# Packaging mockup guide

## Prepare the art
- Front panel only, square-on, no perspective, no grey surround, no dieline or crop marks. The sample was cropped from a 1024 px render to the green panel.
- 1000 px or more on the long edge. Small text under 12 px tall will not survive; say so and ask for a larger file.
- Keep one panel per run. For a wrap (front, side, back) run each panel as its own image and name the face.
- Text-heavy art (ingredients, regulatory copy, barcodes) will not be reproduced exactly. Mockups should show the front only; drop the fine print before generating.

## Package types
| Package | Phrase for `--package` | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carton, tea or cosmetic box | a tall rectangular carton, portrait proportions, standing upright | Easiest: flat face, art stays undistorted. Say how deep the box is. |
| Rigid gift box | a rigid lidded gift box, lid closed | Mention lid seam; art may span the lid. |
| Bottle, glass | a cylindrical glass bottle with a printed label wrapping around the front | Art curves toward the edges; keep key text in the centre third. |
| Can | a standard aluminium beverage can, upright | Art wraps fully; the front shows about a third of the wrap. |
| Pouch, stand-up | a stand-up pouch with a zip top, slightly puffed, soft creases | Creases will bend text a little; matte film is easiest. |
| Tube | a squeezable tube standing on its cap | Art tapers at the crimp; keep it away from the bottom 15 percent. |
| Jar | a short glass jar with a metal lid and a label on the front | Label looks flat in the middle; text stays readable. |
| Bag, paper | a folded-top paper bag, standing | Give the paper colour. |

## Finishes (`--material`)
- Matte uncoated paper (default): soft diffuse reflection, fine fibre texture.
- Soft-touch matte laminate: velvety, almost no reflection, deep colours.
- Gloss: crisp reflections; use a studio setting with a softbox, and expect glare to hide part of the art.
- Kraft: brown fibre; light art on dark kraft needs a white ink under-print, say so.
- Metallic foil or embossing: describe which elements are foiled. Treat the result with suspicion; check the foil is only on those elements.
- Clear film label: art floats on the glass or product; works with white ink only.

## Settings (`--setting`)
- Stone surface, window light (default): premium, calm.
- Seamless coloured backdrop in a brand colour: catalogue clean.
- Wooden kitchen counter, morning light: food and drink.
- Bathroom shelf with a towel and a plant: skincare.
- Plain white sweep with a soft shadow: marketplace listing.
Keep the scene simple. One or two props, out of focus. Props must not carry readable text.

## Prompt rules
- Describe the art in one line so the model knows what to preserve, then name every string in quotes.
- Say "spelled exactly" and name each string.
- State "flat and undistorted except for the natural curve".
- Ask for "no other text, no logos, no barcodes". Without this models add decorative fake text to sides.
- Say what the visible side looks like (plain, same colour) or it will invent artwork.

## Failure modes
- Misspelt or mirrored text: re-run once with the strings repeated; if it persists, use a larger art crop or the simpler box type.
- Art stretched or tiled: crop the art tighter and re-run; name the package proportions.
- Redrawn details (leaf veins, fine rules): expected at 1 to 2 percent. Report it; do not call it pixel-exact.
- Invented text on the side or lid: strengthen the side description.
- Package looks plastic: say "matte paper" and lower the gloss; avoid bright rim lights.

## Gaps a stranger will hit
- Tall packages (bottles, cans, tubes, tall pouches): use `--shape portrait` (1024 x 1536) so the whole package fits with room above and below.
- Describe what is not on the art. The model invents the body colour, the liquid, the cap, the lid and the sides if you do not. Say "clear glass bottle with amber liquid, black screw cap" or "matte white aluminium can body".
- Wrapping on cans and bottles: the flat art is a wrap. The label is centred on the front, the left and right ends of the art curve away and the wrap is cropped, so keep logos and key text in the centre third and say so ("label centred, key text in the middle third"). Give the wrap as one wide image, or only the front third.
- Transparent-background art (PNG logo, die-cut label): flatten it on the intended base colour first (kraft brown, white, black) and say the base colour in the prompt; transparency is read as white or black by editors and the result shifts.
- Dark art on kraft: say "kraft paper with the art printed in dark ink" and expect a muted result; light art on kraft needs a white under-print and will look duller than the file.
- Multi-panel (front, side, back): generate the front first, then run again with the side art and "three-quarter view showing the front and the left side"; supply both panels as references (`image_urls` takes several) and name which is which. Check that each face carries its own art only.
- Several SKUs in one frame: run one package per image first, then ask for a group with all references; text on the secondary packages is the likeliest to fail, so check every line.