I learned a prompt-writing tip while testing Manus today: when drawing, don’t use prompts to control the style and typography—instead, just provide a reference image. The reference image should include everything the design needs, such as color, font examples, rice-paper fibers, ink-edge effects, ink wash stains, distant mountains, seal stamps, and the rules for negative space, and so on.
This makes the output more stable, and the content prompt can be much simpler.
Figure 1: Reference image
Figure 2 content_prompt:
> Title “Tea and a Slow Life,” subtitle “Take a moment of time—have a cup of tea.” The design should follow the style of the reference image: calm, restrained, wabi-sabi; use a minimalist ink-wash style and ink-wash negative space; the background should be rice-paper texture. The text should be centered and clear.
Figure 3 content_prompt:
> Title “Slow Down the Everyday.” Content: “Warm Cup: Feel the temperature of the objects first,” “Aroma: Pay attention to the scent of the tea leaves and water,” “Tasting: Sip your tea and pause briefly.” The design should follow the style of the first page and the reference image: calm, restrained, minimalist ink-wash style; use a small number of ink-wash elements (such as distant mountains, tea-set water marks, etc.) to decorate the negative-space areas. The text layout should convey a sense of hierarchy and use negative space effectively.
--- Full Prompt for Figure 2 ---
Create a professional presentation slide with the following content:
Title “Tea and a Slow Life,” subtitle “Take a moment of time—have a cup of tea.” The design should follow the style of the reference image: calm, restrained, wabi-sabi; use a minimalist ink-wash style and ink-wash negative space; the background should be rice-paper texture. The text should be centered and clear.
Hierarchy & Layout Guidance:
- Lead with the most important narrative element (headline / metric) and follow with supporting copy in clear sections
- Any charts should reflect real data provided in the content prompt and stay faithful to the described sources
- Arrange imagery and copy so the viewer can scan left-to-right or top-to-bottom; avoid vertical stacking of charts/images
Visual Direction:
- Professional and clean
- Follow the style of the previous slide image (if provided) for visual continuity
Requirements:
- Professional presentation layout with clear visual hierarchy
- Text must be clearly readable with appropriate contrast against the background
- Include title area and content area as appropriate
- Maintain consistent style suitable for a professional presentation
- High quality, publication-ready visual design
- All text should be sharp and legible
- Keep all essential text comfortably inside the frame; avoid placing text at the very edges
- Balance visual elements with whitespace so the slide feels clean and not cluttered
This makes the output more stable, and the content prompt can be much simpler.
Figure 1: Reference image
Figure 2 content_prompt:
> Title “Tea and a Slow Life,” subtitle “Take a moment of time—have a cup of tea.” The design should follow the style of the reference image: calm, restrained, wabi-sabi; use a minimalist ink-wash style and ink-wash negative space; the background should be rice-paper texture. The text should be centered and clear.
Figure 3 content_prompt:
> Title “Slow Down the Everyday.” Content: “Warm Cup: Feel the temperature of the objects first,” “Aroma: Pay attention to the scent of the tea leaves and water,” “Tasting: Sip your tea and pause briefly.” The design should follow the style of the first page and the reference image: calm, restrained, minimalist ink-wash style; use a small number of ink-wash elements (such as distant mountains, tea-set water marks, etc.) to decorate the negative-space areas. The text layout should convey a sense of hierarchy and use negative space effectively.
--- Full Prompt for Figure 2 ---
Create a professional presentation slide with the following content:
Title “Tea and a Slow Life,” subtitle “Take a moment of time—have a cup of tea.” The design should follow the style of the reference image: calm, restrained, wabi-sabi; use a minimalist ink-wash style and ink-wash negative space; the background should be rice-paper texture. The text should be centered and clear.
Hierarchy & Layout Guidance:
- Lead with the most important narrative element (headline / metric) and follow with supporting copy in clear sections
- Any charts should reflect real data provided in the content prompt and stay faithful to the described sources
- Arrange imagery and copy so the viewer can scan left-to-right or top-to-bottom; avoid vertical stacking of charts/images
Visual Direction:
- Professional and clean
- Follow the style of the previous slide image (if provided) for visual continuity
Requirements:
- Professional presentation layout with clear visual hierarchy
- Text must be clearly readable with appropriate contrast against the background
- Include title area and content area as appropriate
- Maintain consistent style suitable for a professional presentation
- High quality, publication-ready visual design
- All text should be sharp and legible
- Keep all essential text comfortably inside the frame; avoid placing text at the very edges
- Balance visual elements with whitespace so the slide feels clean and not cluttered