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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dopaminegirl.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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SDXL Prompting Guide

SDXL is a flexible text-to-image model for general creative work: photos, product concepts, realistic portraits, design mockups, cinematic scenes, and broad illustration styles. SDXL usually works best with clear natural language. You do not need a huge pile of quality words. A specific subject, clear composition, and believable lighting usually matter more than repeating masterpiece or ultra high quality.
Want anime, cartoon, furry, or tag-heavy character prompts? Use the Pony Diffusion Prompting Guide.

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Prompt Formula

Use this structure: 
[subject] + [action/pose] + [scene] + [composition] + [lighting] + [medium/style] + [quality details]
Example: 
A modern perfume bottle on wet black stone, centered product photography, softbox reflection, shallow depth of field, cool blue rim light, luxury advertising style, crisp glass details
For best control, make the first words identify the main subject. Then add the frame, lighting, and visual style.

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Prompt Building Blocks

Subject
  • Who or what is in the image.
  • Add material, clothing, age range, product type, or defining traits.
  • Keep one main subject unless you need a complex composition.
Action or pose
  • Describe what the subject is doing.
  • For portraits, use pose and expression: looking at camera, relaxed smile, three-quarter view.
  • For products, use placement: resting on marble, floating above a matte pedestal.
Scene
  • Name the location and background.
  • Include important foreground or background objects only when they matter.
Composition
  • Use camera and framing terms: close-up, wide shot, centered composition, rule of thirds, negative space.
  • For photography, lens cues help: 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, macro lens.
Lighting
  • Use practical light descriptions: softbox, golden hour, neon rim light, overcast daylight, hard side light.
  • Lighting often improves the image more than generic quality tags.
Medium and style
  • Examples: product photography, cinematic still, editorial illustration, fantasy concept art, watercolor, 3D render.
  • Avoid conflicting styles like photorealistic anime watercolor 3D render unless you want a hybrid.

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Negative Prompts

Keep negatives short at first: 
blurry, low quality, distorted, extra fingers, bad hands, text, watermark, logo
For portraits, add: 
deformed face, asymmetrical eyes, bad anatomy, extra limbs
Avoid massive negative prompts unless you know what each token is doing. Large negatives can remove useful detail and make images look generic.

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Starter Recipes

Product photo 
Premium wireless headphones resting on brushed aluminum, close-up product photography, soft studio lighting, clean reflections, black and white color palette, sharp edges, commercial advertising composition
Cinematic portrait 
Portrait of a confident fashion model in a rain-soaked city street at night, 85mm lens, shallow depth of field, neon signs reflected in puddles, soft key light, natural skin texture, cinematic color grading
Fantasy concept art 
A lone explorer standing before a colossal stone gate carved into a mountain, wide establishing shot, morning mist, golden rim light, detailed environment, epic fantasy concept art, painterly realism
Editorial illustration 
Minimal editorial illustration of a glass greenhouse floating above a dense city, clean geometric shapes, muted color palette, soft shadows, modern magazine cover composition

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Troubleshooting

The image ignores the subject
  • Put the subject first.
  • Remove conflicting style words.
  • Make the scene simpler.
  • Describe the subject with concrete visual traits.
The image looks plastic or oversharpened
  • Remove stacked quality tokens.
  • Use natural lighting terms instead of only high detail.
The composition is messy
  • Use one clear shot type.
  • Reduce the number of subjects and props.
  • Add framing language like centered, close-up, wide establishing shot, or clean negative space.
Text in the image looks wrong
  • Avoid asking SDXL to render long exact text.
  • Use simple labels only when needed.
  • Add exact typography later with an editor when accuracy matters.

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Final Checklist

  • Put the subject first.
  • Add composition and lighting before generic quality words.
  • Use a short negative prompt, then add only the fixes you need.
  • Remove conflicting style words before adding more detail.

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References