Free printable cheat sheet

The AI Image Prompt Cheat Sheet

Everything that makes a prompt work, on one page. Save it, print it, pin it. Works in Midjourney, FLUX, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion and Nano Banana.

Tip: press Ctrl+D to bookmark, or Ctrl+P to print it.

The 9 ingredients of a great prompt

1
MediumWhat kind of image is it? a photograph of · an oil painting of · a 3D render of
2
SubjectName it specifically, not vaguely. a weathered fisherman (not "a person")
3
StyleArt movement, film stock or render look. cinematic · Kodak Portra 400 · concept art
4
LightingWhere the light comes from and how it feels. soft window light · golden-hour backlight · neon
5
Camera and lensThe pro look lives here. 85mm f/1.4 · shallow depth of field · macro
6
CompositionHow it is framed. low-angle close-up · wide shot · negative space
7
ColorA deliberate palette or grade. warm amber · muted teal-and-orange · pastel
8
DetailQuality words that push it up. highly detailed · razor sharp · fine texture
9
MoodThe feeling that ties it together. moody · serene · epic · cozy · nostalgic

Copy-paste modifiers

Lighting

golden hour, blue hour, rim light, soft window light, volumetric god-rays, studio softbox, neon glow, candlelight, overcast, dramatic chiaroscuro

Lens and camera

85mm f/1.4, 35mm, macro, wide-angle, telephoto, shallow depth of field, bokeh, tilt-shift, aerial, shot on ARRI Alexa

Film and color

Kodak Portra 400, CineStill 800T, teal-and-orange, warm amber, muted desaturated, film grain, halation, sepia, high contrast

Style

cinematic, photorealistic, concept art, oil painting, watercolor, anime, art nouveau, cyberpunk, minimalist, in the style of a film still

Composition

close-up, extreme close-up, wide establishing shot, low angle, high angle, birds-eye, rule of thirds, centered, negative space

Detail and quality

highly detailed, intricate, razor sharp, ultra detailed, fine texture, 8k, hyperrealistic, clean, crisp

The fill-in-the-blank formula

[medium] of [subject], [style], [lighting], [camera and lens], [composition], [color grade], [detail words], [mood]
Weak prompt
a cat on a chair
Same idea, cheat-sheet formula
a photograph of a ginger cat curled on a worn leather armchair, cinematic, Kodak Portra 400, soft window light from camera-left, 85mm f/1.8, eye-level close-up, warm amber palette, highly detailed fur, cozy and serene

Quick rules

Be specific, not vagueConcrete words beat adjectives. "weathered fisherman" beats "interesting person".
Add one thing at a timeStart simple, then add a style, then lighting, then a lens. Watch what each change does.
AI cannot spellFor text in an image, generate the art clean, then add real words in Canva or Photoshop.

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Put it to work with a free tool

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Questions

Is this cheat sheet free?
Yes, free to read, save, print and share, no signup to view. For a downloadable copy plus five ready-made prompts, grab the free 5-Pack.
Which AI tools does it work for?
The 9 ingredients and modifiers work across Midjourney, FLUX, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E and Nano Banana.
How do I use the formula?
Fill in the blanks in order. You do not need all nine every time, but the more you include, the less the AI has to guess.