The picture is the first thing people see on your character's card. Here's how to write a prompt that gets close on the first try, with two worked examples.
Generate or upload
The Image step comes third of four (Basics, Character, Image, Review). You can:
- Generate (the default): describe the picture and Privee creates it.
- Upload: add a JPEG or PNG and crop it to fit. Only upload images you made or have the right to use.
You can skip it and come back later, but Public and Unlisted characters need a cover picture. Only Private ones can go without.
Write the prompt
Pick Realistic (a photo or lifelike portrait) or Illustration (drawn or painted) first, because the style changes which words work: "natural window light" for one, "soft watercolour colours" for the other.
The Visual prompt is required and can be up to 2,000 characters, but a few sentences is plenty. Cover who they are, how they look, a simple setting, the lighting and the framing. For a cover, "head and shoulders portrait, facing the viewer" works best.
Keep the face visible and well lit, because the cover is small on the card. Describe the look in plain words rather than naming an artist or film. A green scarf and a chipped tooth say more than ten adjectives.
The negative prompt
The Negative prompt is optional, up to 500 characters, and lists what you don't want:
blurry, low quality, extra fingers, text, watermark, cropped face
Keep it short, and add a word when a problem keeps coming back, like "hat" for a hat you never asked for.
Compare, then pick
You can save up to 10 generations per character and pick one as the cover. Each uses your daily image limit, so change one thing between tries (the lighting, say) rather than rerunning the same prompt.
Public characters appear in Explore after a quick review, so keep covers suitable for all ages: everyday clothes, calm or cheerful faces, no violence or suggestive poses.
Two examples
A mechanic (Realistic)
A mechanic in his late twenties with short hair and stubble, a red plaid shirt with rolled sleeves and a grease smudge on one cheek, wiping his hands on a rag. A small garage at night, a car with its hood up behind him, out of focus. Warm light from a work lamp. Head and shoulders portrait, facing the viewer, easy smile, natural photograph.
Negative: blurry, low quality, extra fingers, text, watermark
A dog (Illustration)
A two-year-old white standard poodle sitting on a living-room rug, head tilted. Soft afternoon light from a window. Close-up portrait at eye level, facing the viewer, fluffy curly coat, warm storybook illustration.
Negative: blurry, extra legs, text, watermark, cluttered background
Once the picture is set, you're one step from publishing; how to create an AI character covers the rest.