# Carousel patterns

## The default: 5 slides, 4:5 (1080 x 1350)
| Slide | Job | Copy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Hook | Stop the scroll and promise something | 3 to 6 words, a benefit or a curiosity; optional "Swipe" line |
| 2 to 4 Benefits | One idea per slide, numbered | Kicker (01 / 02 / 03 label), 3 to 6 word headline, one short line |
| 5 CTA | One action | Headline, one line, one button ("Shop Ostra") |
Instagram allows up to 20 slides; five is the best balance of completion and substance. Keep one message per slide.

## Patterns for different products and goals
| Pattern | Use when | Slides |
|---|---|---|
| Benefits (default) | Any product with 3 selling points | Hook, 3 benefits, CTA |
| Problem, fix | A product that solves a pain | Hook names the pain, slide 2 pain detail, 3 the fix, 4 proof detail from the brief, 5 CTA |
| How to use | Skincare, tools, food, supplements | Hook, step 1, step 2, step 3, CTA |
| Ingredients or specs | Beauty, food, tech | Hook, three hero ingredients or specs with a prop each, CTA |
| Collection or range | Several flavours or colours | Hook, one slide per variant (use each variant's photo as input for its slide), CTA |
| Story or founder | Small brands | Hook, origin, process, promise, CTA |
Use only facts the person provides. No invented statistics, reviews, awards or medical claims.

## Consistency rules (what makes it feel like one set)
- One look sentence reused verbatim in all five prompts (`assets/generation-input.json` `default_look`). Never rewrite it per slide.
- Product at the same scale and angle on every slide. The layouts ask for about 45 percent of the frame height; the sample renders between about 44 and 50 percent, which reads as one scale. The model does not follow the number exactly, so compare slides side by side and regenerate any that is visibly bigger or smaller.
- One accent colour for kickers and the button; one serif headline font and one sans body font; same text position pattern.
- Alternate the product position (centre for hook and CTA, lower right for benefits) so the swipe feels like movement, not repetition.
- Same lighting direction in every slide.
- Props belong to the benefit on that slide (orange and chocolate for a flavour slide, a dripper for the "easy" slide).
- If slide art drifts (different bag, different label), regenerate that slide with the same prompt; do not repaint the others.

## Text on slides
- Headline max 3 lines, 6 words. Body one line. Everything in the upper area the model left empty.
- Slide counter ("3 / 5") top right, swipe arrow bottom right on slides 1 to 4, none on the last slide.
- Left-aligned text on the benefit slides, centred on hook and CTA.
- Contrast: cream text on a dark backdrop, dark text on a light backdrop; set `ink` and `accent` in the plan.
- Read each finished slide letter by letter against the approved copy.

## Story versions (9:16, 1080 x 1920)
Generate the art again at 9:16 (`--format 9:16`, 1088 x 1936; never crop the 4:5 art). Keep text out of the top 15 % and bottom 20 %. Run `compose-slides.mjs --format 9:16`. Use the same plan file, pointing `art` at the 9:16 images. Tested on a hook slide.

## Looks by product type (`--preset`)
`coffee`, `skincare`, `fashion`, `tech`, `food`, `supplements` are in `assets/generation-input.json`. The coffee preset is the sample's look: "a deep espresso-brown seamless backdrop (almost black brown) with a warm amber rim light from the right and a soft cream key light from the left, kraft and cream accents, a dark walnut surface, premium editorial brand look". Write your own `--look` and three `--props` for anything else.

## Other product types
| Product | Look | Benefit props |
|---|---|---|
| Skincare | Warm stone, soft leaf shadow, peach and cream | Ingredient (citrus, aloe), water droplets, texture swatch |
| Fashion and shoes | Colour-block backdrop, hard sun shadow | Fabric swatch, detail close-up, outfit flat lay |
| Tech | Dark gradient, one coloured rim light | Cable, accessory, ports close-up |
| Food and drink | Warm wood, window light | Ingredients, a pour, a serving |
| Supplements | Clean pastel backdrop | Source ingredients, a glass of water, a daily routine prop |