Food and beverage imagery must preserve the real package while the scene sells the craving. Keep the product unchanged; prompt the world around it—surfaces, ingredients, seasonal cues, and lighting.
Tool-Agnostic Prompt Grammar
Use three parts in this order for more reliable results:
- Prompt (Scene First): environment, surface, props, lighting, camera feel
- Lock (Product Must Not Change): keep the original product photo exactly unchanged
- Negative: forbid deformation, duplication, relabeling, and unwanted artifacts
Non-Negotiables: Product Lock
- Mask the entire product (not just the label) when inpainting backgrounds
- Preserve exact geometry, proportions, perspective, and color
- Keep packaging graphics and logos exactly as photographed (no relabeling)
- Keep the product as the single hero (avoid duplicates)
Text Options (User Chooses)
Option A: Blank Space for Later Typography (Most Reliable)
Generate clean negative space and add copy in your design tool.
Option B: AI-Generated Typography (If Your Tool Handles Text Well)
If you generate text in-image, keep it short, bold, and high-contrast. Avoid tiny fonts. Expect occasional misspellings.
Background Inpainting Prompts (Mask Background Only)
Tablescape Hero (Editorial)
Prompt: appetizing tablescape on rustic wood or stone, complementary ingredients nearby as secondary props (slightly out of focus), warm natural window light from one side, soft shadows, realistic reflections and contact shadow, editorial food photography mood
Lock: keep the original product photo unchanged; preserve exact shape, packaging, colors, perspective, and all printed branding
Negative: no product deformation, no duplicated products, no relabeling, no extra logos, no warped perspective, no melted edges, no watermark, no props touching or covering the product, no invented packaging text
Cold Drink Condensation (Outside Graphics)
Prompt: chilled beverage scene with cool backlight and crisp rim highlights, subtle condensation droplets on the container surface (avoid covering key graphics), realistic wet shine and micro specular highlights, clean contact shadow
Lock: keep the original product photo unchanged; preserve exact shape, packaging, colors, perspective, and all printed branding
Negative: no product deformation, no duplicated products, no relabeling, no extra logos, no warped perspective, no melted edges, no watermark, no droplets obscuring branding, no fake flavor claims
Ingredient Story (Packaged Food)
Prompt: ingredient story styling: key ingredients arranged as secondary props, restrained crumbs/texture on the surface, soft directional light, shallow depth of field, natural color harmony, premium editorial composition
Lock: keep the original product photo unchanged; preserve exact shape, packaging, colors, perspective, and all printed branding
Negative: no product deformation, no duplicated products, no relabeling, no extra logos, no warped perspective, no melted edges, no watermark, no messy clutter, no props blocking the front
Bar/Café Lifestyle (Hand Allowed)
Prompt: café or bar tabletop context, warm-neutral practical bokeh lights in background, subtle glassware as secondary props, soft side light, premium lifestyle mood
Lock: keep the original product photo unchanged; preserve exact shape, packaging, colors, perspective, and all printed branding
Negative: no product deformation, no duplicated products, no relabeling, no extra logos, no warped perspective, no melted edges, no watermark, no fake bar logos, no extra products
Outpainting Prompts (Extend Canvas)
Menu Banner Layout (16:9)
Prompt: extend to a 16:9 banner; keep the product on the left third with rule-of-thirds composition; generate clean negative space on the right with a subtle gradient and soft shadow for a future menu layout
Lock: keep the original product photo unchanged; preserve exact shape, packaging, colors, perspective, and all printed branding
Negative: no product deformation, no duplicated products, no relabeling, no extra logos, no warped perspective, no melted edges, no watermark, no random text unless requested
Seasonal Variations Pack (Swap Props + Light)
- Summer: bright citrus props, sunlit patio bokeh, high-key daylight, airy shadows
- Autumn: warm tones, cinnamon/maple cues, cozy side light, deeper shadows
- Winter: dark moody background, candle bokeh, warm practical accents, premium holiday vibe
- Spring: soft greens, botanical props, gentle morning light, clean pastel harmony
Text Option Add-On (If You Want AI Text)
Prompt: add a simple headline in bold sans-serif on the right negative space, high contrast, short phrase only (2–4 words), clean alignment and generous margins
Lock: keep the original product photo unchanged
Negative: no misspelled brand names, no text over the product, no tiny fonts