20 | Before Adding Powder, Divide into 3 States. Prompt Design for Pressed Powder Product Photos | Airi-chan

Target Audience

• People who want to prototype cosmetic product images using image generation

• People struggling with solid powder looking like ceramic or plastic

• People whose attempts to add powderiness result in smoke or fog

• People who want to safely create distinct texture shots for EC, SNS, and LPs

What Readers Will Gain

• Ability to break down solid powder into 'compressed surface, chipped cross-section, and spilled grains'

• Ability to convey dry texture without having powder flying in the air

• Ability to reuse colors, containers, and compositions using JSON and Jinja2

• Ability to fix issues like ceramic-like appearance, smoke effects, excessive breakage, and creaminess

Introduction

When trying to create matte face powder, you might specify a clean circle and uniform color. As a result, the surface can sometimes turn into a smooth ceramic plate.

Conversely, if you strongly write 'powdery,' smoke or fog will appear around the product. Before adding more powder here, let's try thinking about it by dividing it into parts.

I see the image now! Powder is not just one state. Compressed powder, powder at a chipped cross-section, and powder spilled outside. If you design these three separately, you can bring out the tactile feel without destroying the product too much.

Design Intent

1. Make the center 'compressed grains' rather than 'solid'

The majority of the center needs to be well-formed as a product. However, writing 'completely flat' tends to lean toward hard materials.

Therefore, while keeping the central 85% as a compressed surface, specify subtle grain size differences, density differences, and low-level unevenness that can be read when viewed up close. It is a two-stage appearance: orderly from a distance, and recognizable as powder up close.

2. Limit chips to only one location

The strongest evidence of powderiness is a chipped cross-section. However, if you emphasize 'cracking' or 'crumbling' too much, the entire surface will be pulverized.

Fix the position, width, and number. This time, it is only one location at the bottom right edge with a width of 4mm. The cross-section is depicted not as a sharp fracture, but as a brittle layer where fine grains are gathered.

3. Do not place spilled grains in mid-air

Placing powder grains in mid-air makes them look like smoke, fog, or an explosion. Powder follows gravity and is placed only on the inner edge of the tray and on the pedestal.

Furthermore, set an upper limit of 12 grains in total. While maintaining a difference in size, keep the background air clear.

4. Gloss for the container, low reflection for the powder surface

A metal tray and a powder surface do not shine the same way. The powder surface should only retain small shadows created by fine irregularities, avoiding specular highlights. For the metal, place only one thin reflection.

Separating reflections by material prevents the powder from turning into cream or plastic.

Explanation of the example image

In the example, one color of pale rose-beige face powder is placed in a plain circular aluminum tray. The product is aligned to the right, leaving the upper left as white space for text.

The order of viewing is the neat central surface, the small chipped bottom right, and the small amount of powder grains remaining on the tray and pedestal. The powder is not dancing. The background is a bright light gray, and soft light is introduced from diagonally above so that the granular cross-section can be read even in low contrast.

Complete version of the natural language prompt

完全に架空の無地のコスメ商品として、淡いローズベージュのプレスドフェイスパウダーを主役にした、縦型4:5のリアルなマクロ商品写真。文字、ロゴ、記号、装飾のない薄い円形のアルミ製受け皿に、直径約7センチの固形パウダーを1色だけ収める。実在商品や特徴的な既存パッケージには似せない。受け皿を画面中央より少し右の温かなライトグレーの石製台座へ水平に置き、左上に広い余白を残す。

粉を3つの状態で描き分ける。中央の約85％は均一に押し固められた面だが、近づくと直径の異なる微細な粉粒、わずかな密度差、低い凹凸が読める。完全な平板、陶器、プラスチックにはしない。右下の縁だけに幅4ミリほどの小さな欠けを1か所作り、断面には細かな粒が集まった脆い層を見せる。受け皿の内縁と台座には、大小の違う粉粒を合計12粒以内と、ごく薄い粉の跡を1か所だけ置く。粉を空中へ舞わせず、煙、霧、雲にしない。

左上から大きな窓越しの柔らかな拡散光を当て、右前から弱い白い反射板を使う。粉面は低反射のマットに保ち、粒の凹凸が作るごく小さな陰影だけを見せる。受け皿には細く抑えた金属反射を1本、底面には自然な接触影を1つ作る。斜め上30度、85mmマクロレンズ風。粉面と欠けた縁へピントを合わせ、背景だけを柔らかくぼかす。ローズベージュ、温かなライトグレー、鈍いシルバー、少量のチャコールでまとめる。実在のスタジオで撮影したような自然なセンサー粒子と、台座のごく小さな色むらを残す。

人物、顔、手、ブラシ、パフ、鏡、追加商品、蓋、文字、ラベル、ロゴ、ブランド、透かし、実在商品への類似、肌への塗布、効能表現、完璧な平面、陶器、石、プラスチック、湿ったペースト、クリーム、強い光沢、大きな割れ、粉砕された全体、大量の粉、空中の粉塵、煙、霧、爆発、CG・3D表現は入れない。

JSON variable example

{
  "use_case": "product-mockup",
  "asset_type": "SNSとEC向けの架空コスメ商品写真",
  "product": "プレスドフェイスパウダー1色",
  "powder_color": "淡いローズベージュ",
  "pan": "文字・ロゴ・装飾のない直径7センチの薄い円形アルミ製受け皿",
  "composition": "受け皿を中央より少し右へ水平に置き、左上に広い余白",
  "compacted_state": "中央85％は押し固めた面、微細な粒径差・密度差・低い凹凸",
  "chipped_state": "右下の縁だけに幅4ミリの小さな欠け1か所、脆い粒状断面",
  "loose_state": "内縁と台座に大小の異なる粉粒を合計12粒以内、薄い粉跡1か所",
  "lighting": "左上の大きな柔らかい拡散光、右前の弱い白い反射板",
  "material_response": "粉面は低反射、受け皿は細い金属反射1本、自然な接触影1つ",
  "camera": "斜め上30度、85mmマクロレンズ風、粉面と欠けた縁に合焦",
  "background": "温かなライトグレーの石製台座と継ぎ目のない背景",
  "palette": "ローズベージュ、温かなライトグレー、鈍いシルバー、少量のチャコール",
  "aspect_ratio": "4:5 vertical",
  "constraints": "人物・手・ブラシ・蓋・文字・ロゴ・ブランド・効能表現・陶器化・湿潤化・大量粉塵・煙・霧・CGを除外"
}

Jinja2 template

Use case: {{ use_case }}
Asset type: {{ asset_type }}

完全に架空の無地の商品として、{{ powder_color }}の{{ product }}を主役にした、{{ aspect_ratio }}のリアルなマクロ商品写真。{{ pan }}に収める。実在商品や特徴的な既存パッケージには似せない。{{ composition }}。背景と接地面は{{ background }}。

粉を3状態へ分ける。固形面は「{{ compacted_state }}」。欠けた面は「{{ chipped_state }}」。こぼれた粒は「{{ loose_state }}」。粉を空中へ舞わせず、煙、霧、雲にしない。

照明は{{ lighting }}。素材反応は{{ material_response }}。カメラは{{ camera }}。配色は{{ palette }}。自然なセンサー粒子とごく小さな素材むらを残し、過剰な美品加工をしない。

禁止事項：{{ constraints }}。

Replaceable variables

• Product type: Face powder, blush, eyeshadow, solid foundation

• Powder color: Rose beige, apricot, mauve, taupe

• Tray: Circular, rounded square, elongated rectangle

• Compressed surface: Ratio, grain size difference, density difference, shallow usage marks

• Chip: Position, width, number. In principle, one location

• Powder grains: Quantity limit, size difference, placement location

• Camera: High angle, focus, lens feel

• Ratio: 4:5, 1:1, 3:2, 16:9

Derivative versions by usage

EC list

1:1. Place the product in the center and keep the background margins even. Reduce chips to 2mm, prioritizing a clean look. Limit powder particles to within 6 grains inside the tray only.

X explanatory image

4:5. Place the product towards the bottom right, leaving the top left 35% as a margin for text. Ensure the 3 states of the powder are readable even on a smartphone.

LP texture cut

3:2 macro. Place the compressed surface, chipped cross-section, and powder particles on the same focal plane to make it easy to use for material descriptions.

note banner

16:9. Place the product in the right third, leaving the left side as a seamless solid background. Do not include text during image generation; place it afterwards.

Derivative versions by composition

• 30-degree diagonal high angle: Basic composition showing both the surface and thickness simultaneously

• Directly above: Shows the circular/square shape and the arrangement of powder particles clearly

• Low 15-degree diagonal angle: Emphasizes the layers of the chipped cross-section

• Extreme macro: Shows only the difference in particle size, keeping the entire container off-screen

Derivative versions by size/ratio

• 4:5: Vertical posts for X/Instagram. Group margins at the top or left

• 1:1: EC list. Center the product

• 3:2: Texture cuts for LP/articles

• 16:9: Banner. Separate the main subject and text area to the left and right

Derivative versions by color scheme

• Rose beige + light gray: Soft and calm basic color scheme

• Apricot + warm white: Healthy and warm impression

• Mauve + bluish gray: Quiet and modern impression

• Taupe + sand color: Neutral and emphasizes material texture

Even if you change the color scheme, keep the powder particles and the chipped cross-section in the same color family as the main body. If you change only the particles to white or black, they will easily look like foreign objects.

Failure examples and correction prompts

Failure 1: Looks like a ceramic or stone plate

The cause is that the surface is too uniform, there are hard reflections, and the cross-section is sharp.

中央面の色と構図は維持する。表面へ直径の異なる微細な粉粒、弱い密度差、低い凹凸を追加する。右下の欠けた断面を、鋭い割れではなく粒が集まった脆い層へ変更する。完全な平面、硬い石目、釉薬、鋭い反射を除去する。

Failure 2: Powder turns into smoke or mist

The cause is the specification of airborne particles or movements like 'swirling' or 'spreading'.

受け皿、粉面、照明、カメラは維持する。空中の粒子と霞をすべて除去し、背景の空気を透明に戻す。粉粒は受け皿の内縁と台座上だけに合計12粒以内で配置する。

Failure 3: The whole thing is pulverized

The cause is that the position, width, and number of chips are not specified.

ほかの要素は維持する。破損範囲を右下の縁4ミリ1か所だけへ縮小し、中央85％以上を整った圧縮面として復元する。大きな亀裂、粉砕、放射状の割れを除去する。

Failure 4: Looks like cream or wet paste

The cause is the gloss of the surface and the smooth swelling.

色と形は維持する。粉面の鏡面ハイライトと湿った反射を除去し、低反射の乾いた粒状表面へ変更する。受け皿の金属反射だけを細い1本として残す。

Prohibited items

• Imitation of real brands, product names, logos, and distinctive existing packaging

• Expressions that cause confusion with advertisements for real products

• Expressions that assert effects, benefits, or finishes on the skin based solely on images

• Resemblance to real people when including figures or hands

• Large amounts of breakage, scattering, or foreign objects that look unhygienic

• Illegible pseudo-text, watermarks, or unnecessary labels

Summary

You do not need to increase the amount of powder across the screen to make it look realistic.

By dividing the roles into these three—the compressed surface in the center, small chips at the edges, and a small amount of powder particles on the contact surface—you can maintain a polished product photo while retaining a texture that looks touchable.

First, try choosing one color, one chip, and no more than 12 powder particles. From there, you can apply the same structure to other products by simply changing the container or the proportions.

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