Consistent AI characters with elements
Ask an image model for "the same woman, now in a cafe" and it will draw a different woman. Image Studio fixes that with elements: a character, product, place, object or style you save once and then @mention in any prompt. Its picture goes to the model as a reference every time, so the subject keeps its face, its label or its layout from one image to the next. Like everything in Image Studio it is free: each image is paid for by an ad.
Save an element
- Add a picture. Paste, drop or upload a photo into the prompt box, or use Save as element on any image you made. Up to four pictures per element - different angles help.
- Name it. The name becomes its handle: "Mira" is mentioned as @mira. Up to 40 characters.
- Pick a kind: character, product, location, object or style. The kind tells the model what to keep: the person, the product, the place, the object or the look.
- Describe it in a line, for example "hiker, long dark hair, red jacket". The description goes into the prompt with the picture, which helps when the picture alone is ambiguous.
Every element is on the Elements page, sorted by kind, and private to your account. You can keep up to 50.
Use it in a prompt
Type @ in the prompt box and pick the element, then write the scene around it: "@mira sitting at the counter of @ramen-alley on a rainy night". Image Studio sends each mentioned element’s picture as a reference and tells the model which reference is which. Combine it with a style and camera settings - shot size, angle, lens, lighting - to put the same character in a new shot without describing her again.
Which models keep it the same
| Model | References | Without an ad |
|---|---|---|
| Quality (FLUX.2 [klein] 4B) | Up to 4 | 3 VibeBucks |
| Flash (Seedream 5.0 Flash) | Up to 4 | 20 VibeBucks |
| Pro Lite (Seedream 5.0 Lite) | Up to 4 | 40 VibeBucks, VibeBucks only |
| Pro (Seedream 5.0 Pro) | Up to 4 | 50 VibeBucks, VibeBucks only |
| Fast and Sharp | None - the element is described in words only | 2 and 12 VibeBucks |
Four reference slots are shared by everything in the run: the image you are editing comes first, then each mentioned element’s first picture, then any photo you pasted, then further pictures of the elements. An element that does not fit is described by name only. For the rest - follow-ups, styles, camera controls and where images are made - see how Image Studio works.
Real people: Only save a photo of someone who has agreed, and never use it to make a sexual, humiliating or deceptive image - section 2.4 of the Terms forbids it, and we suspend accounts that break it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to train a model to keep a character consistent?
No. An element is a saved picture plus a name and a description. When you @mention it, the picture goes to the model as a reference image for that one run; nothing is trained or fine-tuned, and nothing is kept by the model provider.
Which models keep an element the same?
Quality, Flash, Pro Lite and Pro take reference images, up to four per image. Fast and Sharp take none, so an element mentioned there is described in words only and will not match as closely.
How many elements can I use in one image?
Up to four reference images per image in total, counting the image being edited and any photo you paste. Each mentioned element sends its first picture first; extra pictures of the same element fill any slots left over.
Can I make an element of a real person?
Only of yourself, or of someone who has agreed. Section 2.4 of the Terms forbids sexual, humiliating or deceptive images of anyone, and elements are private to your account.
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