fantastic-posters

name	fantastic-posters
description	Generate fantastic posters across 33 distinct visual styles using GPT Image 2 (via Fal). Auto-picks the right style from the user's brief, builds a templated prompt, and renders. Multi-ref + logo + brief + batch + template modes. Triggers on "fantastic posters", "quality posters", "make a poster", "poster style", "generate poster".

Fantastic Posters

A poster generator with a curated catalog of 33 visual styles. The agent picks the style that fits the brief, builds the prompt, and generates with GPT Image 2 (via Fal). Multi-reference uploads, brand-book PDFs, structured briefs, batch generation, and template replication are all first-class.

After generation, layer separation is handled outside this skill — open the PNG in Canva and use Magic / Smart Layers to split foreground/background/text.

How to Run

generate.js lives at the project root (alongside styles.js).

cd <repo-root>
node generate.js "<brief>"                                     # auto-pick, 1 image
node generate.js "<brief>" --style=<style_id>                  # force a style
node generate.js "<brief>" --n=3                               # 3 variations
node generate.js "<brief>" --refs=hero.jpg,brand.pdf,logo.png  # multi-ref edit
node generate.js "<brief>" --logo=<path>                       # logo-anchored edit
node generate.js --brief=path/to/brief.{md,yaml}               # structured brief
node generate.js --batch=path/to/listings.json                 # iterate many briefs
node generate.js --template=existing.png "<brief>"             # replicate-template

Flags: --size=portrait|landscape|square|WxH, --quality=low|medium|high, --palette="#hex,...", --yes, --include-experimental.

The script reads FAL_KEY (and optional KIE_KEY) from .env at the project root. Output PNGs go to ./out/.

When the User Says "Make a Poster"

1. Read the brief. Identify mood (calm / vibrant / nostalgic / mystical / luxury / corporate / playful) and subject (event / product / album / movie / listing / retreat).
2. Pick the best matching style from the catalog using the Style Picker rules below.
3. Show the relevant examples/<style-id>.png to the user before generating — never regenerate the catalog showcase. The reference render is the baseline.
4. Tell the user which style you picked and why (one sentence).
5. Run generate.js. Default to --n=1. If they say "more designs" or "variations", run with --n=3.
6. The script will print an estimated cost and ask for confirmation. For >=5 images or --quality=high it always prompts regardless of --yes.
7. After it saves, give them the file path and remind them: open in Canva and use Magic Layers if they want to edit text or swap the subject.

Reference Image Order (for --refs)

Multi-reference uploads follow this convention:

1. Image 1 — hero photo (the main subject)
2. Image 2 — brand book (PDF auto-renders to PNG page 1 at 2x DPI)
3. Image 3+ — logos

For --template mode the order is: template (1st) → new hero photo (2nd) → optional logos.

Style Picker (auto-match by brief intent)

If the brief is about...	Pick
moody crime / thriller / dark cinematic	cinematic-neonoir
travel / destination / vintage tourism	vintage-travel
design lecture / minimal swiss / typography	swiss-minimal-typo
tech conference / agentic web / dev event	tech-conf-darkmode
annual report / executive / finance	corporate-report
live music / DIY gig / underground band	indie-gig-riso
home listing / open house with photo	luxury-real-estate
luxury estate brochure / architectural retreat	luxury-estate-cover
art deco / Gatsby / 1920s glam	art-deco
Bauhaus / primary geometric / design school	bauhaus-geometric
Japanese woodblock / Edo / classical Japan	ukiyo-e
sixties rock / Fillmore / hippie concert	psychedelic-60s
synthwave / retro futurism / 80s sunset	vaporwave-synth
minimalist film / cut-paper / Hitchcock vibe	saul-bass-minimal
80s postmodern / playful clashing patterns	memphis-80s
high fashion magazine / editorial cover	editorial-fashion
symmetric pastel / dollhouse / storybook film	symmetric-storybook
comic / Ben-Day dots / pop art	pop-art-comic
wellness / meditation / retreat / soft calm	pastel-mindful
zen / Japanese ink / monastic minimal	sumi-e-zen
Día de los Muertos / Mexican folk / festival	loteria-folk
surreal / Magritte / dreamlike	surreal-dreamscape
documentary / Magnum reportage / photo essay	documentary-portrait
stadium / race / athletic event campaign	sports-action-hero
album cover / vinyl / soul-funk debut	album-cover-portrait
post-apocalyptic action game key art	post-apoc-sword
melancholic sci-fi wanderer / cargo / Iceland	lone-traveler-cargo
cyberpunk / neon noir / dystopian megacity	neon-noir-cyberpunk
streetwear lookbook / drop / collection	streetwear-lookbook
tech product reveal / keynote / Apple-style	minimal-tech-keynote
brutalist / broadcast / jersey-number / HYROX-style	brutalist-broadcast
restaurant / wine bar / jazz lounge / brasserie / hospitality	emerald-nocturne
absurd transit map / mood diagram (experimental)	absurd-transit-map

If nothing matches confidently, ask the user to pick from a 3-option shortlist.

Out-of-Left-Field Mode

When the user asks for "out of left field", "weird", "different", "surprise me", or "experimental" ideas, default catalog picks are forbidden. Instead:

1. Vary palette and typography away from catalog defaults. Don't reach for the obvious one.
2. Pull inspiration from less-obvious design references via online research. Web search/fetch from: Polish theatre poster archives (Jan Lenica, Henryk Tomaszewski), Japanese book covers (Kohei Sugiura, Tadanori Yokoo), Czech New Wave film posters, AIGA poster annuals, Dribbble's experimental tag.
3. Propose 5+ ideas with a one-line vibe each BEFORE generating. Let the user pick.
4. Never default to safe catalog picks for these requests.

Logo Handling Protocol

• Pass logos as base64 data URIs (handled automatically when you supply --logo=<path>), never as a local path string.
• Use the gpt-image-2/edit endpoint when a logo is supplied (handled automatically).
• Add the "do NOT redraw, recolour, or modify proportions" clause to the prompt (handled automatically).
• When a brief specifies "mark on black panel" or "mark on white panel" (HYROX-affiliate work), enforce it in the prompt.
• For dual-wordmark layouts (client + partner), specify equal visual weight, separated by a hairline rule, never combined into a single lockup.
• Logo placement reliability is imperfect even with the edit endpoint — review the rendered logo carefully before delivering.

Trust the Reference

When using --template or any multi-ref edit mode, the shortest prompt that names ONLY what changes outperforms verbose specs. Trust the reference image to carry layout, typography, palette, and logo. Don't restate what the reference already shows. Verbose specs make the model drift.

What References Can and Can't Do

• References guide style/content, not pixel-copy templates.
• Exact font reproduction is unreliable past ~6 words. Shorten titles.
• Logos may be subtly redrawn — pass them as a separate ref for stronger anchor (--logo=) or composite in Canva afterward.
• Output aspect follows image_size (the --size flag), not the reference image. For --template mode, set --size to match the template's aspect manually.

Generation Settings (cost table)

Quality	$/image	Time	When to use
low	~$0.011	10-15s	drafts, exploring directions
medium	~$0.04	25-40s	client review
high	~$0.17	60-90s	final delivery (then upscale externally)

Default --size=portrait is 1024x1536 (max 1536/side). For A2 print at 300 DPI, upscale externally with Topaz Photo AI or Real-ESRGAN.

For >=5 images or --quality=high, the CLI always prompts for confirmation regardless of --yes.

Subagent Fan-Out (canonical bulk pattern)

For 10+ briefs, use Claude's Agent tool to fan out — one subagent per brief, each running this skill independently. Example:

Spawn N subagents. Each runs:
  fantastic-posters --brief=briefs/{client}.md --refs=hero.jpg,brand.pdf,logo.png

Subagents are how this skill produces real-client batches at speed.

Rules

• Use real brand names when supplied. Real-client work is the primary use case. Only anonymise for generic demos.
• Don't oversell calm styles — for pastel-mindful and sumi-e-zen, restraint is the whole point.
• Footer billing line is always last — date · venue · price/credit.
• Title rendering — GPT Image 2 is strong on typography but not perfect. If a title has more than ~6 words, expect typos.
• Variations — when running --n=3, vary the subject slightly rather than the same prompt 3x.
• Show, don't regenerate. When auto-picking a style, show examples/<style-id>.png first — never regenerate the catalog.

Out of Scope

• No PSD layering in this skill. Direct the user to Canva → Magic / Smart Layers. PSD-layering is available via the adjacent poster-to-layers pipeline if Photoshop is preferred.
• No upscaling in this skill. Point users to Topaz Photo AI or Real-ESRGAN for print-resolution output.
• No animation. Still images only.