentine's Day
Feb 14
Romance, gifts
Women's Day
Mar 8
Empowerment, gifts
520 (5/20)
May 20
Romance (Chinese Valentine's)
618 Shopping
June
E-commerce sales
Qixi (七夕)
Jul-Aug
Romance
Mid-Autumn
Sept
Family, mooncakes
National Day
Oct 1
Travel, shopping
11.11 Singles' Day
Nov 11
Major sales
12.12 Double 12
Dec 12
Year-end sales
Christmas
Dec 25
Gifts, winter
C: Art Style (category="art_style")
Style
Key
Best for
Studio Ghibli
ghibli
Ghibli-style scenes
American comic
american_comic
Marvel/DC style
Japanese manga
manga
Manga illustrations
Pixel art
pixel_art
Retro game style
Pencil sketch
pencil_sketch
Hand-drawn look
3D cartoon
3d_cartoon
Pixar/Disney style
Steampunk
steampunk
Victorian sci-fi
Fantasy magic
fantasy_magic
Magical scenes
Wuxia/Xianxia
wuxia
Chinese martial arts
Sci-fi space
scifi_space
Space scenes
Pop art
pop_art
Warhol style
Ukiyo-e
ukiyo_e
Japanese woodblock
Impressionist
impressionist
Monet/Renoir style
Art Nouveau
art_nouveau
Mucha style
General
default
Any artistic style
6. Model selection guide
Model
Key
Speed
Quality
Best for
NanoPro
nanopro
~25s
Good
Default for all requests. Fast iteration.
GPT Image 2
gpt
~150s
Best
When user explicitly asks for "highest quality" or "best quality". Text-heavy designs.
Decision rules:
Default: always use nanopro unless the user explicitly requests higher quality.
Use gpt when: user says "highest quality", "best quality", "premium", or the design requires precise text rendering (logos with specific text, posters with typography).
Use nanopro when: user wants fast results, is iterating on designs, or generating multiple variants.
# Default (fast)
result = generate_image(prompt="cute cat logo", category="logo")
# High quality (user requested)
result = generate_image(prompt="cute cat logo", category="logo", model="gpt")
7. Aspect ratio guide
Category
Default ratio
Notes
Logo
1:1
Square, scalable
Poster
3:4
Portrait orientation
Illustration
4:3
Landscape, wide scene
Meme
1:1
Square, shareable
Game asset
1:1
Square, consistent
Social media
1:1
Varies by platform
3D
1:1
Square render
Education
4:3
Landscape, readable
Fashion
3:4
Portrait, full garment
Food
4:3
Landscape, appetizing
Pet
1:1
Square, cute
Product
1:1
Square, e-commerce
Wedding
3:4
Portrait, elegant
Holiday
4:3
Landscape, festive
Art style
4:3
Landscape, scenic
Platform-specific overrides (auto-applied):
TikTok cover → 9:16 (1080x1920)
Instagram story → 9:16 (1080x1920)
YouTube thumbnail → 16:9 (1280x720)
Social media banner → 16:9 (1920x1080)
小红书 → 3:4 (1080x1440)
The script auto-selects the best ratio when aspect_ratio is not explicitly set.
8. Prompt engineering best practices
The 5-element prompt structure
Every effective image prompt should include:
[subject/content], [style/aesthetic], [composition/layout], [lighting/atmosphere], [quality modifiers]
Key principles
Be specific about the subject:
❌ "a logo"
✅ "a minimalist cat silhouette logo for a pet grooming business, clean vector style"
Specify the visual style:
"flat design", "3D render", "watercolor painting", "photorealistic"
"minimalist", "detailed", "abstract", "geometric"
Include composition guidance:
"centered composition", "rule of thirds", "symmetrical layout"
"close-up", "wide shot", "isometric view", "bird's eye view"
Lighting matters:
Studio: "soft diffused studio lighting", "Rembrandt chiaroscuro"
Natural: "golden hour warm light", "dappled sunlight through trees"
Dramatic: "dramatic rim lighting", "volumetric light beams", "neon glow"
Flat: "even flat lighting with no shadows" (for icons/diagrams)
Quality anchors:
"professional quality", "print-ready", "4K resolution"
"octane render", "Unreal Engine quality", "magazine quality"
For text in images (use gpt model):
Explicitly state the text: text reading "SALE 50% OFF"
Specify font style: "bold sans-serif typography", "elegant script font"
GPT model handles text rendering much better than nanopro
Logo-specific prompt tips (from logo-design-guide)
Keywords that work:
flat vector logo, simple minimal icon, single color silhouette,
geometric logo mark, clean lines, negative space design,
line art logo, flat design icon, minimalist symbol
Keywords that fail:
❌ photorealistic logo (contradiction — logos aren't photos)
❌ 3D rendered logo (too complex, won't scale down)
❌ gradient logo (inconsistent results, hard to reproduce)
❌ logo with text "Company Name" (text rendering fails)
Prompt structure for logos:
flat vector logo of [subject], [style], [color constraint], [background], [additional detail]
Children's illustration tips (from book-illustrator)
Ages 0-2: Simple, bold, high-contrast, clear shapes
Ages 3-5: Colorful, expressive, engaging characters with movement
Ages 6-8: More detailed scenes with visual storytelling
Ages 9-12: Sophisticated illustrations supporting text
The 3-Color Rule: Limit each character to 3-4 primary colors for visual clarity
Game asset tips (from game-asset-generation)
Always specify pixel dimensions for sprites: "32x32", "64x64", "128x128"
For seamless textures: "must tile perfectly with no visible seams when repeated"
For sprite sheets: specify grid layout "4x2 grid (256x64 total)"
For icons: "clear silhouette readable at 32x32 pixels"
Example: building a custom prompt
User: "Design a logo for my coffee shop called Bean Dream"
result = generate_image(
prompt=(
"flat vector logo of a coffee bean morphing into a crescent moon, "
"minimalist design, warm brown and cream color palette, "
"clean lines, white background, "
"professional branding quality, works at any size"
),
category="logo",
model="gpt", # GPT for better detail
)
Example: game character concept
User: "Create a warrior character for my RPG game"
result = generate_image(
prompt=(
"female warrior character, ornate golden armor with dragon motifs, "
"flowing red cape, wielding a glowing enchanted sword, "
"determined fierce expression, battle-ready stance, "
"front view T-pose, clean white background"
),
category="game_asset",
style="character",
)
Example: social media content
User: "Make a TikTok cover about cooking tips"
result = generate_image(
prompt=(
"cooking tips video thumbnail, colorful kitchen scene, "
"fresh ingredients flying in the air, chef's hands visible, "
"fun energetic vibe, bold visual impact"
),
category="social_media",
style="tiktok_cover",
# aspect_ratio auto-set to 9:16
)
9. Intent recognition guide
Use this table to map user requests to the correct category/style/parameters:
User says
Category
Style
Notes
"design a logo", "make a logo"
logo
auto-detect
Ask about industry for style
"create a poster", "event poster"
poster
auto-detect
"draw an illustration", "illustrate"
illustration
auto-detect
"make a meme", "funny image"
meme
auto-detect
"game character", "RPG asset"
game_asset
character
"game environment", "level design"
game_asset
environment
"weapon design", "sword/shield"
game_asset
weapon
"game icon", "UI icon"
game_asset
ui_icon
"pixel art sprite"
game_asset
pixel_sprite
"tileable texture", "seamless tile"
game_asset
tileset
"Instagram post", "IG content"
social_media
instagram
"小红书", "xiaohongshu"
social_media
xiaohongshu
"TikTok cover", "抖音封面"
social_media
tiktok_cover
9:16
"YouTube thumbnail"
social_media
youtube_thumbnail
16:9
"banner", "cover image"
social_media
banner
16:9
"story template"
social_media
story
9:16
"3D character", "Pixar style"
3d
character
"product render", "3D product"
3d
product
"diorama", "miniature scene"
3d
diorama
"app icon", "3D icon"
3d
icon
"3D text", "chrome text"
3d
text
"textbook illustration"
education
textbook
"infographic", "data viz"
education
infographic
"scientific diagram"
education
science
"historical scene"
education
history
"fashion sketch", "clothing design"
fashion
clothing
"accessory design", "jewelry"
fashion
accessory
"nail art", "nail design"
fashion
nail_art
"textile pattern", "fabric design"
fashion
textile
"food photo", "dish"
food
dish
"menu design"
food
menu
"food packaging"
food
packaging
"recipe card"
food
recipe_card
"product photo", "product shot"
product
hero
"Amazon listing", "e-commerce photo"
product
packshot
White bg
"lifestyle product", "product in context"
product
lifestyle
"flat lay", "top-down product"
product
flat_lay
"pet in clothes", "humanized pet"
pet
humanized
"royal pet", "renaissance pet"
pet
renaissance
"cartoon pet", "Disney pet"
pet
cartoon
"pet merchandise", "pet pattern"
pet
merchandise
"pet memorial", "rainbow bridge"
pet
memorial
"wedding invitation", "请柬"
wedding
invitation
"modern invitation"
wedding
invitation_modern
"rustic invitation"
wedding
invitation_rustic
"wedding venue", "婚礼布置"
wedding
venue
"save the date"
wedding
save_the_date
"Christmas card", "圣诞贺卡"
holiday
christmas_card
"春节", "Chinese New Year"
holiday
chinese_new_year
"New Year design", "新年"
holiday
new_year
"Valentine's card", "情人节"
holiday
valentines
"Halloween", "万圣节"
holiday
halloween
"sale banner", "promotional"
holiday
promotional
"中秋节", "Mid-Autumn"
holiday
mid_autumn
"Ghibli style", "吉卜力"
art_style
ghibli
"comic style", "漫画风"
art_style
american_comic or manga
"pixel art", "像素风"
art_style
pixel_art
"pencil sketch", "素描"
art_style
pencil_sketch
"steampunk", "蒸汽朋克"
art_style
steampunk
"fantasy", "魔法"
art_style
fantasy_magic
"wuxia", "武侠", "仙侠"
art_style
wuxia
"space", "太空", "sci-fi"
art_style
scifi_space
"pop art", "波普"
art_style
pop_art
"ukiyo-e", "浮世绘"
art_style
ukiyo_e
"impressionist", "印象派"
art_style
impressionist
"Art Nouveau", "新艺术"
art_style
art_nouveau
"highest quality", "best quality"
any
any + model="gpt"
Custom description not in presets
—
—
Use prompt= directly
10. Using with a reference image (optional)
While this skill is primarily text-to-image, you can provide a reference image for design inspiration:
# Reference image for design guidance
result = generate_image(
prompt="redesign this logo in a modern minimalist style",
category="logo",
image_path="uploads/old_logo.png",
)
# Reference URL
result = generate_image(
prompt="create a similar style illustration but with a forest theme",
image_url="https://example.com/reference.jpg",
)
When a reference image is provided, the script uses the /edit endpoint instead of the generate endpoint.
11. Multiple images
# Generate 4 logo variants
result = generate_image(
prompt="minimalist mountain logo for outdoor brand",
category="logo",
count=4,
)
# result["images"] -> list of 4 image dicts
12. Anti-patterns (avoid these)
Avoid
Why
Instead
"logo with text 'My Brand'"
AI garbles text
Generate icon only, add text in Figma/Canva
"photorealistic logo"
Logos aren't photos
Use "flat vector logo"
"3D rendered logo"
Won't scale to favicon
Use "flat minimal icon"
Vague prompts like "nice image"
Poor results
Be specific: subject, style, colors, lighting
Too many concepts in one prompt
Confused output
Focus on one clear concept
Requesting exact pixel dimensions
Not supported
Use aspect_ratio parameter
Using nanopro for text-heavy designs
Text rendering poor
Use model="gpt" for text
13. Provided scripts
File
Purpose
generate_image.py
Core script: prompt building → submit → poll → download. Handles all categories, styles, two models.
exports.py
Re-exports generate_image, CATEGORY_STYLES, MODELS for programmatic use.
_cost_track.py
Cost tracking helper — records per-call costs via sc-proxy headers. Self-contained, no external dependencies.
14. Local testing
Set FAL_KEY env var to call fal.ai directly (bypasses sc-proxy):
# Basic generation
FAL_KEY=your-fal-key python3 skills/image-create/generate_image.py "a cute robot" illustration fantasy 1 nanopro
# Args: <prompt> [category] [style] [count] [model]
15. Troubleshooting
Problem
Fix
Either 'prompt' or 'category' must be provided
Provide at least a prompt or category
File not found: ...
Check the workspace path for reference image
Unsupported image format
Use .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .webp, or .bmp
Image too large
Resize reference image to under 10 MB
HTTP 402 insufficient_credits
Top up balance; cost is pre-charged on submit
HTTP 403 endpoint_not_allowed
sc-proxy only allows approved fal endpoints; contact admin
Generation FAILED upstream
Simplify prompt, retry
Job stuck IN_PROGRESS >10 min
Save request_id, retry later
Text not rendering well
Switch to model="gpt" — GPT handles text much better
gpt model too slow
Switch to nanopro (default) for faster results
Logo too complex to scale
Use "flat vector", "minimal", "single color" in prompt
Seamless texture has visible seams
Add "must tile perfectly with no visible seams" to prompt
16. Infrastructure (reference)
Caller → sc-proxy → queue.fal.run/{model} → fal model providers
All requests must include Authorization: Key fake-falai-key-12345 (proxy injects the real FAL_KEY)
Pre-charge happens at submit. Poll/result calls are free.
Final images live at https://*.fal.media/... — public CDN, no auth needed for download.
Cost tracking via _cost_track.py — records X-Credits-Used from sc-proxy response headers.
Each skill contains its own _cost_track.py copy (skills are independently deployed).
Model endpoints
Model
Generate (text only)
Edit (with ref image)
nanopro
fal-ai/nano-banana-pro
fal-ai/nano-banana-pro/edit
gpt
openai/gpt-image-2
openai/gpt-image-2/editdon't have the plugin yet? install it then click "run inline in claude" again.