Cover Image Generator

Generate hand-drawn style cover images for articles with multiple style options.

Usage

# From markdown file (auto-select style based on content)
/cover-image path/to/article.md

# Specify a style
/cover-image path/to/article.md --style tech
/cover-image path/to/article.md --style warm
/cover-image path/to/article.md --style bold

# Without title text
/cover-image path/to/article.md --no-title

# Combine options
/cover-image path/to/article.md --style minimal --no-title

# From direct text input
/cover-image
[paste content or describe the topic]

# Direct input with style
/cover-image --style playful
[paste content]

Options

Option	Description
--style <name>	Specify cover style (see Style Gallery below)
--no-title	Generate cover without title text (visual only)

Style Gallery

1. elegant (Default)

Refined, sophisticated, understated

• Colors: Soft coral, muted teal, dusty rose, cream background
• Elements: Delicate line work, subtle icons, balanced composition
• Best for: Professional content, thought leadership, business topics

2. tech

Modern, clean, futuristic

• Colors: Deep blue, electric cyan, dark gray, white accents
• Elements: Geometric shapes, circuit patterns, glowing effects, tech icons
• Best for: AI, programming, technology, digital transformation

3. warm

Friendly, approachable, human-centered

• Colors: Warm orange, golden yellow, terracotta, cream
• Elements: Rounded shapes, friendly characters, sun/light motifs
• Best for: Personal growth, lifestyle, education, human stories

4. bold

High contrast, attention-grabbing, energetic

• Colors: Vibrant red/orange, deep black, bright yellow accents
• Elements: Strong typography, dramatic contrast, dynamic shapes
• Best for: Opinion pieces, controversial takes, urgent topics

5. minimal

Ultra-clean, zen-like, focused

• Colors: Black, white, single accent color
• Elements: Maximum whitespace, single focal element, simple lines
• Best for: Philosophy, minimalism, focused concepts

6. playful

Fun, creative, whimsical

• Colors: Pastel rainbow, bright pops of color, light backgrounds
• Elements: Doodles, quirky characters, speech bubbles, emoji-style icons
• Best for: Casual content, tutorials, beginner guides, fun topics

7. nature

Organic, calm, earthy

• Colors: Forest green, earth brown, sky blue, sand beige
• Elements: Plant motifs, natural textures, flowing lines, organic shapes
• Best for: Sustainability, wellness, outdoor topics, slow living

8. retro

Vintage, nostalgic, classic

• Colors: Muted pastels, sepia tones, faded colors
• Elements: Vintage typography, halftone dots, classic illustrations
• Best for: History, retrospectives, classic topics, throwback content

Auto Style Selection

When no --style is specified, the system analyzes content to select the best style:

Content Signals	Selected Style
AI, coding, tech, digital, algorithm	tech
Personal story, emotion, growth, life	warm
Controversial, urgent, must-read, warning	bold
Simple, zen, focus, essential	minimal
Fun, easy, beginner, casual, tutorial	playful
Nature, eco, wellness, health, organic	nature
History, classic, vintage, old, traditional	retro
Business, professional, strategy, analysis	elegant

File Management

With Article Path

Save to imgs/ subdirectory in the same folder as the article:

path/to/
├── article.md
└── imgs/
    ├── prompts/
    │   └── cover.md
    └── cover.png

Without Article Path

Save to current working directory:

./
├── cover-prompt.md
└── cover.png

Workflow

Step 1: Analyze Content

Extract key information:

• Main topic: What is the article about?
• Core message: What's the key takeaway?
• Tone: Serious, playful, inspiring, educational?
• Keywords: Identify style-signaling words

Step 2: Select Style

If --style specified, use that style. Otherwise:

1. Scan content for style signals (see Auto Style Selection table)
2. Match signals to most appropriate style
3. Default to elegant if no clear signals

Step 3: Generate Cover Concept

Create a cover image concept based on selected style:

Title (if included, max 8 characters):

• Distill the core message into a punchy headline
• Use hooks: numbers, questions, contrasts, pain points
• Skip if --no-title flag is used

Visual Elements:

• Style-appropriate imagery and icons
• 1-2 symbolic elements representing the topic
• Metaphors or analogies that fit the style

Step 4: Create Prompt File

Prompt Format:

Cover theme: [topic in 2-3 words]
Style: [selected style name]

[If title included:]
Title text: [8 characters or less, in content language]
Subtitle: [optional, in content language]

Visual composition:
- Main visual: [description matching style]
- Layout: [positioning based on title inclusion]
- Decorative elements: [style-appropriate elements]

Color scheme:
- Primary: [style primary color]
- Background: [style background color]
- Accent: [style accent color]

Style notes: [specific style characteristics to emphasize]

[If no title:]
Note: No title text, pure visual illustration only.

Step 5: Generate Image

Call gemini-web to generate the cover:

/gemini-web --promptfiles [SKILL_ROOT]/skills/cover-image/prompts/system.md [PROMPT_PATH] --image [OUTPUT_PATH]

Step 6: Output Summary

Cover Image Generated!

Topic: [topic]
Style: [style name]
Title: [cover title] (or "No title - visual only")
Location: [output path]

Preview the image to verify it matches your expectations.

Style Reference Details

elegant

Colors: Soft coral (#E8A598), muted teal (#5B8A8A), dusty rose (#D4A5A5)
Background: Warm cream (#F5F0E6), soft beige
Accents: Gold (#C9A962), copper
Elements: Delicate lines, refined icons, subtle gradients
Typography: Elegant serif-style hand lettering

tech

Colors: Deep blue (#1A365D), electric cyan (#00D4FF), purple (#6B46C1)
Background: Dark gray (#1A202C), near-black (#0D1117)
Accents: Neon green (#00FF88), bright white
Elements: Circuit patterns, data nodes, geometric grids, code snippets
Typography: Monospace-style hand lettering, glowing effects

warm

Colors: Warm orange (#ED8936), golden yellow (#F6AD55), terracotta (#C05621)
Background: Cream (#FFFAF0), soft peach (#FED7AA)
Accents: Deep brown (#744210), soft red
Elements: Rounded shapes, smiling faces, sun rays, hearts, warm lighting
Typography: Friendly rounded hand lettering

bold

Colors: Vibrant red (#E53E3E), bright orange (#DD6B20), electric yellow (#F6E05E)
Background: Deep black (#000000), dark charcoal
Accents: White, neon highlights
Elements: Exclamation marks, lightning bolts, arrows, strong shapes
Typography: Bold, impactful, large hand lettering with shadows

minimal

Colors: Pure black (#000000), white (#FFFFFF)
Background: White or off-white (#FAFAFA)
Accents: Single color (user's choice or content-derived)
Elements: Single focal point, maximum negative space, thin lines
Typography: Clean, simple hand lettering, lots of breathing room

playful

Colors: Pastel pink (#FED7E2), mint (#C6F6D5), lavender (#E9D8FD), sky blue (#BEE3F8)
Background: Light cream (#FFFBEB), soft white
Accents: Bright pops - yellow, coral, turquoise
Elements: Doodles, stars, swirls, cute characters, emoji-style icons
Typography: Bouncy, irregular hand lettering, playful angles

nature

Colors: Forest green (#276749), sage (#9AE6B4), earth brown (#744210)
Background: Sand beige (#F5E6D3), sky blue (#E0F2FE)
Accents: Sunset orange, water blue
Elements: Leaves, trees, mountains, sun, clouds, organic flowing lines
Typography: Organic, flowing hand lettering with natural textures

retro

Colors: Muted orange (#ED8936 at 70%), dusty pink (#FED7E2 at 80%), faded teal
Background: Aged paper (#F5E6D3), sepia tones
Accents: Faded red, vintage gold
Elements: Halftone dots, vintage badges, classic icons, aged textures
Typography: Vintage-style hand lettering, classic serif influence

Notes

• Cover should be instantly understandable at small preview sizes
• Title (if included) must be readable and impactful
• Visual metaphors work better than literal representations
• Maintain style consistency throughout the cover
• Image generation typically takes 10-30 seconds
• Title text language should match content language