[Becky Budgeter]

I’m in my 40s, not very technical, and I need a practical way to create a week’s worth (or more) of social media images with a consistent look — same colors, fonts, and style. I’d like to use AI to speed things up but keep the results cohesive and easy to edit.

Can you share simple, step-by-step ideas or proven workflows for a non-technical person? Helpful details might include:

• Which user-friendly AI tools work well for batch visuals?
• How to set and keep consistent brand colors, fonts, and templates when generating multiple images.
• Example prompt wording I can copy-and-paste, and tips for resizing or exporting for different platforms.
• Budget-friendly options and any pitfalls to watch for.

I’d love real examples or simple workflows that a non-technical person can follow. Thanks — I’m ready to try and would appreciate your experience or links to beginner guides.

[Jeff Bullas]

Nice starting point — you’re right to make consistency the priority. On-brand visuals win attention and trust, not just flash.

Here’s a practical, get-it-done checklist and step-by-step to batch-create social visuals with AI while keeping your brand intact.

What you’ll need

• Brand kit: hex color codes, font names (or alternatives), logo files (PNG/SVG).
• An AI image generator that accepts text prompts and supports batch runs (or an API).
• Simple automation: a spreadsheet or a basic no-code tool to hold variations (headlines, calls to action, image subjects).
• A lightweight editor (or Canva-style tool) to overlay logos and tidy layouts.

Step-by-step

1. Gather brand assets into one folder and note exact color hex codes and aspect ratios for each platform (Instagram square, LinkedIn landscape, story vertical).
2. Design 1–3 templates: background style, headline placement, and logo spot. Keep space for the logo — you’ll add it as a final layer.
3. Write a core prompt with placeholders for variable parts (topic, mood, color). Test and lock the wording so outputs are consistent.
4. Create a CSV or spreadsheet with each variation: text, mood, color, aspect ratio. Feed rows to the AI for batch generation.
5. Run a small batch (10–20) first. Review, tweak the prompt, then run the full batch.
6. Finalize by overlaying your logo and exact fonts in a simple editor. Export at correct sizes and schedule.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as a template)

“Create a professional social media quote card. Background: soft textured gradient using the hex colors {background_color}. Center a semi-transparent rectangle for text. Style: clean, modern, minimal, high contrast. Text area: include the quote provided and the author name. Leave a clear space in the top-right 15% for a small logo. Mood: optimistic, confident. Aspect ratio: {aspect_ratio}. No busy patterns or extra icons.”

Do / Don’t checklist

• Do keep one stable prompt and change only variables.
• Do test small batches before scaling.
• Do keep a brand token (short phrase) in the prompt if needed: e.g., “brand: minimalist, corporate”.
• Don’t rely on AI alone — always human-review for tone and accuracy.
• Don’t neglect aspect ratios and export resolution.

Common mistakes & fixes

• Problem: Inconsistent style across images. Fix: Lock the style sentence in your prompt and use the same seed or settings when available.
• Problem: Logos cut off. Fix: Reserve safe zones in templates and add logos as a final overlay.
• Problem: Low-res outputs. Fix: Generate at the largest size option and export PNGs.

Simple 4-day action plan

1. Day 1: Collect brand assets and define templates.
2. Day 2: Draft prompts and test 10 images.
3. Day 3: Batch-generate 50–100 visuals and apply logos.
4. Day 4: Review, refine, and schedule for posting.

Start small, learn fast. Once you have one reliable prompt and a template, you’ll crank out consistent, on-brand visuals in hours instead of days.

[aaron]

Good call — locking style first is the fastest way to avoid a scattershot feed.

Problem: You can batch-generate visuals quickly with AI, but without strict constraints you’ll end up with inconsistent colors, composition, and logo placement — and that wastes time fixing them. Why it matters: inconsistent visuals reduce brand recognition and lower engagement, which kills the ROI of your content calendar.

What I’ve seen work: centralize the brand rules, lock the visual language in the prompt, and treat AI as a high-volume drafts engine. Expect to move from idea to scheduled post in hours once the pipeline is set.

What you’ll need

• Brand kit: hex codes, primary/alt fonts (or Google font equivalents), logo SVG/PNG.
• AI image generator with batch/API capability.
• Spreadsheet (CSV) for variations: headline, CTA, mood, color, aspect ratio.
• Light editor (Canva or equivalent) for final overlays and font matching.

Step-by-step (do this in order)

1. Collect assets and create a 1‑page Brand Rules doc (colors, safe zones, logo size/placement, voice tag).
2. Create 1–3 visual templates (background type, headline block, logo zone). Save exact pixel aspect ratios.
3. Write a locked core prompt (style sentence must not change). Add placeholders for variables.
4. Build a CSV with each row = one visual. Include text, background_color hex, mood, aspect_ratio.
5. Run a 10–20 image test batch. Review: mark images that need a manual fix vs. acceptable.
6. Tweak prompt or template, then run full batch and import into your editor for logo/font overlay and export.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is; replace variables in braces)

“Generate a clean, on‑brand social media card. Background: subtle textured gradient using the hex color {background_color}. Style: modern, minimal, high contrast, consistent with the brand rule ‘minimal corporate’. Center a semi‑transparent text box with 10% padding. Place the headline text exactly centered in that box. Leave the top-right 15% clear for a small logo. Colors: use only {background_color} for background and white or {accent_color} for text. Mood: confident, optimistic. Aspect ratio: {aspect_ratio}. No additional icons or busy elements. Produce a PNG at high resolution.”

Metrics to track

• Output volume: visuals produced per hour.
• Review rate: % of images requiring manual edits.
• Time-to-schedule: average hours from idea to scheduled post.
• Engagement lift: change in engagement rate vs. previous month.

Common mistakes & fixes

• Style drift: lock the style sentence and use the same seed/settings when available.
• Logo misplacement: reserve safe zone in template and always overlay the logo in editor.
• Low res: always request high-resolution PNG and generate at the largest available size.

7-day action plan

1. Day 1: Assemble brand kit and write the Brand Rules doc.
2. Day 2: Create 2 templates and note pixel/aspect specs.
3. Day 3: Draft and lock the core prompt; build a 30-row CSV of content variations.
4. Day 4: Run test batch (10–20), review, refine prompt.
5. Day 5: Run full batch (50–100) and import into editor for overlays.
6. Day 6: Final QA, export at required sizes, prepare scheduling files.
7. Day 7: Schedule posts, review first-week performance metrics, adjust prompts if engagement lags.

Your move.

[Rick Retirement Planner]

Quick concept — the Brand Rules doc is your single-source instruction sheet for AI so every image looks like it came from the same company. In plain English: it’s a one-page rulebook that tells the AI (and any human helper) the exact colors, safe areas for logos, preferred mood, font choices or equivalents, and a locked style sentence that never changes. That small investment up front saves hours later because the AI won’t drift into different looks and you won’t be fixing mismatched posts.

What you’ll need

1. Brand assets: hex color codes, logo PNG/SVG, and primary + fallback font names (or a close Google font).
2. Target sizes: list of aspect ratios and pixel sizes for each platform you publish to.
3. One clear style sentence: a single short line that defines tone and look (e.g., “modern, minimal, high-contrast”).
4. A simple place to store the doc: a PDF, Google Doc, or a text file in your content folder.

How to make it — step-by-step

1. Create the header: brand name and version/date so everyone uses the latest rules.
2. List exact colors and usage: primary hex, secondary hex, accent hex, and a quick note like “use primary for backgrounds, accent for small highlights.”
3. Define safe zones: specify a margin (for example, 10–15% from each edge) where logos or text should not be placed.
4. Write your locked style sentence and one-sentence mood note (e.g., “confident, optimistic”). Tell team: this sentence stays unchanged when generating images.
5. Show 1–2 visual examples: a good image and a bad image with short captions explaining why.
6. Save and share the doc with anyone who touches visuals; pin it where prompts and templates live.

What to expect and simple fixes

1. First week: expect a few images that miss the mark — use those as examples to refine one line in the doc (rarely more).
2. Ongoing: you’ll cut manual edits dramatically because the AI will follow the locked sentence and color rules.
3. If you see drift: check the prompt or tool settings (temperature, style seed) and re-run with the locked style sentence explicitly included.

Keep the Brand Rules short and concrete — the clearer the rules, the more consistent your batch of visuals will be. Small upfront effort, big time saved later; that’s how a steady, on-brand feed gets built without stress.

[Jeff Bullas]

Spot on: that one-page Brand Rules doc is the backbone. Now let’s turn it into a simple, repeatable machine so your AI images come out consistent on the first try.

Try this in 5 minutes

• Create a 1200×400 canvas in any editor. Add three equal rectangles in your brand hex colors. Export as palette-strip.png.
• Upload that strip as a reference image to your AI image tool and run the prompt below to generate three background options. Pick one and save it as your default background.

What you’ll need

• Your Brand Rules doc (colors, safe zones, style sentence, mood).
• Logo file (PNG/SVG) and the fonts you’ll use (or close Google-font equivalents).
• An AI image generator that lets you upload a reference image and set aspect ratios.
• A simple spreadsheet (columns for headline, author, color, mood, aspect ratio).
• A lightweight editor to overlay logo and exact fonts.

Step-by-step: from rules to batch-ready

1. Make two anchor assets
   • Palette strip: the 1200×400 PNG you just created. This nudges the AI to stick to your colors.
   • Logo-safe layout sketch: export a simple image with a blank top-right area (15% of width/height). You can even draw a faint guide box. Save as layout-guide.png.
2. Lock your style sentence
   • Example: “modern, minimal, high-contrast, confident, optimistic.”
   • Copy this exact sentence into every prompt. Do not change it batch-to-batch.
3. Create two prompts — one for backgrounds, one for full cards. Use the background prompt to generate a library you can reuse across many posts.
4. Set your spreadsheet
   • Columns: headline, author, background_color, accent_color, mood (optional), aspect_ratio (e.g., 1:1, 4:5, 16:9).
   • Each row = one visual. This becomes your simple “batch brief.”
5. Run a micro-batch
   • Generate 9 options in one go (ask for a 3×3 grid) to pick your direction fast.
   • Choose the best 3, then produce the rest with the same settings (and seed if your tool offers it).
6. Finalize in your editor
   • Overlay the logo in the reserved area, apply your exact fonts, and check legibility.
   • Export platform sizes (square, vertical, landscape) and schedule.

Copy‑paste AI prompt: Brand background (use with palette-strip.png)

“Create a reusable background for on-brand social cards. Style (locked): modern, minimal, high-contrast, confident, optimistic. Use only the colors sampled from the attached palette image; do not introduce new hues. Background: subtle textured gradient with very light paper grain (no visible patterns). Composition: keep the top-right 15% clean and uniform as a logo-safe zone. No icons, no photos, no illustrations, no text. Aspect ratio: {aspect_ratio}. Output: high-resolution PNG.”

Copy‑paste AI prompt: Full quote card

“Design a professional quote card using the brand rules. Style (locked): modern, minimal, high-contrast, confident, optimistic. Palette: use only {primary_hex}, {secondary_hex}, {accent_hex}. Background: subtle textured gradient. Layout: center a semi‑transparent text block with 10% padding; align quote centrally; place author name below in smaller size. Reserve the top-right 15% as a clear area for a logo (do not place any elements there). Typography: clean, sans-serif; keep generous line spacing for legibility. Text: ‘{quote_text}’ — {author_name}. Aspect ratio: {aspect_ratio}. No extra icons or decorative shapes. Output: high-resolution PNG.”

Insider tricks that keep everything consistent

• Color lock: explicitly say “use only these hex colors.” If you see drift, add “do not invent new hues or gradients outside the provided hex codes.”
• Seed stability: if your tool supports a seed or style strength, keep the same seed for a series to stabilize composition.
• Negative prompts work: list what you don’t want (e.g., “no icons, no photos, no busy patterns, no drop shadows”). It reduces clean-up.
• Palette strip + layout guide together: uploading both as references reduces color and composition surprises by a lot.
• One “style tag” in every prompt: add a unique label like “StyleTag: Minimal-Corporate-01.” It’s a simple consistency reminder and helps you trace versions during QA.

What to expect

• First batch: 20–30% may need minor tweaks (usually contrast or spacing). Fix the prompt once; reuse it.
• By batch three: you’ll mostly approve on first pass and spend time only on messaging.

Common mistakes & quick fixes

• Low contrast text: add “ensure 7:1 contrast between text and background; lighten background by 15% if needed.”
• Logo collisions: tighten your safe-zone instruction and always add the logo in your editor, not in the AI output.
• Font mismatch: specify “use a clean sans-serif similar to {your_font_name}; no script or decorative fonts.”
• Busy backgrounds: add “minimal texture at 5% intensity; no patterns or shapes.”
• Color drift on carousels: state “keep background hue consistent across all slides; vary only accent color.”

3-day action plan

1. Day 1: Finalize the Brand Rules doc. Make the palette strip and layout guide. Lock your style sentence.
2. Day 2: Generate 12 backgrounds (square, vertical, landscape). Pick the top 6 and file them as your base set.
3. Day 3: Build a 30-row spreadsheet of quotes or tips. Batch-generate cards using the full prompt. Overlay logos/fonts, export, and schedule the next two weeks.

Closing thought

Your one-page rules are the blueprint; the palette strip and locked prompts are the assembly line. Set them once, and you’ll produce consistent, on-brand visuals at volume—with your time spent on message, not fixes.

[Author]

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