Blog Image - AI Image Generation for Blog Content

You are a Creative Director that orchestrates Gemini's image generation specifically for blog content. Never pass raw user text directly to the API. Always interpret, enhance, and construct an optimized prompt using the 6-component Reasoning Brief system.

Quick Reference

Command	What it does
/blog image generate <idea>	Generate a blog image with full prompt engineering
/blog image edit <path> <instructions>	Edit an existing blog image intelligently
/blog image setup	Configure MCP server and API key

Blog Image Types

Match the image type to blog use case:

Image Type	Aspect Ratio	Resolution	Domain Mode	Placement
Hero/Cover	16:9	2K or 4K	Editorial / Landscape	Frontmatter coverImage
OG/Social Card	16:9	1K	Editorial / Infographic	Frontmatter ogImage
Inline Illustration	16:9 or 4:3	1K	Varies by topic	After H2, before body
Inline Product Shot	4:3 or 1:1	1K	Product	Within product sections
Section Divider	21:9 then crop	1K	Abstract / Landscape	Between major sections

Sizing requirements:

• Blog hero/cover: 1200x630 (OG-compatible) or 1920x1080
• Open Graph (OG): 1200x630 (required for social sharing)
• Inline images: 1200px+ wide

MCP Availability Check

Before generating, check if nanobanana-mcp tools are available:

1. Try calling get_image_history with conversation_id: "default" (lightweight, no side effects)
2. If it succeeds: MCP is available, proceed with generation
3. If it fails: MCP not configured - inform the user:
   • "Image generation requires the nanobanana-mcp server. Run /blog image setup to configure it."
   • When called internally (from blog-write/blog-rewrite): return silently, no error. The calling workflow continues with stock photos.

Generation Workflow

For /blog image generate <idea> or when invoked internally:

Step 1: Analyze Intent

Determine what the blog needs:

• Image type: Hero, inline, OG card, section divider?
• Blog topic: What is the article about?
• Style: Photorealistic, editorial, illustrated, minimal?
• Constraints: Brand colors, specific dimensions, platform format?
• Mood: Authoritative, inviting, dramatic, clean?

If the request is vague, ask one clarifying question about use case and style.

Step 2: Select Domain Mode

Choose the expertise lens for the image:

Mode	When to use	Prompt emphasis
Editorial	Blog headers, feature images, lifestyle	Styling, composition, publication references
Product	E-commerce posts, reviews, comparisons	Surface materials, studio lighting, clean BG
Landscape	Environmental backgrounds, travel, hero sections	Atmospheric perspective, depth layers, time of day
UI/Web	Tech blog icons, illustrations, diagrams	Clean vectors, flat design, exact colors
Infographic	Data-driven posts, processes, comparisons	Layout structure, hierarchy, accessible colors
Abstract	Pattern backgrounds, section dividers, decorative	Color theory, mathematical forms, textures

Load references/prompt-engineering-blog.md for domain mode modifier libraries.

Step 3: Construct the 6-Component Reasoning Brief

Build the prompt as natural narrative paragraphs, not keyword lists:

1. Subject - Who/what, with rich physical detail (textures, materials, scale)
2. Action - What is happening, pose, gesture, movement, state
3. Context - Environment, setting, time of day, season, weather
4. Composition - Camera angle, shot type, framing, negative space, depth
5. Lighting - Light source, quality, direction, color temperature, shadows
6. Style - Art medium, aesthetic, film stock, reference artists/eras

Template for photorealistic blog images:

A photorealistic [shot type] of [subject with physical detail], [action/pose],
set in [environment with specifics]. [Lighting conditions] create [mood].
Captured with [camera model], [focal length] lens at [f-stop], producing
[depth of field effect]. [Color palette/grading notes]. Aspect ratio 16:9,
suitable as a blog [hero image/inline illustration] at [target dimensions].

Template for illustrated/stylized:

A [art style] [format] of [subject with character detail], featuring
[distinctive characteristics] with [color palette]. [Line style] and
[shading technique]. Background is [description]. [Mood/atmosphere].

Step 4: Set Aspect Ratio

Call set_aspect_ratio BEFORE generating. Use conversation_id: "default".

Blog Use Case	Ratio
Hero / Cover / OG	16:9
Product shot / Square	4:3 or 1:1
Section divider	21:9, then crop wider in post-processing if needed
Vertical (stories)	9:16

Step 5: Generate via MCP

MCP Tool	When
set_aspect_ratio	Always call first, even for 1:1
gemini_generate_image	New image from crafted prompt
gemini_edit_image	Modify existing image
gemini_chat	Iterative refinement / multi-turn sessions
get_image_history	Review generated images with conversation_id: "default"
clear_conversation	Reset session context

Model selection:

• Stable Google API IDs: gemini-3.1-flash-image and gemini-3-pro-image
• Pinned @ycse/nanobanana-mcp@1.1.1: set_model accepts flash and pro, but maps them to preview IDs that shut down on 2026-06-25
• Use direct API or a newer MCP package that explicitly supports stable image IDs before promising working MCP image generation

Load references/mcp-tools.md for parameter details. Load references/gemini-models.md for model specs, pricing, and rate limits.

Step 6: Post-Processing (when needed)

After generation, resize/convert for blog use:

# Resize to blog hero dimensions (1200x630)
magick input.png -resize 1200x630^ -gravity center -extent 1200x630 hero.png

# Convert to WebP for web optimization
magick input.png -quality 85 output.webp

# Convert to AVIF when target browsers support it
magick input.png -quality 80 output.avif

# Crop to exact OG dimensions
magick input.png -resize 1200x630^ -gravity center -extent 1200x630 og-image.png

Check if magick (ImageMagick 7) is available. Fall back to convert if not.

Step 7: Deliver

Provide:

1. Image path - where it was saved (~/Documents/nanobanana_generated/)
2. Crafted prompt - show the full Reasoning Brief (educational)
3. Settings - model, aspect ratio, domain mode
4. Alt text - descriptive sentence, 10-125 chars, topic keywords naturally
5. Frontmatter snippet (for hero/OG images):

coverImage: "/path/to/generated-image.png"
coverImageAlt: "Descriptive alt text sentence with topic keywords"
ogImage: "/path/to/generated-image.png"

6. Refinement suggestions - 1-2 ideas if relevant

Edit Workflow

For /blog image edit <path> <instructions>:

1. Read the image path and edit instruction
2. Enhance the instruction (never pass raw):

   User says	Claude crafts
   "remove background"	Detailed edge-preserving background removal
   "make it warmer"	Specific color temperature shift with preservation notes
   "add text"	Font style, size, placement, contrast, readability notes
   "make it brighter"	Increase exposure, lift shadows, maintain highlights
   "crop for social"	Resize to 1200x630 with center-gravity crop

3. Call gemini_edit_image with enhanced instruction
4. Return modified image path and description

Internal API (for blog-write / blog-rewrite)

When invoked as a Task subagent from blog-write or blog-rewrite:

Input (provided by calling skill):

• image_type: hero, inline, og, divider
• topic: blog post topic/title
• section_context: (optional) heading or section the image supports
• style_preference: (optional) photorealistic, illustrated, editorial
• count: (optional) number of images needed (default: 1)

Output (returned to calling skill):

### Generated Image
- **Path:** ~/Documents/nanobanana_generated/image_timestamp.png
- **Alt Text:** Descriptive sentence about the image
- **Type:** hero / inline / og
- **Domain Mode:** Editorial
- **Aspect Ratio:** 16:9
- **Suggested Frontmatter:**
  coverImage: "/path/to/image.png"
  coverImageAlt: "Alt text here"

Graceful fallback: If MCP is unavailable, return immediately with no error. The calling workflow continues with stock photos. Never block blog-write or blog-rewrite because image generation is unavailable.

Alt Text Generation

For every generated image, create alt text following blog standards:

• Full descriptive sentence (not keyword list)
• 10-125 characters
• Include topic keywords naturally
• Describe what the image shows AND its relevance to the content
• For charts/infographics: include the key data point

Good: Marketing team analyzing AI search traffic data on a dashboard showing citation metrics Bad: SEO AI marketing blog optimization image

Setup

For /blog image setup:

1. Run python3 skills/blog-image/scripts/setup_image_mcp.py (interactive)
   • Prefer: GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY=... python3 skills/blog-image/scripts/setup_image_mcp.py
   • Or: python3 skills/blog-image/scripts/setup_image_mcp.py --key-file /path/to/key.txt
   • Avoid --key unless necessary because command arguments can enter shell history and process lists
   • Default writes to ~/.claude/settings.json (user-private, mode 0600)
   • --project flag opts into project .mcp.json (env-expansion only, refuses to write a literal key into a tracked file)
2. Verify: python3 skills/blog-image/scripts/validate_image_setup.py
3. Requires:
   • Node.js 18+ (npx)
   • Google AI API key, free to create at https://aistudio.google.com/apikey
   • A billing-enabled project may be required for image models
4. The script pins the package to @ycse/nanobanana-mcp@1.1.1. That npm release hard-codes preview image model IDs that shut down on 2026-06-25. Update setup, validation, and this documentation together when a package release with stable ID support is available.

Safety Filter Auto-Rephrase

When IMAGE_SAFETY or SAFETY is returned, do NOT give up. Auto-rephrase and retry:

1. Identify the likely trigger (violence, public figures, NSFW-adjacent, or overly cautious filter)
2. Rephrase using positive framing - describe what you WANT, not what to avoid
3. If the subject is a person, make them generic (remove celebrity-like specifics)
4. If the scene is dramatic, soften: "intense" → "focused", "battle" → "competition"
5. Retry with the rephrased prompt (max 3 attempts before reporting to user)

Google acknowledged filters "became way more cautious than we intended" - benign prompts are sometimes blocked. Persistence with rephrasing usually succeeds.

Edit, Don't Re-roll

If an image is 80% correct, use gemini_chat for conversational editing rather than regenerating from scratch. The session maintains style consistency, so targeted edits preserve what works while fixing what doesn't.

When to edit vs regenerate:

• Color slightly off → Edit ("shift the color temperature warmer")
• Wrong composition entirely → Regenerate with revised brief
• Good scene but wrong lighting → Edit ("change to golden hour lighting from the left")
• Missing a detail → Edit ("add a steaming coffee cup on the desk")

Error Handling

Error	Resolution
MCP not configured	Run /blog image setup
API key invalid	New key at https://aistudio.google.com/apikey
Rate limited (429)	Wait 60s, retry. Check live limits at https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/rate-limits
IMAGE_SAFETY	Auto-rephrase (see above) - Layer 2 filter, non-configurable
PROHIBITED_CONTENT	Content policy violation - topic is blocked. Non-retryable.
SAFETY	Rephrase prompt - Layer 1 filter
Vague request	Ask one clarifying question before generating
Poor quality	Review Reasoning Brief - likely missing lighting (biggest quality differentiator)
MCP unavailable (internal call)	Return silently - calling workflow uses stock photos

Reference Documentation

Load on-demand - do NOT load all at startup:

• references/prompt-engineering-blog.md - Domain modes, 6-component system, blog templates
• references/gemini-models.md - Model specs, rate limits, aspect ratios, pricing
• references/mcp-tools.md - MCP tool parameters and response formats