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Alibaba Cloud Model Studio:Text-to-image prompt guide

Last Updated:Mar 15, 2026

Write effective prompts to generate high-quality images with Wan - text-to-image V2. This guide covers prompt structure, visual vocabulary, and practical examples.

Prompt structure

More complete, precise prompts generate higher-quality images. This guide provides two formulas for different needs:

Basic formula

Target users: New users or users seeking inspiration. Use this formula for quick exploration and experimentation.

Prompt = Subject + Setting + Style

Element What it controls Examples
Subject Main object -- person, animal, plant, object, or imaginary creature "a golden retriever", "a medieval castle"
Setting Where the subject is -- indoor/outdoor, season, weather, time of day "in a snowy forest", "at sunset on a beach"
Style Artistic look -- realistic, abstract, painterly "watercolor style", "cinematic photography"

Example

Prompt Result
25-year-old Chinese girl, round face, looking at the camera, elegant ethnic costume, commercial photography, outdoor, cinematic lighting, half-body close-up, delicate light makeup, sharp edges. Basic formula example

Advanced formula

Target users: Experienced users. Use this formula for fine-grained control over camera, mood, and detail.

Prompt = Subject + Setting + Style + Camera + Atmosphere + Detail modifiers

Element What it controls Examples
Subject Main object with specific characteristics and actions "a cute 10-year-old Chinese girl wearing a red dress"
Setting Detailed environmental characteristics "surrounded by animal kingdom city street shops"
Style Specific artistic style or visual technique "watercolor style", "Pixar style", "felt style"
Camera Shot size, angle, lens type, and composition "close-up", "centered composition", "photographic lens"
Atmosphere Mood and emotional tone "dreamy", "lonely", "majestic", "childlike wonder"
Detail modifiers Refinements for quality and aesthetics "4K", "high resolution", "backlight", "natural"

Example

Prompt Result
A panda made of wool felt, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, dressed in a blue police uniform vest, with a belt around the waist, carrying police equipment, wearing blue gloves, leather shoes, in a running posture, felt effect, surrounded by animal kingdom city street shops, premium filter, street lamps, animal kingdom, childlike wonder, adorable appearance, night, bright, natural, cute, 4K, felt material, photographic lens, centered composition, felt style, Pixar style, backlight. Advanced formula example

Structured prompt template

For maximum control, use these dimensions as a checklist. Include only relevant ones.

Dimension Description Example values
Subject Main focus of the image "a cheetah", "an old lighthouse"
Action/Pose What the subject is doing "running", "looking at the camera"
Style Artistic approach "3D cartoon", "ink painting", "realistic"
Setting Background environment "dense forest", "city street at night"
Lighting Light source and quality "cinematic lighting", "backlight", "neon"
Atmosphere Mood or emotion "serene", "dramatic", "whimsical"
Camera angle Viewing perspective "eye level", "bird's eye", "low angle"
Shot size Subject framing "extreme close-up", "medium shot", "long shot"
Lens Lens simulation "macro", "telephoto", "fisheye"

Prompt parameters

The model has two prompt-related parameters:

Parameter Description
prompt Describes the image to generate. Supports Chinese and English.
negative_prompt Specifies content to exclude from the image.

Text-to-image V2 also supports prompt rewriting using an LLM.

Parameter Description
prompt_extend Enables intelligent prompt rewriting by an LLM. Defaults to true. Keep the default for best results.

Example request

{
    "input": {
        "prompt": "A flower shop with exquisite windows, beautiful wooden doors, and flowers on display",
        "negative_prompt": "people"
    },
    "parameters": {
        "prompt_extend": true
    }
}

Prompt vocabulary reference

Ready-to-use keywords for five visual dimensions: shot size, perspective, lens type, style, and lighting. Add keywords directly to your prompt.

Shot size

Shot size controls how much of the subject fills the frame -- from long shot to extreme close-up.

Shot type When to use Prompt keyword
Extreme close-up Highlight facial details, textures, emotions extreme close-up
Close-up Focus on a single subject with some context close-up
Medium shot Balance subject and environment medium shot
Long shot Emphasize environment, show scale long shot

Examples

Shot type Prompt Result
Extreme close-up Extreme close-up shot | High-definition camera, emotional photography, sunset, extreme close-up portrait. Extreme close-up
Close-up Close-up: 18-year-old Chinese girl, ancient costume, round face, looking at the camera, elegant ethnic costume, commercial photography, outdoor, cinematic lighting, half-body close-up, delicate light makeup, sharp edges. Close-up
Medium shot Medium shot | Cinematic fashion glamour photography, young Asian woman, Chinese Miao girl, round face, looking at the camera, elegant dark ethnic costume, medium wide-angle lens, sunny, utopian, shot with a high-definition camera. Medium shot
Long shot Long shot | Shows a long shot, with two small figures standing on a distant mountaintop against a magnificent snowy mountain background, with their backs to the camera, quietly admiring the sunset. The sunset's glow bathes the snow-capped mountains in a golden light, creating a stark contrast with the azure sky. The two people seem captivated by this spectacular natural scene, and the entire image is filled with tranquility and harmony. Long shot

Perspective

Perspective controls camera angle relative to the subject.

Perspective type When to use Prompt keyword
Eye level Natural, relatable viewpoint eye level perspective
Bird's eye Overview, patterns, scale from above bird's eye perspective
Low angle Dramatic, imposing, powerful subjects low angle
Aerial Landscape overview, geographic context aerial perspective

Examples

Perspective Prompt Result
Eye level Eye level perspective | The image shows a grassland scene captured from an eye level perspective, where a flock of sheep leisurely graze on the lush green grass, their wool glowing with a warm golden hue in the weak morning sunlight, creating beautiful light and shadow effects. Eye level
Bird's eye Bird's eye perspective | The scene depicts a view looking down at the ice lake from the air, with a small boat in the center, surrounded by vortex patterns and vibrant blue seawater. Spiral abyss, the scene is shot from above in a top-down perspective, showing intricate details such as ripples on the surface and layers beneath the snow-covered ground. Gazing out at the cold vast expanse. Creating an awe-inspiring sense of tranquility. Bird's eye
Low angle Low angle | Shows a spectacular scene in a tropical area, where tall coconut trees stand like towering giants, with lush branches pointing towards the blue sky. The camera uses a low angle perspective, making viewers feel as if they are standing under the trees, experiencing the majesty and vitality of nature. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, creating dappled light and shadow, adding a touch of mystery and romance. The entire image is filled with tropical flavor, making one almost smell the coconut fragrance and feel the pleasant breeze on their face. Low angle
Aerial Aerial perspective | Shows heavy snow, village, roads, lights, trees. Aerial perspective, realistic effect. Aerial

Lens type

Lens type simulates different camera lenses and optical characteristics.

Lens type When to use Prompt keyword
Macro Tiny details, textures, small objects macro lens
Ultra-wide angle Expansive landscapes, architectural interiors ultra-wide angle lens
Telephoto Isolated subjects with blurred backgrounds telephoto lens
Fisheye Exaggerated distortion, creative effects fisheye lens

Examples

Lens type Prompt Result
Macro Macro lens | cherries, carbonated water, macro, professional color grading, clean sharp focus, commercial high quality, magazine winning photography, hyper realistic, uhd, 8K Macro
Ultra-wide angle Ultra-wide angle lens:, island under blue sea and sky, sunlight filtering through tree leaves, casting dappled shadows. Ultra-wide angle
Telephoto Telephoto lens | Shows a cheetah standing in a lush forest under a telephoto lens, facing the camera, with the background cleverly blurred, making the cheetah's face the absolute focus of the image. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, creating dappled light and shadow effects on the cheetah, enhancing the visual impact. Telephoto
Fisheye Fisheye lens | Shows a scene where a woman stands and looks directly at the camera under the special perspective of a fisheye lens. Her image is exaggeratedly enlarged in the center of the frame, while the surroundings show strong distortion effects, creating a unique visual impact. Fisheye

Style

Style defines the artistic look and rendering technique.

Style When to use Prompt keyword
3D cartoon Animated characters, playful scenes 3D cartoon style
Post-apocalyptic Dystopian, ruined environments post-apocalyptic style
Pointillism Impressionist dots, textured appearance pointillism
Surrealism Dreamlike, impossible scenes surrealist style
Watercolor Soft, painterly, translucent effects watercolor
Clay Sculpted, tactile, handmade look clay style
Realistic Photographic realism, lifelike detail realistic
Ceramic Glazed, sculpted, porcelain-like ceramic
3D Rendered, dimensional, CGI look 3D, C4D rendering
Ink painting Traditional East Asian brush art ink painting
Origami Paper-folded, geometric, minimal origami
Gongbi Fine-detail traditional Chinese painting Gongbi painting
Chinese ink Ink wash with Chinese aesthetic Chinese ink style

Examples

Style Prompt Result
3D cartoon Female tennis player, short hair, white tennis outfit, black shorts, returning the ball from the side, 3D cartoon style. 3D cartoon
Post-apocalyptic City on Mars, post-apocalyptic style. Post-apocalyptic
Pointillism A cute white little house, thatched roof, a snow-covered prairie, bold use of pointillism, Monet feel, clear brushstrokes, blurred edges, primitive edge texture, low saturation colors, low contrast, Morandi colors. Pointillism
Surrealism A pink glowing river in a deep gray sea, with a minimalist, beautiful, and aesthetic atmosphere, cinematic lighting with a surrealist style. Surrealism
Watercolor Light watercolor, outside a cafe, bright white background, fewer details, dreamy, Studio Ghibli. Watercolor
Clay Clay style, little boy in a blue sweater, brown curly hair, dark blue beret, drawing board, outdoors, seaside, half-body shot. Clay
Realistic Basket, grapes, picnic cloth, hyper realistic still life photography, macro lens, Tyndall effect. Realistic
Ceramic Shows a highly detailed ceramic dog lying quietly on a table with a delicate bell tied around its neck. Each strand of the dog's fur is intricately carved, and the details of its eyes, nose, and mouth are lifelike. Ceramic
3D Chinese dragon, cute Chinese dragon sleeping on white clouds, charming garden, in morning mist, close-up, front view, 3D, C4D rendering, 32k ultra high definition, 32k UHD, Chinese punk, 32k UHD, animal statue, octane rendering, ultra high definition. 3D
Ink painting Orchid, ink painting, white space, artistic conception, Wu Guanzhong style, delicate brushstrokes, texture of rice paper. Ink painting
Origami Origami masterpiece, kraft paper panda, forest background, medium shot, minimalism, backlight, best quality. Origami
Gongbi At dawn, a plum blossom stands proudly in the snow, with petals as delicate as silk, dewdrops lightly hanging, showcasing the exquisite beauty of Gongbi painting Gongbi
Chinese ink Chinese ink style, a man with long black hair, golden hairpin, golden butterflies flying around, white clothing, high detail, high quality, deep blue background, with faintly visible ink bamboo forest in the background. Chinese ink

Lighting

Lighting sets mood, atmosphere, and visual depth.

Lighting type When to use Prompt keyword
Natural light Outdoor scenes, realistic warmth sunlight, moonlight, starlight
Backlight Silhouettes, halo effects, dramatic contours backlight
Neon light Urban night scenes, cyberpunk aesthetics neon light
Ambient light Soft, diffused, atmospheric glow ambient light

Examples

Lighting type Prompt Result
Natural light Sunlight, moonlight, starlight | The image shows morning sunlight streaming onto the ground of a dense forest, with silver-white rays penetrating the treetops, creating dappled light and shadow, creating a realistic and serene atmosphere. Natural light
Backlight Backlight | Shows that in a backlit environment, the model's contour lines become more distinct, with golden light and silk surrounding the model, creating a dreamlike halo effect. The entire scene is full of artistic atmosphere, showcasing high-level photography techniques and creativity. Backlight
Neon light Neon light | City street scene after rain, neon lights reflect colorful rays on the wet ground. Pedestrians hurry by with umbrellas, vehicles slowly drive through the bizarre streets, leaving colorful trails. The entire image is filled with the mystery and romance of the urban night, as if each raindrop is telling a story of the city. Neon light
Ambient light Ambient light | Romantic artistic scene by the river at night, ambient lights gently illuminate the water surface, a group of lotus lanterns slowly drift toward the center of the river, the light and the rippling water surface reflect each other, creating a dreamlike visual effect. Ambient light