iblai-marketing-image

name	iblai-marketing-image
description	When the user wants to create, generate, edit, or optimize images for marketing — blog heroes, social graphics, product mockups, profile banners, listing visuals, or brand assets. Also use when the user mentions 'AI image generation,' 'generate an image,' 'create a graphic,' 'product mockup,' 'hero image,' 'social media graphic,' 'banner image,' 'cover photo,' 'profile banner,' 'listing screenshot,' 'Flux,' 'Midjourney,' 'DALL-E,' 'GPT Image,' 'Ideogram,' 'Gemini image,' 'Canva,' 'Figma,' 'image optimization,' 'compress images,' 'WebP,' or 'OG image.' Use this for general-purpose marketing image creation and optimization. For paid ad image creative and platform-specific ad specs, see iblai-marketing-ad-creative. For video production, see iblai-marketing-video.
globs	null
alwaysApply	false
metadata	{"version":"1.0.0"}

/iblai-marketing-image

Produce marketing images using AI generation, design tools, and optimization best practices — blog heroes, social graphics, product mockups, profile banners, brand assets.

Step 0: Context Check

Read .agents/product-marketing-context.md (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md on older setups) first. Only ask for what isn't there.

Pull this context:

1. Image Goal

• Type (blog hero, social graphic, product mockup, banner, brand asset, OG image)
• Platform/placement (website, social, directory listing, app store, email)
• Dimensions needed

2. Production Approach

• Existing brand assets? (Logo, colors, fonts, style guide)
• Photorealistic or illustrative?
• One-off or repeatable template?

3. Technical Context

• API keys for image tools? (Gemini, Replicate/Flux, Ideogram)
• Budget constraints? (Some tools charge per image.)
• Optimize for web performance?

---

Choosing Your Approach

Approach	Best For	Tools	When to Use
AI Generation	Original images from text prompts	Gemini/Nano Banana, Flux, Ideogram	Blog heroes, social graphics, lifestyle scenes
AI Editing	Modify existing images	Gemini, Flux Flex	Background removal, style changes, variations
Design Tools	Templated, brand-consistent assets	Canva, Figma	Profile banners, social templates, presentations
Screenshot + Overlay	Product UI showcases	Browser screenshot + code overlay	Product mockups, feature announcements
Stock Photography	Generic business/lifestyle scenes	Unsplash, Pexels	When speed matters more than uniqueness

---

AI Image Generation

Generate original images from text prompts. Fastest way to create unique marketing visuals.

Model Comparison

Model	Best For	Text in Images	API	Cost
Gemini Image (Google)	All-around, editing, text rendering	Good	Gemini API	Check pricing
Flux (Black Forest Labs)	Photorealism, brand consistency, batch	Limited	BFL API, Replicate, fal.ai	Check pricing
Ideogram	Typography, branded graphics	Best	Ideogram API	Check pricing
GPT Image (OpenAI)	General purpose, ChatGPT integration	Good	OpenAI API	Check pricing
Midjourney	Artistic, high-aesthetic	Poor	No official API	Subscription-based
Stable Diffusion	Self-hosted, customizable	Varies	Open source	Free (GPU costs)

Note: DALL-E 3 is deprecated. OpenAI's current image models are the GPT Image family (gpt-image-1, etc.).

When to Use Which

Need text/headlines in the image?
├── Yes → Ideogram (best), Gemini (good), GPT Image (decent)
└── No ↓

Need product/brand consistency across images?
├── Yes → Flux (multi-image reference)
└── No ↓

Need to edit an existing image?
├── Yes → Gemini (native editing), Flux Flex
└── No ↓

Need highest visual quality?
├── Yes → Flux Pro, Midjourney
└── No ↓

Need volume at low cost?
└── Flux Klein, Gemini Flash

Prompting Basics

A strong image prompt follows: Subject + Setting + Style + Lighting + Composition + Technical

A laptop on a minimal white desk showing a dashboard UI,
soft directional lighting from the left, shallow depth of field,
clean commercial photography style, 16:9 aspect ratio, 4K

Common mistakes:

• Too vague ("a business image") — add specific details
• Forgetting aspect ratio — always specify dimensions
• Requesting complex text — use overlays for anything beyond short headlines
• No style direction — "photorealistic," "flat illustration," "3D render"

Per-model prompting guides: references/ai-image-prompting.md.

---

Design Tools

For templated, brand-consistent work where AI is overkill or too unpredictable.

Canva

Best for non-designers who need polished output fast.

• Strengths: massive template library, brand kit, Magic Resize (one design → all sizes), team collaboration
• Best for: social graphics, presentations, email headers, simple banners
• Limitations: less control than Figma, templates can look generic
• Agent-friendliness: API exists but limited — better as a human-in-the-loop tool

Figma

Best for teams with design systems or pixel-perfect needs.

• Strengths: design system components, auto layout, developer handoff, plugins
• Best for: OG images via templates, design system assets, complex layouts
• Limitations: steeper learning curve, requires design skill
• Agent-friendliness: API and MCP server for reading designs

When to Use Design Tools vs. AI Generation

Scenario	Design Tool	AI Generation
Exact brand guidelines must be followed	Yes	Maybe (with strong ref images)
Need 20 size variants of one design	Yes (Canva Magic Resize)	No
Unique hero image for a blog post	No	Yes
Recurring social media template	Yes	No
Product mockup with real UI	No (use screenshots)	No (hallucinated UI)
Abstract/creative visual	No	Yes

---

Workflows

Blog & Article Hero Images

Sets tone, improves shareability, required for OG/social previews.

1. Define the concept — visual metaphor for the topic
2. Generate with AI — Flux or Gemini for photorealistic, Ideogram if text needed
3. Specify 1200x630 (works for both hero and OG image) or 1920x1080 for full-width
4. Optimize — compress to <200KB, serve as WebP with JPEG fallback

Prompt pattern:

[Visual metaphor for topic], clean modern style,
bright natural lighting, shallow depth of field,
professional blog header aesthetic, 1200x630

Social Media Graphics

Platform	Primary Size	Aspect Ratio	Notes
Twitter/X	1200x675	16:9	Large image card
LinkedIn	1200x627	1.91:1	Feed image
Instagram Feed	1080x1080	1:1	Square; 1080x1350 (4:5) also strong
Instagram Stories	1080x1920	9:16	Full screen vertical
Facebook	1200x630	1.91:1	Link share image

Workflow:

1. Create the hero concept at highest resolution needed
2. Use Canva Magic Resize or manual crop for platform variants
3. Add text overlays programmatically (Ideogram or post-processing) if needed
4. Export at platform-specific dimensions

Product Mockups & Screenshots

AI models hallucinate UI — don't use them here.

1. Capture real screenshots of your product at 2x resolution
2. Frame in device mockups — browser frame, laptop, or phone templates
3. Add context — callout arrows, feature labels, before/after comparisons
4. Annotate with code — Hyperframes or HTML/CSS for programmatic overlays

Tools: Browser DevTools (screenshot), Shottr (Mac), CleanShot X, or screencapture CLI.

Profile & Listing Banners

Often the first visual impression.

Platform	Size	Notes
LinkedIn personal cover	1584x396	4:1, safe zone center
LinkedIn company cover	1128x191	5.9:1; LinkedIn recommends up to 4200x700
Twitter/X header	1500x500	3:1, partially obscured by avatar
Product Hunt gallery	1270x760	5:3, up to 6 images
G2 profile	1280x720	16:9, product screenshots preferred
GitHub social preview	1280x640	2:1, shows in link cards
App Store screenshots	Varies by device	See /iblai-marketing-aso-audit for full specs
Google Play feature graphic	1024x500	~2:1, required for store listing

Best practices:

• Keep text minimal — banners read at small sizes on mobile
• Center critical content — edges get cropped differently per device
• Show the product — real UI screenshots outperform abstract graphics on directory listings
• Match your brand — consistent colors, fonts, logo placement
• Update seasonally — stale banners signal an inactive product

Workflow:

1. Pick the platform(s) and note exact dimensions
2. For directories (Product Hunt, G2): real product screenshots with light annotation
3. For profiles (LinkedIn, Twitter): brand colors + tagline + optional product shot
4. Generate with Canva/Figma templates or Ideogram (if text-heavy)
5. Test at actual display size — zoom out to check readability

Brand Assets

Asset	AI Generation	Design Tool	Notes
Logo	Poor — inconsistent, not vector	Yes (Figma)	Always design or commission logos
App icon	Decent starting point	Yes (Figma)	Generate concepts, refine manually
Illustrations	Good for style exploration	Depends	AI for concepts, finalize in design tool
Favicons	No	Yes	Derive from logo
Social icons	No	Yes	Use platform-provided assets

---

Image Optimization

Every image affects page speed, which affects SEO and conversions.

Format Guide

Format	Best For	Compression	Browser Support
WebP	Photos, graphics — default	Lossy + lossless	~96%
AVIF	Highest compression, newest	Better than WebP	~94%
JPEG	Fallback for older browsers	Lossy only	Universal
PNG	Transparency, screenshots	Lossless	Universal
SVG	Logos, icons, illustrations	Vector (scales)	Universal

Optimization Checklist

• Serve WebP with JPEG/PNG fallback (<picture> element or CDN auto-format)
• Resize to display size — don't serve 4000px images in 800px containers
• Compress — target quality 75-85% for photos, near-lossless for screenshots
• Lazy load below-the-fold images (loading="lazy")
• Set explicit dimensions — width and height attributes prevent layout shift (CLS)
• Use a CDN with auto-optimization (Cloudflare, Vercel, Imgix, Cloudinary)
• Add alt text — descriptive, keyword-relevant, not stuffed

Quick Optimization Commands

# Convert to WebP (using cwebp)
cwebp -q 80 input.png -o output.webp

# Batch convert with ImageMagick
mogrify -format webp -quality 80 *.png

# Optimize JPEG (using jpegoptim)
jpegoptim --max=80 --strip-all *.jpg

# Check image sizes on a page
curl -s https://yoursite.com | grep -oP 'src="[^"]+\.(jpg|png|webp)"' | head -20

---

OG & Social Preview Images

What shows when your URL is shared on social, Slack, Discord, etc.

Required Meta Tags

<meta property="og:image" content="https://yoursite.com/og/page-name.jpg" />
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200" />
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630" />
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://yoursite.com/og/page-name.jpg" />

Dynamic OG Images

Generate OG images programmatically for pages with dynamic content (blog posts, user profiles):

• Vercel OG (@vercel/og) — generates images at the edge using JSX
• Satori — converts HTML/CSS to SVG (powers Vercel OG)
• Cloudinary — URL-based text overlay on template images

Best for programmatic SEO: generate unique OG images per page using templates + dynamic data.

---

Common Mistakes

1. Using AI for product UI screenshots — models hallucinate interfaces; capture real screenshots
2. Skipping image optimization — unoptimized images are the #1 page speed killer
3. No OG image — shared links look broken without a preview image
4. Wrong aspect ratio — always check platform specs before generating
5. Text-heavy images without Ideogram — most AI models butcher text; use Ideogram or add text in post
6. Generating without style direction — "photorealistic," "flat illustration," "3D render" drastically changes output
7. Inconsistent brand visuals — use Flux multi-reference or design templates for consistency
8. Huge images on landing pages — compress, resize, lazy load

---

Task-Specific Questions

1. Image type? (Blog hero, social graphic, mockup, banner, brand asset)
2. Platform or placement? (Determines dimensions.)
3. Brand assets to match? (Colors, fonts, logo, style guide.)
4. One-off or repeatable template?
5. API keys for image generation tools?
6. Optimize for web performance?

---

Related Skills

• iblai-marketing-ad-creative: Paid ad image creative, platform-specific ad specs, scaled ad production
• iblai-marketing-video: AI video production and programmatic video
• iblai-marketing-social-content: What to post and content strategy
• iblai-marketing-page-cro: Image placement and conversion optimization on landing pages
• iblai-marketing-seo-audit: Image SEO (alt text, file names, lazy loading)
• iblai-marketing-aso-audit: App store screenshot specs and optimization
• iblai-marketing-directory-submissions: Product Hunt gallery and directory listing visuals