What is Add References - ImagineArt Help Center

Add References gives you six ways to anchor your generations to real visual inputs rather than relying on description alone. Each reference type targets a different dimension of the image — from the overall look to the specific angle of the shot.

Styles

Use any image as a visual blueprint. The AI extracts the aesthetic — lighting, mood, color, texture — and applies it to your new prompt.

Color Palettes

Extract the color scheme from a reference image and carry it into your generation, independent of subject or style.

Characters

Train a reusable identity from reference photos — a person, character, or product — and call it into any prompt by name.

Elements

Pull a specific object or motif from a reference image and inject it into your generated scene.

Effects

Replicate the visual treatment of a reference — film grain, light leaks, atmospheric haze, glow — and apply it to your output.

Camera Angles

Match the perspective and framing of a reference shot — bird’s eye, low angle, close-up — and apply it to your generated composition.

When to use each

	What it controls	Best for
Styles	Overall aesthetic — lighting, mood, texture	Mood boards, consistent campaign aesthetics, art direction
Color Palettes	Dominant colors and tonal balance	Brand color consistency, themed series, editorial work
Characters	Subject identity — who or what appears	Character consistency, product shoots, brand mascots
Elements	Specific objects or motifs	Product integration, prop consistency, recurring visual details
Effects	Visual treatment — grain, glow, grade, atmosphere	Cinematic looks, analog aesthetics, post-processing consistency
Camera Angles	Perspective, framing, and shot angle	Storyboarding, shot-matching, compositional consistency

Combining reference types

You can use multiple reference types together in a single generation. For example:

Use Characters to anchor the subject and Styles to set the overall aesthetic.
Use Color Palettes alongside Effects for tight control over both hue and visual treatment.
Use Camera Angles with any other reference type to lock in both the composition and the look.

Each reference type operates on a different layer of the image, so combining them gives you more precise control without one overriding another.

Tagging images and references in your prompt

Type @ in the prompt box to open the tag menu. It lists the images you’ve added to the prompt bar under Images (named Image1, Image2, and so on), along with your saved Styles and Color Palette references. Pick one to insert it into your prompt as a tag, so you can say exactly where each input should be used. For example: A rainy evening on @Image1 street, cinematic lighting. To add an image to tag, click + in the prompt bar and pick one from your uploads, your creations, or the Unsplash, Pexels, and Pinterest libraries. See Image Prompt for details.