Choosing a style, and when to ignore the style picker
What the style buttons really do, and why writing the look into your prompt is sometimes better.
SamImageGenerator ·
Every style in the picker maps to a fixed phrase that is placed in front of your prompt. Photorealistic sends "A photorealistic image of", Watercolour sends "A watercolour painting of", and so on for the whole list. That is the whole mechanism — there is no separate model, no different pricing and no hidden setting behind a style.
When to use the picker
Use it when you want a broad look applied consistently across a batch: pick Anime once and every image in that run shares the same opening. It is also the fastest way to explore — the same prompt through four different styles is four genuinely different pictures for four credits, and that comparison teaches you more than reading about styles ever will.
Ignore the picker and describe the look yourself when you want something the list does not cover, or when you want to mix two things. "A pencil sketch with one object painted in full colour" is a prompt, not a preset, and no picker will have it.
The two never fight
The style phrase always comes first and your text follows. If you pick Watercolour and then write "photorealistic" in your prompt, you are giving the generator two instructions and you will get something in between. Pick the style that is closest, then spend your words on what the style cannot say.
Picking a style for the job
| If you want | Start from | Then add in words |
|---|---|---|
| A believable photo | Photorealistic | lens, light, depth of field |
| Something printable and flat | Minimal or Line art | line weight, palette |
| A character illustration | Anime, Comic or Cartoon | age, outfit, expression |
| A painted look | Watercolour or Oil painting | brushwork, canvas texture |
| A product on a clean background | Photorealistic | studio light, seamless backdrop |
The full list is on the generator screen and on the edit styles page, and every one of them costs the same single credit. If you are working from a photo rather than from text, the style becomes a look instruction instead of an opening phrase — that path is covered in editing a photo.