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Fundamentals
Beginner
7 min read
Noah Park
December 2, 2024

Mastering Negative Prompts for Cleaner AI Images

Learn how to use negative prompting to remove unwanted artifacts, steer style, and gain precise control over your generations.

Negative Prompts
Cleanup
Fundamentals

Negative prompts tell the model **what you *don’t* want**. They’re essential for eliminating artifacts, avoiding over-stylisation, and achieving a clean final result. This guide explains syntax, common pitfalls, and ready-made check-lists you can paste into your workflow.

1What Is a Negative Prompt?

Most text-to-image models accept a second string that reduces the probability of listed tokens. Think of it as an inverse wish-list: the stronger the weight, the more vigorously the model suppresses those elements.

2How to Structure Negative Prompts

Group related flaws with commas: “blurry, distorted, extra limbs”. Use weight syntax if supported: “text::-1.4”. Place generic quality terms first, scene-specific terms last.

3Ready-Made Cleanup Checklist

A popular baseline: “blurry, low quality, jpeg artifacts, watermark, text, signature, extra fingers, extra limbs, disproportional, mutated, deformed”. Tweak as your style evolves.

Pro Tips & Best Practices

Never contradict your positive prompt (e.g. don’t ban ‘text’ if you asked for typography).
Lower weights first – overly strong negatives can create bland outputs.
Maintain a personal library of negatives for portraits, landscapes, UI mock-ups, etc.
Use negatives to fine-tune lighting too: “harsh shadows” or “washed out colours”.

Practical Examples & Prompts

Example 1

// Prompt:
"Elegant product photo on white background, 50 mm lens, studio lighting, --neg blurry, watermark, text, harsh shadows"

Eliminates the most common e-commerce flaws while preserving crisp detail.

Example 2

// Prompt:
"Epic fantasy character concept art, intricate armour, --neg extra limbs, mutated, multiple heads"

Keeps anatomy believable even with highly detailed styles.

Important Note

Remember that AI image generation is both an art and a science. These techniques provide a foundation, but experimentation and practice are key to mastering your craft. Don't be afraid to break rules and try unconventional approaches!