sugarforever Cover Image Generator
Generate hand-drawn style cover images for articles with rich style and composition 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 gradient
# Specify a composition
/cover-image path/to/article.md --composition hero-center
# Without title text
/cover-image path/to/article.md --no-title
# Combine options
/cover-image path/to/article.md --style editorial --composition split --no-title
# From direct text input
/cover-image
[paste content or describe the topic]
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--style <name> |
Specify cover style (see Style Gallery below) |
--composition <name> |
Specify layout composition (see Composition Gallery below) |
--no-title |
Generate cover without title text (visual only) |
Style Gallery
Core Styles
| Style | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
elegant (Default) |
Refined, sophisticated, understated | Business, thought leadership, professional |
tech |
Modern, clean, futuristic with glow effects | AI, coding, digital, algorithms |
warm |
Friendly, approachable, human-centered | Personal growth, lifestyle, education |
bold |
High contrast, attention-grabbing, energetic | Opinion pieces, controversial, urgent |
minimal |
Ultra-clean, zen-like, maximum whitespace | Philosophy, focus, essentialism |
playful |
Fun, creative, whimsical doodles | Tutorials, beginner guides, casual |
nature |
Organic, calm, earthy tones | Sustainability, wellness, outdoor |
retro |
Vintage, nostalgic, aged textures | History, retrospectives, classic topics |
Extended Styles
| Style | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
gradient |
Smooth color transitions, dreamy, modern | Product launches, announcements, branding |
editorial |
Magazine-quality, sophisticated typography | Long-form essays, deep dives, journalism |
blueprint |
Technical drawing aesthetic, grid paper | Architecture, system design, engineering |
watercolor |
Soft washes, organic bleed, painterly | Art, culture, creative writing, poetry |
geometric |
Sharp shapes, tessellations, mathematical | Data science, math, structured thinking |
neon |
Dark background with vivid glowing elements | Nightlife, gaming, cyberpunk, startup |
paper-cut |
Layered paper cutout depth effect | Storytelling, children's content, craft |
ink-wash |
East Asian brush ink aesthetic (水墨风) | Chinese culture, philosophy, calligraphy |
Detailed style definitions: references/styles/<style>.md
Composition Gallery
Compositions define how elements are arranged in the cover image.
| Composition | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
hero-center (Default) |
Single focal visual centered, title above or below | General purpose, strong single concept |
split |
Left/right or top/bottom split, visual one side, text other | Comparison, before/after, dual concepts |
floating |
Elements scattered with depth, floating in space | Abstract topics, multiple related concepts |
frame |
Decorative border framing the central content | Formal, announcement, certificate-like |
diagonal |
Dynamic diagonal division or flow | Movement, progress, transformation |
spotlight |
Dark background with a single illuminated subject | Focus, highlight, key insight |
panoramic |
Wide scene spanning the full width | Landscape, journey, timeline |
mosaic |
Grid of small related visuals forming a bigger picture | Collection, variety, ecosystem |
vignette |
Soft fade from edges to center focus | Intimate, personal, memoir-style |
layered |
Overlapping planes creating depth | Complex topics, multi-layered ideas |
Composition Tips
- hero-center + title: Place visual slightly left, title right
- hero-center + no-title: Center the visual fully, let it breathe
- split: Use contrasting colors or concepts on each side
- floating: 3-5 elements max, vary sizes for depth
- diagonal: Direction implies progress (bottom-left → top-right = growth)
- spotlight: Keep background very dark, subject vivid
- mosaic: Use 4-9 tiles, maintain consistent style across tiles
- layered: Use opacity/blur to create foreground/background separation
Auto Style Selection
When no --style is specified, analyze content to select the best style:
| Content Signals | Selected Style |
|---|---|
| AI, coding, tech, digital, algorithm, API | tech |
| Personal story, emotion, growth, life, journey | warm |
| Controversial, urgent, must-read, warning, breaking | bold |
| Simple, zen, focus, essential, less is more | minimal |
| Fun, easy, beginner, casual, tutorial, step-by-step | playful |
| Nature, eco, wellness, health, organic, outdoor | nature |
| History, classic, vintage, old, traditional | retro |
| Product, launch, release, announcement, brand | gradient |
| Essay, analysis, deep dive, investigation, review | editorial |
| System design, architecture, blueprint, infrastructure | blueprint |
| Art, painting, creative, poetry, culture | watercolor |
| Data, math, statistics, geometry, patterns | geometric |
| Gaming, startup, nightlife, crypto, hacker | neon |
| Story, folktale, illustration, craft, children | paper-cut |
| 中国, 文化, 哲学, 书法, 国风, 传统 | ink-wash |
| Business, professional, strategy, analysis (default) | elegant |
Auto Composition Selection
When no --composition is specified:
| Condition | Selected Composition |
|---|---|
| Single strong concept/metaphor | hero-center |
| Article compares two things | split |
| Article covers multiple tools/ideas | floating or mosaic |
| Personal/intimate topic | vignette |
| Journey/timeline/progress narrative | diagonal or panoramic |
| One key insight or revelation | spotlight |
| Complex multi-layered topic | layered |
| Formal/announcement tone | frame |
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
- Structure: Is it a comparison? A journey? A deep dive?
- Visual metaphors: What real-world objects/scenes represent the topic?
Step 2: Select Style & Composition
If --style or --composition specified, use those. Otherwise:
- Scan content for style and composition signals
- Match signals to most appropriate style + composition
- Default to
elegantstyle +hero-centercomposition if no clear signals
Step 3: Generate Cover Concept
Title (if included, max 8 characters):
- Distill the core message into a punchy headline
- Use hooks: numbers, questions, contrasts, pain points
- Skip if
--no-titleflag is used
Visual Elements:
- Style-appropriate imagery and icons
- 1-2 symbolic elements representing the topic
- Metaphors or analogies that fit the style
Composition Layout:
- Apply the selected composition template
- Consider title placement within the composition
- Ensure visual hierarchy: primary element > secondary > decorative
Step 4: Create Prompt File
Prompt Format:
Cover theme: [topic in 2-3 words]
Style: [selected style name]
Composition: [selected composition 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: [composition-specific layout description]
- Primary element: [what draws the eye first]
- Secondary elements: [supporting visuals]
- Decorative elements: [style-appropriate accents]
Color scheme:
- Primary: [style primary color]
- Background: [style background color]
- Accent: [style accent color]
Style notes: [specific style characteristics to emphasize]
Composition notes: [specific layout guidance]
[If no title:]
Note: No title text, pure visual illustration only.
Step 5: Generate Image
Image Generation Skill Selection:
- Check available image generation skills
- If multiple skills available, ask user to choose
Generation: Call selected image generation skill with prompt file and output path.
Step 6: Output Summary
Cover Image Generated!
Topic: [topic]
Style: [style name]
Composition: [composition name]
Title: [cover title] (or "No title - visual only")
Location: [output path]
Preview the image to verify it matches your expectations.
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
- When in doubt,
elegant+hero-centeris a safe default - Combine unexpected style+composition pairs for unique results (e.g.,
ink-wash+split)