🎨 Image Editing Guide

Master every editing tool to create professional character assets

πŸ“‹ What You'll Learn

StableGen offers three powerful editing approaches: our lightweight Canvas Editor for composition and sketching, Prompt-Based Editing for overall changes and enhancements, and Precision Inpainting for surgical edits to specific areas.

πŸ–ΌοΈ Canvas Editor

The Canvas Editor is designed as a convenient tool for quick compositions and pose sketchesβ€”not a Photoshop replacementβ€”but perfect for setting up layouts that AI can then enhance into professional assets.

Canvas Editor Interface
Canvas Editor Interface

Toolbar

Editor Toolbar

This is where you select your tool. Each icon represents a different editing function available in the canvas editor.

πŸ’‘ Tip: Click on any tool icon to activate it and start editing your canvas.

Tools

Pointer Tool

Select and move layers around the canvas

Shape Tool

Insert colored geometric shapes

Text Tool

Add text overlays and labels

Drawing Tool

Free drawing and sketching

Image Insert Tool

Insert and position images

Zoom Controls and Cropping

πŸ–±οΈ

Use your mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the canvas. You can use zoom controls to expand your image on the canvas - when you save, any parts of the image beyond the canvas boundaries will be cropped out.

⚑ Quick tip: Clicking on the zoom percentage in the bottom left corner of the editor resets your zoom to 100%.

Layers

Layers Panel

Manage the stacking order of your elements. Use the arrows on individual layers to move them up and down in the layer order.

Canvas and Layer Size

Canvas and Layer Size Controls

Adjust the size of individual layers or the overall canvas. To change canvas size, left-click off of the canvas to deselect any layers, then adjust the canvas dimensions. This determines the final size of your editing image.

πŸ’Ύ Quick Save Tip: Click "Save as New Asset" with no prompt to instantly save your canvas work as a completed asset. Perfect for manual compositions!

⌨️ Prompt-Based Editing

Prompt-based editing uses AI to make overall changes to your images through natural language descriptions.

How It Works

  1. Find the asset you want to edit and click "Edit"
  2. Stay on the "Prompt Editing" tab
  3. Write a natural language prompt describing your changes
  4. Choose your AI model (Gemini 2.5 Flash or Seedream 4.0)
  5. Click "Save as New Asset"
πŸš€ Best For
  • Overall style changes
  • Adding or removing accessories
  • Changing clothing or hair
  • Adjusting expressions
  • Background modifications

πŸ’‘ Effective Prompting Tips

βœ… Good Prompts
  • "Add sunglasses and confident smile"
  • "Change hair color to blue"
  • "Professional business attire"
  • "Medieval armor, fantasy style"
❌ Avoid
  • Very long, complex descriptions
  • Contradictory instructions
  • Too many specific details
  • Vague requests like "make it better"

πŸ“· Using Reference Images

You may also include a reference image with your prompt to assist in the editing. You can refer to the included image as the 'reference image' and use it for various purposes.

🎨

Style Reference

Upload an image to guide the art style, color palette, or aesthetic

πŸ‘•

Clothing Reference

Show specific outfits, uniforms, or fashion styles you want

πŸƒ

Pose Reference

Reference specific poses, gestures, or body positions

πŸ“ Reference Image Tips: Use high-quality, clear reference images. Make sure the reference matches what you're trying to achieve. Combine with descriptive prompts for best results. Don't rely solely on reference - add text descriptions too.

🎨 Inpainting

Inpainting allows you to selectively regenerate specific parts of an image while leaving the rest unchanged.

Inpainting Editor Interface
Inpainting Editor Interface

Inpainting Process

  1. Find the asset you want to edit and click "Editor"
  2. Switch to "Inpainting" tab
  3. Paint over areas you want to regenerate
  4. Write a prompt describing what should appear in masked areas
  5. Click "Re-generate with AI"
🎯 When to Use Inpainting
  • πŸ–οΈ Fix hands or faces that didn't generate well
  • πŸ‘• Replace specific clothing items
  • 🎨 Modify backgrounds without affecting the character
  • ✨ Add specific details to particular areas
  • πŸ”§ Fix any problem areas with surgical precision

Inpainting Toolbar

Inpainting Toolbar

This is the inpainting toolbar where you select your masking tool. Each icon represents a different way to paint the areas you want to regenerate.

πŸ’‘ Tip: Click on any tool icon to activate it and start painting your mask.

Inpainting Tools

Brush Mask Tool

Free-form painting for precise masking

Brush Size Adjustment

Control the size of your masking brush

Shape Mask Tool

Geometric shapes for clean selections

πŸ’‘ Inpainting Best Practices

βœ… Masking Tips
  • Paint generously over the problem area
  • Include edges and transitions in your mask
  • Better to mask slightly more than needed
  • AI will blend edges naturally with surrounding image
πŸ’¬ Prompt Tips for Inpainting
  • Be specific about what should appear in masked areas
  • Examples: "red dress", "normal hands with 5 fingers", "sunset sky"
  • Keep prompts focused on the masked region
  • Test different prompts if first result isn't perfect

πŸ’‘ Pro Tips & Workflows

πŸš€ The Complete Workflow

  1. Start with a prompt to generate base character
  2. Use inpainting to fix any problem areas
  3. Open in canvas editor to add backgrounds, text, or compositions
  4. Add reference images if you need specific styles
  5. Final AI enhancement with canvas + prompt for polish

⚑ Quick Wins

  • Save versions frequently - you can always go back
  • Use canvas for pose sketches then let AI fill details
  • Combine tools - don't rely on just one approach
  • Experiment with AI models - each has strengths
  • Keep prompts concise but descriptive
🌟 Remember: Non-Destructive Editing: Every edit creates a new version while preserving the original. Feel free to experiment - you'll never lose your work!
πŸ“š Continue Learning

Want to learn more about creating characters from scratch?

πŸ“– View Getting Started Guide

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