I upgraded my AI image prompts using Geminis advice specifying lighting, layouts, and even fonts changed everything

Date:
Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Description:
Adding simple details like lighting, aspect ratio, and text instructions to your prompts can dramatically improve the quality of AI-generated images.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter It wasnt until I saw a tweet from Gemini on X today that I realized Id been approaching AI image prompts all wrong.

Ive been using Gemini, well, really its default image generator, Nano Banana
, instead of ChatGPT for images ever since it launched. In my experience, it tends to get closer to what I want on the first try. Thats not to say ChatGPT is bad at images, but I often find myself refining prompts more to get there. Still, I hadnt really questioned how I was prompting. Id been sticking to simple descriptions. The problem is that decent is about as far as that approach takes you. Article continues below You may like Top strategies for Nano Banana Pro images How to get AI images to explain your ideas 5 prompts for Gemini 3.1 that show off its full potential

Geminis tweet made a simple point: if you want better images, you need to be more specific. So, lets unpack what that actually looks like. Get the most
out of your Nano Banana generations by establishing the story, subject, and style.Try including...Subject: Who or what is in the image? (Ex: A fluffy calico cat)Composition: How is the shot framed? (Ex: Extreme close-up)Action: What is happening? (Ex: Brewing a April 13, 2026 From simple prompts to creative direction Most of us start with the basics: subject, style, action, maybe a location.

That gets you something like: A fluffy orange cat playing with a ball in a watercolor style. (Image credit: Google) Perfectly fine, but also pretty generic. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Geminis suggestion is to go further by layering in more specific
instructions. The full list includes composition and aspect ratio, camera and lighting details, text integration, factual constraints, and reference
inputs.

You dont need all of them every time. But adding just one or two can make a noticeable difference. Here are the three that had the biggest impact for me. Define the frame with composition and aspect ratio This is one of the
simplest upgrades, and one of the most effective. If you dont specify an aspect ratio, youre leaving the framing entirely up to the AI. Thats why images can feel oddly cropped or just slightly off. What to read next How to master AI prompts to create the image you need the first time Nano Banana 2 shows off its powerful image creation enhancements How to write AI website builder prompts like a high-end design agency

Adding something like: 16:9 for landscape 4:5 for portrait (a great all-rounder) 3:4 or 2:3 for variation immediately makes the output feel more intentional. You can also use shorthand like --ar 16:9 to save time. And if you're making the image for a poster, then tell Gemini it is going to be a poster, and it will help make a better image. Think like a cinematographer with lighting and camera details This is where things start to look dramatically better. Instead of just describing the subject, youre directing how its captured. Lighting, in particular, has a huge impact on mood and realism. For example:

Golden hour backlighting creating long shadows

Rembrandt lighting with deep shadow contrast

Heres a full example:

Prompt: A close-up portrait of an elderly man with weathered skin, Rembrandt lighting with a deep chiaroscuro effect, one side of the face in heavy
shadow, sharp rim light catching the silver hair, 8k resolution, highly detailed textures, --ar 16:9

Its the difference between a generated image and something that feels deliberately shot. (Image credit: Google) Control the text instead of hoping for the best AI image tools are much better at rendering text than they used to be, but only if youre explicit. Dont just say add text. Tell it: what the text is, where it goes, and what it should look like.

Geminis example is: The headline URBAN EXPLORER rendered in bold, white, sans-serif font at the top.

Expanded into a full prompt it looks like:

Prompt: A premium black cotton T-shirt flat-lay on a grey concrete background. The headline URBAN EXPLORER is rendered in a bold, white, sans-serif font centered on the chest. Soft top-down studio lighting with subtle shadows to show fabric texture. High resolution, minimalist aesthetic, --ar 16:9

(For something like this, a 4:5 ratio would usually work betterbut 16:9 fits web layouts nicely.) (Image credit: Google) Experiment with these three aspects and youll find that your images start to dramatically improve. And if you need help with a specific prompt, dont hesitate to ask Gemini to suggest one, or show you how to improve one youve written, after all, thats what it's there for! Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/gemini/i-upgraded-my-ai-imag e-prompts-using-geminis-advice-specifying-lighting-layouts-and-even-fonts-chan ged-everything


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