Everything you need to know about using Picture Alchemy
Character: brave knight in armor
Pose & Mood: head raised up proudly
Environment: cozy cottage living room
Click Copy and paste it into your AI image tool![your text here] to easily identify it later
Example:
Character: elderly wizard with long beard [wearing star-covered purple robes]
Pose & Mood: eyes wide with wonder
Environment: mystical library interior
Your custom text is ALWAYS preserved during Smart Random!Cmd/Ctrl + K or click Search
• Type keywords
• Searches across all categories
• Instant resultsCmd/Ctrl + C - Copy prompt
• Cmd/Ctrl + A - Select all text
• Cmd/Ctrl + Z - Undo changesShift + R (opens full Smart Random modal)
2. Copy & New (Copy icon)
• Copies final prompt to clipboard
• Clears all selections to start fresh
• Perfect for rapid iteration workflow
• Keyboard: Cmd/Ctrl + C (copy only, doesn't clear)
3. Duplicate & Modify (Wand icon)
• Duplicates current selection
• Allows you to modify the copy
• Great for creating variations
• Desktop only (hidden on mobile)
4. Undo (Undo arrow)
• Reverts last selection change
• Can undo multiple steps
• Disabled when no history
• Keyboard: Cmd/Ctrl + Z
• Desktop only (hidden on mobile)
5. Redo (Redo arrow)
• Re-applies undone changes
• Only available after undo
• Keyboard: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z
• Desktop only (hidden on mobile)
6. Lock All / Unlock All (Lock/Unlock icon)
• Toggles lock state for all prompts
• Shows Lock when nothing is locked
• Shows Unlock when prompts are locked
• Useful for Smart Random workflows
• Desktop only (hidden on mobile)
7. Clear All (Trash icon)
• Removes all selected prompts
• Starts completely fresh
• Cannot be undone (use Undo before clearing if needed)
Mobile Optimization:
• Only essential buttons shown: Counter, Randomize, Copy, Clear
• Advanced buttons (Duplicate, Undo, Redo, Lock) hidden to prevent overcrowding
• Touch targets optimized (44x44px minimum)
Workflow Examples:
Rapid Iteration:
1. Select prompts → Copy & New
2. Paste into AI tool → Generate image
3. Repeat until satisfied
Variation Creation:
1. Create base prompt
2. Lock elements you want to keep
3. Randomize rest
4. Copy & New when you like it
Exploration with History:
1. Try random combinations
2. Undo if you don't like result
3. Try different approach
4. Redo if you want to go back
Pro Tips:
• The bar auto-hides when no prompts selected
• Hover over buttons for tooltips
• Use keyboard shortcuts for fastest workflow
• Lock/Unlock All is powerful with Smart RandomF to add to favorites
What's the difference?
• Favorites: Prompts you manually star for quick access
• History: Automatically tracks prompts you've recently usedP to save as presetShift + R
🎲 Random (All)
• What it does: One prompt from each major category
• Includes: Character, Pose & Mood, Clothing, Props, Environment, Atmosphere, Lighting, Camera, Style, Color Palette
• Excludes: Textures, Output Format
• Best for: Full creative exploration, discovering unexpected combinations
• Typical result: Complete, detailed prompts (100-150 words)
👤 Random Portrait
• What it does: Focused on people - faces and expressions
• Includes:
- Character (2 prompts)
- Pose & Mood (2 prompts, facial expressions prioritized)
- Lighting (1 prompt)
• Excludes: Environment, Clothing, Props, etc.
• Best for: Headshots, profile pictures, character portraits, facial studies
• Typical result: Clean character focus (40-60 words)
• Example:
Character: curious scientist with goggles
Pose & Mood: head tilted slightly to the right, gentle smile with soft eyes
Lighting: evening golden time
🧍 Random Full Body
• What it does: Complete character with outfit and pose
• Includes:
- Character (2 prompts)
- Pose & Mood (2 prompts, full body poses)
- Clothing & Props (1 prompt)
• Excludes: Environment, Camera, Style, etc.
• Best for: Character designs, fashion, full-figure studies, action poses
• Typical result: Detailed character (60-80 words)
• Why no environment? Allows you to add character to any scene later
⚡ Random Action
• What it does: Dynamic scenes with movement and drama
• Includes: Character, Pose & Mood (2 prompts, dynamic motion), Clothing, Props, Environment, Atmosphere, Lighting, Style
• Focus: Dynamic Motion subcategory for Pose & Mood
• Excludes: Static elements (Textures, Output Format, Color Palette)
• Best for: Action shots, sports, adventure scenes, cinematic moments
• Typical result: Energetic, movement-focused prompts (120-150 words)
🏞️ Random Landscape
• What it does: Environment-focused, no characters
• Includes: Environment, Atmosphere, Lighting, Style, Camera, Color Palette
• Excludes: Character, Pose & Mood, Clothing & Props
• Best for: Backgrounds, landscapes, architectural shots, mood pieces
• Typical result: Atmospheric scenes (70-100 words)
• Example:
Environment: mystical library interior
Lighting: dappled light through leaves
Style: warm watercolor style, documentary photography realistic
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Using Quick Presets:
1. Click Smart Random button (✨) in header
2. Select a preset from the Quick Presets section
3. Click Generate
4. New random prompts appear in Final Prompt panel
5. Not happy? Click Generate again for different results
6. Like it? Copy and use in your AI tool
Tips:
• Try each preset multiple times - results vary widely
• Lock specific prompts before generating to keep favorites
• Add custom text - it's preserved during generation
• Use Portrait for faces, Full Body for characters, Landscape for scenes
• Random (All) creates most detailed prompts but takes longer to generate
Keyboard Shortcut: Shift + R opens Smart Random modalL to lock/unlock selected prompt
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Locking Strategies
Strategy 1: Character Lock
Goal: Keep same character, explore different scenes
1. Generate random character (or select manually: "elderly wizard with long beard")
2. Lock the Character prompts
3. Run Smart Random with Landscape preset
4. Character stays, environment changes each time
Use case: "Show this wizard in different settings"
Strategy 2: Style Lock
Goal: Maintain consistent art style, vary content
1. Select and lock Style prompts (e.g., "warm watercolor style")
2. Run Smart Random with Random (All) preset
3. Style stays, everything else randomizes
Use case: "Generate multiple images in same watercolor style"
Strategy 3: Iterative Refinement
Goal: Build perfect prompt step-by-step
1. Generate with Random (All)
2. Review result
3. Lock the 2-3 prompts you like
4. Generate again
5. Lock more good results
6. Repeat until only perfect prompts remain
Use case: General exploration with gradual refinement
Strategy 4: One-Category Focus
Goal: Test variations of one specific element
1. Manually select Character, Environment, Style
2. Lock all of them
3. Unlock only Lighting category
4. Generate repeatedly to see different lighting on same scene
Use case: "How does lighting change this character's mood?"
Strategy 5: Lock All Except One
Goal: Perfect prompt, but one element is wrong
1. Generate prompt you almost love
2. Lock everything
3. Unlock the one category you want to change
4. Generate until that category is perfect
Use case: "Love this prompt but the style is wrong"
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Custom Text Preservation
What is Custom Text?
• Any text you manually type in the Final Prompt panel
• Could be specific details, modifications, or additions
• ALWAYS preserved during Smart Random generation
How It Works:
1. Build prompt with Smart Random OR manually
2. Click in Final Prompt panel
3. Type your custom additions
4. Run Smart Random
5. Generated prompts appear, your custom text stays
Example:
Before Smart Random:
[wearing a mysterious purple cloak with gold embroidery]
[holding an ancient leather-bound spellbook]
After Smart Random (Random Portrait):
Character: curious scientist with goggles [wearing a mysterious purple cloak with gold embroidery]
Pose & Mood: head tilted slightly to the right, gentle smile with soft eyes [holding an ancient leather-bound spellbook]
Lighting: evening golden time
Your custom text is perfectly preserved and integrated!
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Custom Text Strategies
Strategy 1: Specific Details
• Add details not in database
• Example: "[with bright blue eyes and freckles]"
• Smart Random builds around your specifics
Strategy 2: Modifiers
• Enhance generated prompts
• Example: "[dramatic pose]", "[extreme close-up]"
• Adds emphasis without changing core prompts
Strategy 3: Bracketed Placeholders
• Use brackets to identify your text: [custom detail]
• Easy to see what you added vs what was generated
• Helpful when iterating
Strategy 4: AI Tool Parameters
• Add tool-specific syntax
• Midjourney: "[prompt] --ar 16:9 --style raw"
• Stable Diffusion: "(emphasis:1.2)"
• Smart Random won't touch it
Strategy 5: Sequential Additions
• Generate → Add custom → Generate → Add more custom
• Build complex prompts layer by layer
• Custom text accumulates, generated parts randomize
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Combining Locking + Custom Text
The Power Combo:
1. Generate base prompt
2. Lock prompts you like
3. Add custom text for specifics not in database
4. Generate again (locked + custom stay)
5. Lock more good results
6. Repeat until perfect
Example Workflow: "Magical Library Portrait"
1. Generate: Random Portrait
- Result:
Character: curious scientist with goggles
Pose & Mood: head tilted
Lighting: evening golden time
2. Lock character: "curious scientist" stays
3. Add custom: "[surrounded by floating magical books] [wearing a purple wizard hat]"
4. Generate again: Different pose/lighting, but character and your custom stay
- Result:
Character: curious scientist with goggles [surrounded by floating magical books] [wearing a purple wizard hat]
Pose & Mood: eyes wide with wonder
Lighting: backlit silhouette effect
5. Lock good elements: Lock the new pose and lighting
6. Generate again: Everything locked or custom stays, only unlocked parts change
Final result: Perfect prompt combining database prompts (curated) + your specifics (custom) + iterative refinement (locking)
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Pro Tips
Locking:
• Don't over-lock - leave at least 2-3 categories unlocked
• Lock early - easier to unlock later than remember what to lock
• Use Lock All → Selectively Unlock for inverse workflow
• Locked prompts stay even if you switch presets
Custom Text:
• Use brackets [] to clearly mark your additions
• Test with and without to see impact
• Custom text adds words - be mindful of total prompt length
• More specific = better AI results, but less randomization
Combination:
• Custom text for specifics, locking for good generations, randomization for variety
• This three-way combo is the most powerful workflow
• Save configurations with lock states in custom presets
• Experiment - every workflow is different
Troubleshooting:
• If locked prompts disappear: You may have clicked Clear All (bypasses locks)
• If custom text disappears: Report bug immediately (should NEVER happen)
• If generation seems identical: Check if too much is locked
• If results are chaotic: Lock more to constrain randomizationT to open tag dialogCmd/Ctrl + K or click Search
• Type keywords
• Searches across all categories
• Instant results
Advanced search:
• Click "Filters" button
• Combine search with category filters
• Filter by tags, favorites, recency
• Save complex searches
Search tips:
• Search within tagged prompts by filtering by tag first
• Combine search with category selection
• Use quotation marks for exact phrases
• Save frequently-used searches as filter collections
Keyboard Shortcut: Cmd/Ctrl + KS to shareCmd/Ctrl + F - Search library
• I - Import focused prompt
• Like - Like focused prompt--ar 16:9, --v 6
• Focuses on first 60 words most
• Good with artistic styles
• Example: [Your Picture Alchemy prompt] --ar 16:9 --style raw
DALL-E 3:
• Excellent with natural language
• Punctuation optional
• Handles longer prompts well
• Very literal interpretation
• Example: Use Picture Alchemy prompt as-is
Stable Diffusion:
• May benefit from emphasis syntax: (keyword:1.2)
• Comma-separated works well
• Different models have different styles
• Negative prompts helpful
• Example: [Your prompt], (detailed:1.2), (high quality:1.1)
Leonardo AI:
• Natural language works well
• Supports style presets
• Good with specific art styles
• Example: Use Picture Alchemy prompt, then select Leonardo style preset
General Tips:
• Test with your specific tool
• Save tool-specific modifications as presets
• Tag prompts by which tool works best
• Experiment with tool-specific parametersCmd on Mac, Ctrl on Windows/Linux
Global Shortcuts:
• Cmd/Ctrl + K - Open search
• Cmd/Ctrl + / - Open help center
• ? - Show shortcuts cheat sheet
• Esc - Close modal/dialog
Prompt Building:
• Cmd/Ctrl + C - Copy final prompt to clipboard
• Shift + R - Open Smart Random
• Cmd/Ctrl + Z - Undo last selection
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z - Redo selection
• Cmd/Ctrl + D - Deselect all prompts
Quick Actions Bar:
• Shift + R - Open Smart Random modal
• Cmd/Ctrl + C - Copy prompt (then use Copy & New button)
• Cmd/Ctrl + Z - Undo last selection
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z - Redo selection
• L - Lock/Unlock selected prompt
Prompt Management:
• L - Lock/Unlock selected prompt
• F - Add to favorites (star)
• T - Open tag dialog
• S - Share to library
• P - Save as preset
Navigation:
• Tab - Navigate between elements
• Shift + Tab - Navigate backwards
• Enter - Confirm/Select focused item
• Space - Toggle selection of focused prompt
Press ? anywhere in the app to display a quick reference!Can't find what you're looking for? Get started with your first prompt.
Go to Dashboard