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Prompting guide

How to prompt HiDream

HiDream prompt guide: how to prompt HiDream with plain sentences, object attributes and relations, and quoted sign text, plus HiDream prompt examples.

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Quick start

Your first great HiDream prompt

Everything a beginner needs in one minute: what to know first, the rules that matter most, a template to fill in, and prompts to copy.

What to know first

HiDream reads plain sentences and is at its best with attributes and relations: what each object looks like, and where it sits relative to the others. Mage runs it as HiDream Fast, which works without guidance, so describe what you want rather than what you do not. The aspect ratio is a setting, and HiDream takes no uploads or Characters.

The rules that matter most

  1. Name the kind of image first

    Open with the style: a product photograph, a storybook illustration, a cinematic still, a 3D render. It sets the look before the details.

  2. Give every object its attributes

    Color, size, material, and count for each thing that matters: a small red ceramic cup, three brass keys, a tall glass vase.

  3. Spell out the relations

    Say where things are relative to each other: on top of, to the left of, behind, inside. Placement like this is where HiDream is strongest.

  4. Say what you want, not what you do not

    HiDream Fast ignores the Negative Prompt at its default settings. Write "an empty beach at dawn", not "no people".

  5. Quote the words on a sign

    Put text in double quotes on a named surface: a cat holding a sign that says "HELLO". Keep it to a word or a short phrase.

Fill in this template

Replace each part in square brackets with your own idea, and leave out a part you do not need.

Template
A [style] of [subject with its attributes], [where it is relative to other objects]. [Background]. [Light and time of day], [framing].
The template, filled in
A product photograph of a small brass robot with round glass eyes, standing on top of a stack of three old books next to a green desk lamp. Behind it, a workshop wall hung with tools. Late-afternoon sun through a window on the left, close-up at eye level, shallow depth of field.
  • [style] The kind of image: product photograph, storybook illustration, cinematic still, 3D render.
  • [subject with its attributes] The main subject with its color, size, material, or count: a small brass robot with round glass eyes.
  • [where it is relative to other objects] The relation that matters: standing on top of a stack of three old books, next to a green desk lamp.
  • [Background] What is behind it: a workshop wall hung with tools.
  • [Light and time of day] One light with a direction: late-afternoon sun through a window on the left.
  • [framing] How it is framed: close-up at eye level, shallow depth of field.

Prompts to start from

  • Objects stacked in a precise order

    A photograph of three wooden toy blocks on a white table: a large green cube at the bottom, a smaller yellow cube on top of it, and a red pyramid on top of the yellow cube. A blue toy car is parked to the left of the stack, facing it. Soft studio light from above, plain gray background.

    Why it works: Every object has a color and a size, and every position is stated against another object, which is exactly what HiDream follows best.

  • A sign with quoted words

    A ginger cat sitting upright on a wooden stool, holding a small cardboard sign in both front paws that says "HELLO". Behind it, a sunny kitchen with a green tiled wall. Soft morning light from the left, photoreal, shallow depth of field.

    Why it works: The word is short and in quotes, and the sign has a holder and a place in the scene.

  • A storybook scene with a counted cast

    A storybook illustration of a small fox in a yellow raincoat leading three ducklings in a line across a puddle-covered path. The last duckling wears a tiny red boot on one foot. Bare autumn trees on both sides, gray drizzle, soft watercolor textures.

    Why it works: The style comes first, and the count, the order, and one odd detail are all spelled out, so nothing is left to chance.

  • A cinematic still lit by two sources

    A cinematic still of a lighthouse keeper climbing a narrow spiral staircase, an oil lantern in his raised right hand, his long shadow stretched up the curved stone wall above him. Blue dusk light through a small window behind him, warm lantern glow on his face, low angle.

    Why it works: Two light sources, each with a color and a direction, and a shadow placed on the wall give the mood without any mood words.

Advanced

Advanced HiDream prompting

Techniques for more control once the basics work.

Attributes and relations

HiDream was built to follow prompts closely, and it is strongest at two things: binding the right attributes to the right object, and placing objects relative to each other. Write each object as a noun with its attributes in front of it, such as a tall blue glass vase, then join the objects with plain spatial words.

Give counts as numbers or number words, and say how the items differ: two cups, one white and one black. Keep one main subject; a crowded scene with many separate actions is where a fast model loses track.

  • Put the main object in the first sentence and the background last.
  • When two objects are in play, repeat the noun instead of writing "it": "the red cube sits on the blue sphere; the red cube casts a shadow on the table".
WriteWhat it does
on top ofOne object rests on another.
to the left ofSide by side, from the viewer's point of view; "to the right of" the same way.
in front ofCloser to the camera than the other object; "behind" is farther away.
insideHeld within a container: a goldfish inside a glass jar.
betweenFlanked by two named objects.

Style, light, and mood

HiDream handles photoreal, cartoon, and painted styles from the same kind of prompt. Name the medium at the start, and describe light by its source, color, and direction. The time of day is the quickest way to set a mood: dusk, golden hour, overcast noon, blue hour.

  • For a photograph, add a lens or framing cue: macro, 35mm, wide shot, shallow depth of field.
  • For an illustration, name the technique: watercolor textures, flat vector shapes, thick gouache, ink linework.
  • Filler such as masterpiece, 8k, or best quality adds nothing. Spend the words on the subject and the light.

Text on signs

Put the words in double quotes and give them a surface: a sign, a mug, a shop window. One word or a short phrase works best. For a poster, a logo, or more than a line of text, use a model made for typography, such as GPT Image or Mango.

Settings that change the result

HiDream Fast is made to run without guidance, which is why its Guidance Scale is 0. At that setting the Negative Prompt has no effect, so anything you want gone has to be replaced in the prompt by what you want there instead.

The default Steps suit the Fast model. To get the same image again, or to compare two wordings fairly, keep the Seed fixed and change only the prompt.

  • Leave Prompt Enhance off. It appends random words that blur a precise prompt.
  • Parentheses are plain text here, not weights. To stress something, mention it earlier and describe it more.
  • HiDream has no image input. To start from a picture or keep a person the same, use a model that takes uploads and Characters, such as Mango.

Common mistakes

Avoid this, do this instead

  • Avoid: Nouns and colors with nothing tying them together.

    cube, sphere, red, blue, table

    Instead: Each color attached to its object, and the relation stated.

    A small red cube resting on top of a large blue sphere, on a wooden table.

  • Avoid: A Negative Prompt such as "no people".

    Instead: The wanted state in the prompt: "an empty street at dawn".

  • Avoid: Weights such as (red:1.4).

    Instead: Plain words, with what matters most first.

  • Avoid: Several unrelated subjects, each doing something.

    Instead: One main subject, with the others placed around it.

  • Avoid: A paragraph of text on a sign.

    Instead: One quoted word or short phrase on a named surface.

  • Avoid: Prompt Enhance turned on.

    Instead: Prompt Enhance off, so the prompt runs exactly as written.

FAQ

HiDream prompting questions

How long should a HiDream prompt be?
One to four sentences. Spend the words on what each object looks like and where it is; a short prompt with clear relations beats a long one full of adjectives.
Does HiDream support negative prompts?
Not as Mage runs it. HiDream Fast works without guidance, so the Negative Prompt has no effect. Describe what you want in its place.
Can HiDream put text in an image?
Short text, yes: quote a word or a short phrase on a sign. For longer text and layouts, use a typography model such as GPT Image.
Can I use a reference image or a Character with HiDream?
No. HiDream makes images from text only. For uploads, saved Characters, or edits, use Mango.
How do I get the same HiDream image twice?
Keep the Seed fixed and leave the prompt and the other settings unchanged.
Is HiDream better for photos or illustrations?
It does both from the same kind of prompt. Name the style first, a product photograph or a storybook illustration, and the rest of the prompt works the same way.

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