Stable Diffusion Prompts: Copy and Paste Ideas for Images

Stable Diffusion is the tool I point people to when they want control. You'll find it inside lots of different apps, so the exact boxes vary, but the idea doesn't change: a prompt that says what you want, and sometimes a second box for what you don't. It's a bit like briefing a photographer.

Each prompt below is ready to copy. Where a second line starts with Negative prompt, paste it into the negative box if your app has one. Swap the [brackets] for your details. Make people imaginary or use your own photos, and don't ask for real celebrities or living artists' styles.

Stable Diffusion prompts for realistic portraits

Describe the light, the lens and the mood, and give the face something to do.

Window-light portrait

Copy this prompt

Portrait of an imaginary woman in her thirties by a window, soft side light, portrait lens, shallow depth of field, natural skin texture, calm expression.
Negative prompt: blurry, distorted hands, extra fingers, watermark, cropped

Street portrait at dusk

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Candid portrait of an imaginary man laughing on a city street at dusk, warm shop lights behind him, film grain, shallow focus.
Negative prompt: blurry, distorted hands, extra fingers, watermark, cropped

Studio headshot

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Clean professional headshot of an imaginary [job title] against a soft grey backdrop, even studio light, friendly smile, sharp eyes.
Negative prompt: blurry, distorted hands, extra fingers, watermark, cropped

Elderly craftsperson

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Close-up of an imaginary elderly potter with clay-dusted hands, kind lined face, workshop shelves blurred behind, warm window light.
Negative prompt: blurry, distorted hands, extra fingers, watermark, cropped

Child with kite

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An imaginary child running across a windy field holding a red kite, golden hour light, sense of joy, wide lens, sharp focus.
Negative prompt: blurry, distorted hands, extra fingers, watermark, cropped

Stable Diffusion prompts for product and food photography

Think like a stylist. You'll want to name the surface, light, props and angle.

Skincare bottle on stone

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Product photo of a [colour] glass bottle on a wet stone slab, water droplets, soft diffused light, minimal green leaves, clean commercial look.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Overhead breakfast spread

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Overhead flat lay of a rustic breakfast table, croissants, berries, a coffee cup, linen napkin, soft morning window light, rich colour.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Sneaker on a pastel block

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A [colour] sneaker floating above a pastel pink block, soft shadow beneath, simple studio background, crisp detail, advertising style.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Cocktail with garnish

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Close-up of an iced [fruit] cocktail with a citrus twist, condensation on the glass, dark bar background, moody rim light.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Handmade candle

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A hand-poured candle in a ceramic jar on a wooden shelf, flickering flame, warm cosy light, dried flowers, shallow depth of field.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Stable Diffusion prompts for scenery and travel scenes

Place the viewer: foreground, middle, background, then weather and time of day.

Alpine lake sunrise

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Still alpine lake at sunrise, mist rising, pine forest edges, pink clouds reflecting in the water, tiny wooden jetty in the foreground.

Santorini-style village

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Whitewashed hillside village above a blue sea, narrow stairs, bougainvillea, bright midday sun, postcard colours, sharp detail.

Lantern-lit night market

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Narrow night market alley with strings of lanterns, steaming food stalls, wet ground reflecting colour, lively and warm.

Autumn woodland path

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A winding path through an autumn woodland, golden leaves on the ground, low sun through the branches, soft haze.

Stormy coastline

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Dark waves crashing against a stone sea wall, a lone lighthouse in the distance, dramatic clouds, cold silver light.

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Stable Diffusion prompts for fantasy and concept art

Concept art loves clear subjects, strong colour and a sense of scale.

Floating library

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A vast floating library in the clouds, spiral staircases, glowing books drifting upwards, warm lantern light, epic scale, painterly style.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Clockwork fox

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A small clockwork fox with brass gears and a glowing amber eye, sitting in a mossy forest clearing, magical dusk light, detailed concept art.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Space market

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A crowded market on a space station, alien traders, hanging neon signs, steam, multicoloured lights, cinematic wide shot.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Dragon's mountain nest

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A great green dragon sleeping curled around a mountain peak, sunrise breaking through the clouds, tiny castle far below.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Cosy treehouse

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A cosy treehouse village connected by rope bridges, lanterns glowing in the dusk, soft mist, storybook illustration style.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Stable Diffusion prompts for posters, logos and graphics

Stability says Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large is good at typography. Put the exact words in quotation marks and keep them short.

Coffee shop poster

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Retro poster with the words "Fresh Roast" in bold cream lettering, a steaming cup illustration, warm orange and brown palette, flat vector style.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Minimal logo badge

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Simple circular badge logo for [business name], a single leaf in the centre, clean lines, two colours on a white background.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Event flyer

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Bright flyer for a summer market with the words "Open Air Market" across the top, bunting, sunflowers, hand-drawn look.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Sign in a window

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A hand-painted shop window sign reading "Open Today" in gold letters on dark glass, reflections of a street, shallow focus.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Stable Diffusion prompts for interiors and buildings

Name the room, the materials and the light, and keep one style per image.

Scandi living room

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A bright Scandinavian living room, pale oak floor, linen sofa, wool throw, big window with soft daylight, one green plant, calm and airy.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Moody reading nook

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A reading nook under a staircase with deep green walls, velvet armchair, brass lamp, bookshelves, warm evening glow.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

Modern glass house

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A modern glass house in a pine forest at twilight, warm lights inside, reflections on the windows, wooden deck, still pond.
Negative prompt: blurry, muddy colours, text, watermark, low detail

How to get better results from Stable Diffusion prompts

• Be concrete. You'll get more from naming the subject, the setting, the light and the camera or art style, rather than piling on vague quality words.
• Use positive wording for what you want. Stability's own notes say removing objects is down to positive prompting for placement, not negative prompting alone.
• Use the negative box as a tidy-up tool. Stability says it can work well on the base Large model, but depends on prompt structure and guidance scale.
• Watch the guidance scale. Stability says higher values tie the image more closely to the prompt, but can reduce image quality.
• Quote any words you want written in the picture, and keep them short. Stability says its Large model is good at typography.
• Keep prompts a sensible length. The text encoders have a limited context, so a short, clear prompt tends to behave better than a long ramble that doesn't say much.

Stable Diffusion also pairs well with a plan for what you'll use the pictures for. My guide to AI images for business covers that, and if you want to take a still further, here's where to animate a picture with AI.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Stable Diffusion prompt?

It's the written description you give the model to make an image: the subject, the setting, the light and the style. Some apps also have a negative prompt box for things to leave out.

Where do I paste these Stable Diffusion prompts?

Paste the first line into the main prompt box of whichever Stable Diffusion app you use. If it has a negative prompt box, paste the second line there.

Do negative prompts always work?

Not always, and it's worth knowing why. Stability's own notes say negative prompting can work well on its base Large model but depends on prompt structure and guidance scale. Describing what you want positively is the safer habit.

Can Stable Diffusion put text in an image?

Stability describes typography as a strength of its Large model. Put the exact words in quotation marks and keep them short.

Can I use my own photos?

Some Stable Diffusion apps let you start from an image. Use your own photos or ones from people who've agreed, and don't use real people's faces without permission.