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AI Art QR Codes

AI Art Prompting Guide: Write Better Prompts

7 min read
Updated Feb 10, 2026

The prompt you write is the single biggest factor in how your AI art QR code looks. This guide teaches you how to write prompts that produce stunning, scannable results every time.

Anatomy of a Great Prompt

A strong prompt has four parts that work together:

  • Subject β€” What's in the scene? (coffee beans, forest, circuit board, roses, ocean waves)
  • Style β€” What artistic style? (watercolor, oil painting, 3D render, photograph, pixel art)
  • Mood & Lighting β€” What atmosphere? (warm, dramatic, soft, neon, golden hour, moody)
  • Quality keywords β€” Technical terms that improve output (8k, masterpiece, sharp focus, high detail, professional)

Example Prompts by Industry

Here are proven prompts for different business types. Use them as-is or as starting points for your own custom prompts.

Restaurant / CafΓ©

Artisan coffee beans scattered on rustic wooden table, steam rising from espresso cup, warm golden lighting, food photography style, bokeh background, 8k masterpiece

Wedding / Events

Elegant white roses and gold leaf on marble surface, soft romantic lighting, watercolor effect, delicate botanical illustration style, pastel tones, 8k

Technology / Startup

Futuristic circuit board with glowing neon blue pathways, dark background, cyberpunk aesthetic, sharp geometric patterns, high contrast, digital art, 8k

Nature / Eco

Lush tropical forest with morning mist, rays of sunlight through canopy, vibrant green foliage, nature photography, peaceful atmosphere, 8k

Retail / Luxury

Luxury product display on black velvet, dramatic spotlight, gold accents, premium brand aesthetic, studio photography, sharp focus, 8k

What to Avoid in Prompts

  • Extremely busy textures β€” Prompts like 'thousands of tiny flowers covering every surface' can interfere with QR readability.
  • Very low contrast scenes β€” All-white or all-dark scenes make it hard for the QR pattern to remain visible and scannable.
  • Too much center detail β€” The QR code's finder patterns (corner squares) need to remain recognizable. Avoid placing focal elements directly over them.
  • Human faces as the main subject β€” AI tends to prioritize face generation over QR pattern preservation. Use faces as background elements instead.

Understanding Advanced Settings

QR Visibility (ControlNet Scale)

Controls how strongly the QR code pattern is preserved in the artwork.

  • Higher values (1.5–2.5) β€” QR code is more visible, always scannable. Best for printed materials.
  • Lower values (0.5–1.2) β€” More artistic freedom, more dramatic results, but increased scan risk.

For printed materials, keep at 1.5 or above. For digital use (screens), experiment with 1.2–1.5.

Prompt Adherence (Guidance Scale)

Controls how literally the AI follows your prompt description.

  • Higher values (12–20) β€” Results closely match your description. Less creative interpretation.
  • Lower values (5–9) β€” More creative freedom, results may surprise you.

Start at 10 (default). If output doesn't match your vision, increase to 12–15.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • QR code won't scan? Increase QR Visibility to 1.8 or higher and regenerate. Ensure your prompt doesn't specify very low contrast colors.
  • Result doesn't match prompt? Increase Prompt Adherence to 14–15 and add more specific descriptive terms. Be explicit about colors, textures, and lighting.
  • Result looks too plain? Decrease QR Visibility slightly (try 1.2–1.4) and use a more detailed, descriptive prompt with style and mood keywords.
  • Results vary too much? Use the same prompt and settings, then regenerate. Each generation produces 4 variations β€” one will likely match your vision.

Tips for Iterating

  1. Start with a preset close to what you want, then modify the prompt to add your own twist.
  2. If one of the 4 variations is close but not perfect, regenerate using the same settings β€” you'll get 4 new interpretations.
  3. Use quality keywords at the end of every prompt: '8k, masterpiece, sharp focus, high detail' consistently improve output quality.
  4. Keep QR Visibility at 1.5+ for your first few generations until you understand how the balance works, then experiment lower.
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