Visual Style Guides for AI Content
Traditional brand books were not written for models. They describe principles beautifully but rarely specify the operational details that make images look like they belong to the same family. To make a guide usable for AI, translate each principle into a constraint, a variable, or an example.
Begin with lenses and light. Specify focal lengths, camera angles, and lighting scenarios that fit your brand. If your product thrives in soft, natural morning light, say so. If you like high-contrast cinematic lighting with gentle falloff, define it. Add a short list of what to avoid, such as harsh overhead light or extreme dutch angles that conflict with your tone.
Define color not as adjectives but as tokens. Provide hex values or HSL ranges for primaries, neutrals, and accents, and clarify how saturation should be handled. If neutrals should lean warm, note the temperature. If black is never pure black but a charcoal, write that down. AI will honor explicit constraints far better than vague “cool and modern” instructions.
Texture and material choices have outsized effects. Are surfaces matte or glossy? Should skin look editorial and unretouched or commercial and polished? Are backgrounds clean color fields, real locations, or abstract gradients? Consistency here prevents the uncanny drift that often appears when volume increases.
Pair every rule with two or three positive examples and at least one negative example. Show what “good” looks like and what it is not. Add a one-sentence rationale. This not only trains models indirectly via references but also teaches new teammates faster than any paragraph can.
Finally, define your last-mile pipeline in the guide: upscaling method, background cleanup, type system overlays, and file-naming conventions. Many style inconsistencies enter after generation. A clear path from concept to production makes your guidelines real in daily practice. When your style guide is explicit, example-rich, and connected to production, your AI outputs will feel deliberately branded rather than coincidentally on-trend.