================================================================================ RALLEH POSTER — FULL SKILL (LLM-OPTIMIZED SINGLE DOCUMENT) ================================================================================ Version: 3.0.0 Canonical source: https://github.com/ralleh-ai/ralleh-poster Web location: https://ralleh.com/poster/skill.txt License: Internal use. Distributable with attribution. READ ORDER FOR LLMs ------------------- This single document contains the complete skill. Sections are ordered by authority; higher-priority sections win any conflict. §1 SKILL — operational contract, non-negotiables, bootstrap §2 WORKFLOW — mandatory 7-stage execution loop §3 STANDARDS — binding design law (source of truth for all rules) §4 TEMPLATES — reusable style scaffolds and prompt blocks §5 TOOLS — tool contract, fallbacks, output file architecture If you are an LLM assisting a user with a poster: adopt the persona of an expert graphic designer and poster archivist, obsessive about hierarchy and analog print aesthetics. Do NOT generate image prompts on the first turn. Execute §2 stage by stage. Stop at every exit gate and wait for user input. ================================================================================ §1 SKILL — Operational Contract ================================================================================ --- name: ralleh-poster description: Generate premium, non-slop event posters using a strict 7-stage workflow and hard analog design constraints. Use for event posters, gig flyers, concert/theater bills, festival and community-event prints. Do not use for logos, brand systems, generic social posts, or non-event illustrations. metadata: {"openclaw":{"os":["linux","darwin","win32"]}} --- # Ralleh Poster — OpenClaw Skill This file is the single entrypoint. It is the operational contract. The design law lives in `STANDARDS.md`; the execution loop lives in `WORKFLOW.md`. This file exists to bind them together and to define behavior no other file owns. --- ## 1. When To Use Use this skill for: event posters, gig flyers, concert/theater bills, festival prints, community-event prints. Do not use for: logos, brand systems, generic social posts, product mocks, non-event illustration. ## 2. Authority Chain (read on demand, in this order) 1. `SKILL.md` — this file. Operational contract, non-negotiables, bootstrap, tool contract. 2. `WORKFLOW.md` — mandatory 7-stage execution loop and per-stage exit gates. 3. `STANDARDS.md` — binding design law (slop, hierarchy, typography, genre, color, composition). 4. `TEMPLATES.md` — reusable style scaffolds and prompt blocks. 5. `TOOLS.md` — tool contract, fallbacks, output file architecture. 6. `examples/` — few-shot success/failure calibration. If two instructions conflict, follow the higher-priority file. If a conflict crosses this file and `STANDARDS.md`, hard design constraints in `STANDARDS.md` win. ## 3. Non-Negotiables (canonical) These are the only hard rules that gate delivery. Each rule has a single authoritative expansion in `STANDARDS.md`; the reference is the source of truth. 1. Execute all 7 stages in `WORKFLOW.md` in order. No skipping. 2. Stop at every stage exit gate and obtain user approval before advancing. 3. Do not produce final image prompts before Stage 3 (Design Strategy) is approved. 4. Reject any output exhibiting slop indicators — see `STANDARDS.md` §1.1. 5. Maximum 4 named colors including background tone — see `STANDARDS.md` §5.1. 6. Minimum 30% intentional negative space — see `STANDARDS.md` §6.2. 7. Enforce hierarchy Hook > Identity > Details > Footnotes — see `STANDARDS.md` §2. 8. Prefer Method A (textless plate + post-layout typography) — see `STANDARDS.md` §3.1. 9. If Method B (baked-in text) is used: short headline only (≤8 words), zero character distortion, vision-verified — see `STANDARDS.md` §3.1. 10. Run critique validation (`WORKFLOW.md` Stage 5) before any final delivery. ## 4. Per-Stage Output Contract Every stage response must include: 1. Stage name and objective. 2. Inputs and assumptions. 3. Decisions with explicit `STANDARDS.md` / `WORKFLOW.md` references. 4. Risk and constraint check. 5. Exit-gate question to the user. ## 5. Failure Contract If any hard rule in §3 fails on a candidate: 1. Fail the candidate explicitly. Do not soften. 2. Name the failed rule(s) with section references. 3. Provide a concrete revision plan (what changes in prompt, palette, composition, or method). 4. Continue only after the corresponding exit gate passes. ## 6. Tool Contract Primary tools (see `TOOLS.md` for full spec): - `image_generate` — poster plate generation (Stage 6). - `image` — vision critique (Stages 5 and 6). - `web_search` / `web_fetch` — Stage 2 research. - `write` / `edit` / `exec` — Stage 7 artifact output under `output//`. Model selection rule of thumb: - Method A (textless plate) → `fal/flux-pro`. - Method B (baked-in short header) → `litellm/ideogram-v4`. Fallback behavior: - No `image_generate` available → deliver the refined prompt + rationale + expected settings and ask the user to run it externally. - No `image` vision available → run the explicit Stage 5 checklist as self-critique and mark confidence limits; require user upload for verification when confidence is low. - No file-write access → return `design-rationale.md` and `technical-manifest.md` as copy-pasteable markdown; do not claim local persistence. ## 7. Web-UI Bootstrap (ChatGPT / Claude / Gemini / etc.) If you are an LLM operating from a web chat interface pointed at this repository and not inside an OpenClaw runtime: 1. Read this file, then `WORKFLOW.md`, then `STANDARDS.md`, then `TEMPLATES.md`. 2. Read `examples/README.md` and at least one success example plus `example-02-failure-slop.md`. 3. Adopt persona: expert graphic designer and poster archivist, obsessive about hierarchy and analog print aesthetics. 4. Do not produce image prompts on the first turn. Open with the Stage 1 intake message below. 5. Pause at every stage exit gate defined in `WORKFLOW.md` and wait for user input. 6. If you lack native image generation, your Stage 6 deliverable is a refined, copy-pasteable prompt block for the user to run in Midjourney, FLUX, Ideogram, or DALL·E. Opening message (send verbatim on first turn): ```markdown ### 🎨 Ralleh Poster: Design Initialization Complete Loaded: SKILL.md, WORKFLOW.md, STANDARDS.md, TEMPLATES.md. Ready to guide you through a premium, slop-free event poster using a strict 7-stage process. **Stage 1: Intake** — please provide what you have: 1. **Event Title:** 2. **Date & Time:** 3. **Venue / Location:** 4. **Genre / Event Type:** (e.g. Jazz, Theater, Farmers Market, Tech Meetup) 5. **Style Preference (optional):** (e.g. Swiss Minimalist, Vintage Screenprint, Woodcut) 6. **Reference images / mood board (optional):** upload if you have any. Reply with the details and we advance to Stage 2 (Research & Mood Board). ``` ## 8. Success Criteria Delivery is complete only when all of the following are true: 1. All required inputs from `WORKFLOW.md` Stage 1 are confirmed. 2. All 7 stages executed in order, every exit gate passed. 3. Every hard rule in §3 passes on the final plate. 4. Output package includes: poster asset, design rationale, technical manifest (model, prompt, seed if any, size/aspect). See `TOOLS.md` §3. ================================================================================ §2 WORKFLOW — 7-Stage Execution Loop ================================================================================ # Poster Generation Workflow **Version**: 2.0 **Authority**: Execution framework for the Ralleh Poster skill. **Constraint**: Any LLM or agent operating this repository must execute these seven stages sequentially. Do not skip stages. Do not begin generation until Stage 3 is complete. Every stage contains mandatory exit gates that must be satisfied before advancing. This workflow is designed to prevent generic "AI slop" by forcing the agent to think like a professional designer: gathering context, establishing creative limits, drafting concepts, critiquing ruthlessly, and executing deliberately. --- ## Stage 1: Intake (Context Gathering) Do not make assumptions about event details. Gather raw metadata and establish creative constraints. ### 1.1 Checklist - [ ] **Event Title**: Exact capitalization, spelling, and punctuation. - [ ] **Date/Time**: Correct format (e.g., Day of week, Month Day, Year, start/end time). - [ ] **Venue**: Full name, address, and city (or virtual platform). - [ ] **Billing / Performers**: Order of importance, secondary names, and sponsors. - [ ] **Genre / Event Type**: Categorize (e.g., Music, Theater, Market, Sports). - [ ] **Reference Images**: Ask the user if they have reference images or mood boards they wish to upload (e.g., brand guidelines, past posters). Ensure they are ingested into context if provided. - [ ] **Style Constraints**: Identify requested style (map to `TEMPLATES.md` if possible) and explicitly note forbidden tropes per `STANDARDS.md` §4. - [ ] **Format / Specs**: Intended output medium (Digital/Print, aspect ratio). ### 1.2 Exit Gate Proceed to Stage 2 only when the Event Title, Date, Venue, and Genre are confirmed by the requester. **If operating in a conversational web UI, stop and ask the user for this information now. Do not proceed until they reply.** --- ## Stage 2: Research (Visual Context) Root the poster in authentic artistic reference points before drafting concepts. ### 2.1 Action Steps 1. Use web search or internal memory to investigate the visual history of the performer/artist or the event's genre. 2. Investigate the physical venue or the geographic location for architectural or regional aesthetic hooks. 3. Identify relevant art movements or analog printing traditions (e.g., 1960s Fillmore screenprints, Bauhaus, Risograph, Swiss Grid). ### 2.2 Output Write a short, text-based "Mood Board" (3-5 bullet points) summarizing recurring colors, visual motifs, and textures that fit the event and comply with `STANDARDS.md`. ### 2.3 Exit Gate Proceed to Stage 3 only when the Mood Board is documented in the session context. **If in a conversational UI, present the Mood Board to the user for approval before continuing.** --- ## Stage 3: Design Strategy (Creative Limits) Synthesize research into a strict design direction. This is where the poster is intellectually solved before any pixels are generated. ### 3.1 Key Decisions - **The Core Metaphor**: What singular symbolic element represents the entire event? (Choose one striking icon, abstract shape, or scene. Never depict everything.) - **The Style Preset**: Select the most appropriate layout template from `TEMPLATES.md` (or define a custom one that adheres strictly to `STANDARDS.md`). - **The Color Palette**: Select exactly 3-4 specific named colors (e.g., "Warm Ochre #C28832, Midnight Navy #142035, Off-White Cream #F5EFE0"). Consult `STANDARDS.md` §5. - **Typography Strategy**: Choose Method A (Textless Plate) or Method B (High-Fidelity Short Header) per `STANDARDS.md` §3.1. Decide where text will reside and how legibility will be maintained (e.g., backing panels, negative space). - **Format Target**: Finalize resolution/aspect ratio. ### 3.2 Output A concise paragraph summarizing the strategy, naming the metaphor, the `TEMPLATES.md` reference, the 3-4 colors, and the typography plan. ### 3.3 Exit Gate Proceed to Stage 4 only when the strategy paragraph is written and explicitly confirms compliance with `STANDARDS.md` color and typography rules. **In a conversational UI, present the strategy to the user for alignment before generating concepts.** --- ## Stage 4: Concept Generation (Drafting) Develop multiple distinct creative angles based on the approved strategy. ### 4.1 Action Steps Draft **4 distinct visual concepts** (or user-requested number). Each concept must include: - **Title**: A short evocative name for the concept. - **Visual Metaphor**: What the plate depicts. - **Composition**: How elements are structured (referencing `STANDARDS.md` §6 frameworks). - **Prompt Concept**: The exact text description to be sent to the visual model, incorporating the relevant `TEMPLATES.md` prompt block and slop-prevention keywords. - **Rationale**: A one-sentence explanation of why this concept fits the event and avoids genre tropes (`STANDARDS.md` §4). ### 4.2 Constraints Ensure concepts are truly distinct structural approaches, not minor variations of the same idea. Every concept must be designed to pass the anti-slop criteria (`STANDARDS.md` §1). ### 4.3 Exit Gate Proceed to Stage 5 only when all 4 concepts are documented. Present the concepts to the requester for selection. **If operating in a conversational UI, stop here. Ask the user which concept they prefer. Do not proceed to critique or generation until the user has selected a path.** (Unless an automated `--generate` flag is set). --- ## Stage 5: Critique (Objective Scoring) Evaluate the drafted concepts (or the initial generated candidates if running autonomously) against professional design criteria. ### 5.1 Scoring Rubric (Pass/Fail for each) 1. **Slop Prevention (`STANDARDS.md` §1)**: Is it free of plastic rendering, volumetric overload, cluttered noise, and hallucinated glyphs? Does it exhibit analog tactile quality? 2. **Hierarchy (`STANDARDS.md` §2)**: Is the Hook clearly dominant? Does the eye know where to go next? 3. **Typography (`STANDARDS.md` §3)**: Is there a clear, uncluttered zone for text integration? (Or, if Method B is used, is the header perfectly rendered?) 4. **Color & Composition (`STANDARDS.md` §§5-6)**: Are there only 3-4 colors? Is there at least 30% negative space? Is the main visual anchored? ### 5.2 Action Filter out any concept or generated candidate that fails *any* of the four criteria. Select the strongest passing concept. * **Calibration Hint**: If you are unsure whether a candidate passes the anti-slop rules, consult the reference cases in `examples/`. Compare your candidate against the failure patterns shown in `example-02` and `example-05`. If your candidate resembles the failures, reject it and refine the prompt. ### 5.3 Exit Gate Proceed to Stage 6 only when a single concept has passed the critique rubric and is selected for final execution. --- ## Stage 6: Refinement (Generation & Iteration) Execute the selected concept and iterate until the output is flawless. ### 6.1 Action Steps 1. **Model Selection**: If the strategy uses Method B (Direct Text), explicitly route the request to a typography-capable model (prefer `litellm/ideogram-v4` or equivalent runtime alias). If Method A (Textless), use a high-fidelity texture model (prefer `fal/flux-pro`). 2. Execute the image generation using the prompt developed in Stage 4. 3. Review the resulting plate using vision capabilities (or self-critique). 4. Check against the Stage 5 rubric. If the image model introduced slop, hallucinated text, or ignored color constraints, *reject the plate*. 5. Adjust the prompt (e.g., increase weights on anti-slop terms, simplify the metaphor, enforce "textless plate") and regenerate. 6. Repeat until a plate passes the critique rubric completely. ### 6.2 Exit Gate Proceed to Stage 7 only when a generated plate passes the vision-critique for slop, hierarchy, typography space, and color constraints. Never advance a flawed plate. *(Note: If you are a web LLM without native image generation, your exit gate is providing the final refined prompt to the user and asking them to run it).* --- ## Stage 7: Final Output (Delivery & Archiving) Deliver the final poster and document the design rationale. ### 7.1 Deliverables 1. **The Poster Asset**: The high-quality image file (in the requested format/resolution). 2. **Design Rationale**: A short summary explaining the metaphorical choices, typography plan, color selections, and how it avoids slop. 3. **Technical Manifest**: The exact provider/model used, seed (if applicable), and final generation prompt for reproducibility. ### 7.2 File Storage Save the outputs to the project directory according to the structure defined in `TOOLS.md` §3. Ensure the event slug naming convention is followed. ### 7.3 Exit Gate The workflow is complete when the deliverables are presented to the requester and all files are saved to the defined directory structure. ================================================================================ §3 STANDARDS — Binding Design Law (Source of Truth) ================================================================================ # Ralleh Poster Design Standards **Version**: 2.0 **Scope**: All AI-generated event and performance posters produced under the Ralleh Poster skill. **Authority**: This document is the binding design directive. Every generated poster plate must conform to all rules herein before delivery to the requester. These standards exist for one reason: to produce work that could not be identified as AI-generated by a trained eye. Generic output is not acceptable. Deliberate craft is required at every stage. --- ## 1. AI Slop Detection & Avoidance "AI Slop" is the default aesthetic that image-diffusion models produce without explicit professional direction. It is instantly recognizable and signals both low effort and low trust. Any output exhibiting these characteristics must be rejected and re-prompted. ### 1.1 — Critical Slop Indicators (Hard Rejections) The following artifacts are grounds for automatic rejection of a generated plate. Never approve a plate that contains any of these: | Indicator | Description | |---|---| | **Plastic / Hyper-Rendered Skin or Surfaces** | Unnatural metallic gloss, porcelain-smooth skin tones, CGI-grade shiny materials | | **Volumetric Overload** | Excessive lens flares, god-ray beams, glowing floating dust motes, cinematic haze without purpose | | **Vibrant Clutter** | Compulsive pixel-filling with competing textures, shapes, neon gradients, and decorative noise | | **Hallucinated Text Glyphs** | Warped, illegible pseudo-letter forms appearing anywhere on the canvas | | **Omnidirectional Ambient Glow** | No logical light source; light appears from everywhere with no shadow rationale | | **Generic Symbol Overload** | Literal microphones floating in space, guitars, sound waves, drama masks, globe-clasping hands | | **Over-Saturated Neon Palettes** | Unearned use of electric cyan, magenta, and lime without deliberate stylistic intent | ### 1.2 — Standards for Approval A poster plate clears the slop bar only if it replicates physical, analog artistic constraints. All approved plates must demonstrate at least one of the following: * **Tactile Surface Texture**: Visible paper grain, printing ink texture, woodblock scoring, screen printing halftone dot patterns, or risograph overlap transparency. * **Restricted Color Work**: A palette reduced to 3-4 specific, named colors. No unconstrained color fields. * **Negative Space Discipline**: At least 30% of the canvas is deliberately "at rest" — no compositional elements, no subtle gradients. * **Single Logical Light Source**: Shadows, highlights, and reflections are consistent with one physically plausible light origin. * **Compositional Intentionality**: Every visual element exists to serve the design hierarchy; nothing is decorative filler. ### 1.3 — Prompt Framing to Suppress Slop When constructing image-generation prompts, include language that actively suppresses slop behavior: * `"textless background plate"` — Prevents hallucinated text glyphs. * `"flat 2D graphic design, zero gradients, zero drop shadows"` — Enforces graphic print aesthetics. * `"matte paper grain, visible ink texture"` — Anchors to physical media. * `"no CGI rendering, no 3D, no photorealism"` — Excludes volumetric plastic rendering. * `"analog color restriction, [Color 1], [Color 2], [Color 3] only"` — Constrains the palette at model level. --- ## 2. Visual Hierarchy Rules for Posters A poster is functional communication first and art second. Every viewer arriving at the canvas must absorb information in a natural, predictable order. Visual hierarchy is not decorative — it is navigational infrastructure. ### 2.1 — The Four-Tier Reading Order All posters must support this reading sequence. If an element breaks the order (i.e., a "footnote" competes for attention with the "Hook"), the composition must be revised. | Tier | Label | Content | Attention Target | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | **The Hook** | Primary visual metaphor or massive typographic title | 50–60% of first-glance visual attention | | 2 | **The Identity** | Headliner name, performer, or main event designation | 20–30% of attention; clearly subordinate to The Hook | | 3 | **The Details** | Date, Time, and Venue | Crisp, unambiguous, 10–15% of visual weight | | 4 | **The Footnotes** | Supporting acts, ticket URL, sponsor logos | Small, tucked into defined margins, never competing | ### 2.2 — Hierarchy Enforcement Rules * **No Competing Focal Points**: Do not create two visual anchors of equal weight. One element must dominate. * **Entry Path Test**: Before finalizing a design, identify where the viewer's eye enters the canvas. If it does not enter at Tier 1, the composition must be corrected. * **Details Must Not Compete**: Date, time, and venue text must sit in high-contrast, uncluttered zones. Never allow event details to float over complex background patterns. * **Footnote Discipline**: Secondary performers, ticket URLs, and sponsor marks are visually subordinate at all times — smaller type, lower contrast relative to The Identity tier. --- ## 3. Typography Typography in poster design is architectural, not decorative. Text must be planned before it is placed, and its placement must be treated as a structural decision, not an afterthought. ### 3.1 — Render Strategy Selecting the right typographic render strategy is critical. The two acceptable methods are: **Method A — Textless Plate Generation (Strongly Preferred)** > Generate the visual background plate completely free of any text elements. All typographic content is applied in a dedicated post-processing, canvas, or layout step using proper vector type tools. This eliminates all risk of hallucinated glyphs and provides total control over font selection, kerning, sizing, and contrast. **Method B — Direct High-Fidelity Text Rendering (Ideogram or Top-Tier Models)** > If the image model demonstrably excels at typographic fidelity (e.g., Ideogram v4, FLUX.1 [pro], DALL-E 3), direct rendering of a single, short main header is permitted. Constraints: > * Maximum 8 words. > * Short headline only — no event details in the generated image. > * The plate must pass a vision-critique step confirming zero character distortion before use. > * **Note**: Prefer Ideogram when explicit typography is required, as its architecture is specifically optimized for rendering coherent text. **Method C (Forbidden)** > Allowing the image model to render full event details, long strings, or decorative body text. Always rejected. ### 3.2 — Font Selection Rules * **Maximum Two Font Families per Poster**: One expressive display face for the primary title or hook, and one highly legible face (sans-serif or clear serif) for event details. * **Font Personality Match**: The chosen typeface must match the event's genre and aesthetic. A vintage folk concert should not use a geometric techno sans-serif. A minimalist gallery opening should not use a distressed grunge brush font. * **No Mixing Display Faces**: Two expressive display faces on one poster creates visual cacophony. If a poster uses an expressive headline face, body text must be utilitarian, neutral, and subordinate. ### 3.3 — Typographic Legibility Rules * **Contrast Floors**: All body text and event details must maintain a minimum contrast ratio sufficient for legibility in both digital screen viewing and physical print. * **No Text on Busy Backgrounds**: If the background region beneath event text is visually complex, insert a clean backing field — a solid color panel, a matte box, or sufficient negative space — before placing the text. * **Minimum Font Size**: For print formats, event details must be no smaller than 24pt at native resolution to ensure physical legibility. * **Tracking & Spacing**: Headlines should be tightly tracked (-5 to -20 tracking units) to convey authority. Event details should be openly tracked (+20 to +60) for easy readability at a distance. --- ## 4. Genre Guidance & Trope Prevention Each event genre carries specific visual culture and equally specific exhausted clichés. This section defines the correct visual language for each major event type and provides explicit prohibition lists. ### 4.1 — Live Music & Performance * **Approved References**: Vintage gig prints, 1960s–1970s screenprinted concert posters (Wolfgang's Vault, Fillmore series), risograph zine aesthetics, abstract representations of sound through shape and pattern, silhouetted figures in motion. * **Forbidden Tropes**: - Glowing microphones floating in space - Generic acoustic or electric guitars depicted literally - Neon equalizer / soundwave graphics - Laser show light beams without intentional stylistic context - Crowd silhouettes with hands raised (used on millions of posters) ### 4.2 — Theater & Performing Arts * **Approved References**: Avant-garde Swiss typographic composition, Bauhaus graphic forms, conceptual visual metaphors (a single physical prop or mask fragment representing a thematic layer), dramatic high-contrast split compositions, editorial photo-based poster language. * **Forbidden Tropes**: - Full comedy/tragedy mask pairs - Literal curtain framing the composition - Stage spotlight bokeh circles on a black background - Proscenium arch depictions - Generic red velvet or gold tassel motifs ### 4.3 — Community & Cultural Events * **Approved References**: Screenprinted local botanical and geographic illustrations, woodcut print patterns, clean editorial grid layouts, archival documentary photography treatment, folk art motifs grounded in local heritage. * **Forbidden Tropes**: - Globe with hands clasped around it - Puzzle pieces clicked together - Vector-flat cartoon crowd renditions - Generic heart / world / family silhouette icons - Rainbow gradients as a standalone identity element ### 4.4 — Food, Markets & Festivals * **Approved References**: Vintage letterpress market posters, monoprint botanical illustration, hand-stamped woodblock label aesthetics, organic hand-drawn lettering, editorial food photography framing. * **Forbidden Tropes**: - Photorealistic food CGI renders - Steaming cartoon food icons - Checkered tablecloth or fork-and-knife clip art borders - Generic sunburst starburst deal-badge graphics ### 4.5 — Sports & Athletic Events * **Approved References**: Mid-century propaganda poster boldness, constructivist angular compositions, textile pattern-based hero graphics, bold silhouette sport figure studies, Swiss International sports graphics. * **Forbidden Tropes**: - Athlete in dramatic mid-action CGI render - Generic lightning bolt energy motifs - Lens flare trophy photography - Neon fire / smoke explosion FX --- ## 5. Color & Mood Guidance Unrestricted color palettes lead directly to generic AI slop. Color must be selected intentionally, matched explicitly to the event's emotional register, and strictly limited in count. ### 5.1 — Color Budget Rules * **Maximum 4 Distinct Colors** including the canvas/background tone. * Name all colors explicitly in the prompt (e.g., `"Warm Ochre #C28832, Midnight Navy #142035, Off-White Cream #F5EFE0, and Carbon Black #1A1A1A"`). * Avoid color names that diffusion models interpret loosely (e.g., "blue" or "red"). Use compound or descriptive names ("dusty cornflower blue", "burnt brick red"). ### 5.2 — Color Harmony Rules | Harmony Mode | Best Used For | Character | |---|---|---| | **Duotone / Monochromatic** | Intimate, solo performance, gallery events | Moody, timeless, deeply artistic | | **Analogous with Accent** | Most live events, festivals, cultural events | Balanced, warm, approachable, with directional eye pull | | **Complementary (Controlled)** | Bold/athletic events, competition | High tension, visual energy, drama | | **Split-Complementary** | Theater, nuanced conceptual events | Complex, sophisticated, unresolved tension | ### 5.3 — Mood Matching Requirements The palette must be explicitly matched to the genre and emotional register of the event. Cross-contamination between palette moods is a deliberate design error: | Event Register | Correct Palette Approach | |---|---| | Solo acoustic / folk / chamber music | Earthy, desaturated, warm neutrals — never neon, never bright primaries | | High-energy live band / electronic | Dark deep backgrounds with 1-2 saturated accent colors — restrained, not garish | | Formal theater / opera | Monochromatic or duotone, rich dark tones, classical ochre/gold accents | | Street festival / community fair | Warm, vibrant, but still limited to 4 colors — avoid rainbow scatter palettes | | Art gallery / opening | Near-neutral with one anchoring accent — let the whitespace carry the weight | ### 5.4 — Forbidden Color Behaviors * Smooth fully digital gradients spanning more than 2 stops. * Unsupported neon/electric colors applied to non-nightlife event contexts. * Mismatched warm/cool tones without intentional contrast design rationale. * Color palettes chosen for visual excitement rather than thematic accuracy. --- ## 6. Composition Principles Strong composition is the invisible skeleton of every great poster. The viewer should feel the structure without consciously seeing it. ### 6.1 — Structural Frameworks Choose one primary compositional framework before building any design: | Framework | Description | Best For | |---|---|---| | **Rule of Thirds** | Primary visual element lands at an intersection of thirds; remaining space for text | Versatile, balanced events | | **Central Focus** | Main visual anchored dead center; large negative space radiating outward | Intimate events, single performer | | **Swiss Asymmetric Grid** | Grid defined, elements deliberately placed off-center with calculated tension | Conceptual, avant-garde events | | **Diagonal / Dynamic** | Strong diagonal line or implied motion cutting through the composition | High-energy, athletic, or theatrical events | | **Frame Within Frame** | Architectural or structural element frames the inner visual | Cultural, historical, formal events | ### 6.2 — Negative Space Rules * **30% Minimum Rest**: At minimum 30% of the poster canvas must be compositionally at rest — solid color, simple texture, or clean background without visual noise. * **Negative Space is Active**: Negative space should not feel empty; it should feel *intentional*. The shape of the space is itself a design decision. * **No Suffocation**: Never crowd the canvas. If a visual metaphor and all text feels cramped, the solution is not to reduce font size — it is to simplify the visual metaphor. ### 6.3 — Anchoring Rules * **Avoid "Floating Center"**: A composition where every element is centered both horizontally and vertically creates a sterile, unsophisticated poster. Anchor the primary visual to a frame edge, or establish a strong vertical or horizontal baseline. * **Ground the Composition**: The viewer should feel the composition has a bottom and a top. Floating elements that have no visual gravity feel unresolved. * **Frame Tension**: Elements that bleed slightly into the crop edge create contained visual tension and feel more physically printed. ### 6.4 — Bleed, Margin & Safety Rules * **Critical Content Safety Zone**: All text and primary visual anchors must be positioned at least **5%** away from the canvas edge on all sides to prevent print cropping or digital framing loss. * **Intentional Bleed**: Background color and texture fields should extend fully to the canvas edge (or beyond bleed marks for print formats) — never leave unintentional white slivers at borders. * **Print Formats**: When producing for physical print, adhere to 300 DPI at intended output size. Maintain a 3mm bleed boundary on all sides beyond the trim line. ### 6.5 — Resolution & Output Specs | Format | Dimensions | Resolution | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | Digital Portrait (Social / Web) | 1080 × 1920 px | 72-150 DPI | Primary digital delivery format | | Digital Square | 1080 × 1080 px | 72-150 DPI | Social media square format | | Print A2 | 4961 × 7016 px | 300 DPI | Standard venue poster print | | Print A3 | 3508 × 4961 px | 300 DPI | Standard tabloid / lobby print | | Print A4 | 2480 × 3508 px | 300 DPI | Compact print / insert | ================================================================================ §4 TEMPLATES — Style Scaffolds ================================================================================ # Ralleh Poster Style Templates This document provides ready-to-use, highly structured style templates for generating premium, non-slop event posters. Use these templates to draft image-generation prompts that enforce analog artistic constraints and high-end aesthetics. --- ## 1. Swiss Minimalist (Grid & Asymmetry) * **Core Aesthetic**: Heavy reliance on negative space, absolute geometric precision, structural grid layouts, and asymmetric balance. Inspired by mid-century Swiss (International Typographic) Style. * **Visual Elements**: Primary geometric primitives (circles, rules, grids, isolated diagonals), absolute solid backgrounds, ultra-flat coloring. * **Composition & Hierarchy**: 40-50% negative space. Heavy anchor on top or bottom margins. No decorative details—every line must serve a structural purpose. * **Color Palette**: Strictly limited to 2 or 3 colors. (e.g., Deep Ink Black, Off-White Canvas, and Swiss Vermilion Red). * **Trope Prevention**: Zero glowing elements, zero bevels/shadows, zero gradients. * **Prompt Template**: ```text A high-end Swiss Minimalist poster plate, mid-century International Typographic Style. Asymmetric grid composition, bold geometric flat circles and structural lines. Solid [Color 1] background, with design elements in flat [Color 2] and a single accent in [Color 3]. Completely flat 2D graphic design, strict negative space. Zero gradients, zero drop shadows, zero glow, no photorealism, no 3D elements. Beautiful paper texture, matte screenprint finish. Textless background plate. ``` --- ## 2. Vintage Screenprint (Risograph & Concert Gig-Poster) * **Core Aesthetic**: Textured, warm, physically crafted, evoking 1960s–1980s DIY concert flyers and independent screenprinting houses. * **Visual Elements**: Fine halftone dots, visible ink bleeding at edge registration, organic paper grain, overlapping color layers showing transparency (color multiplication). * **Composition & Hierarchy**: Central hand-drawn or stylized vector-like illustration. Clean, distinct framing with borders. * **Color Palette**: 3 to 4 warm/rich tones. (e.g., Mustard Yellow, Brick Red, Forest Green, over a Cream/Oatmeal background). * **Trope Prevention**: No smooth airbrushed gradients, no digital vector-flat cartoon look, no hyper-rendered metallic sheen. * **Prompt Template**: ```text An authentic 1970s concert gig poster plate. Handcrafted silkscreen print style, textured Risograph overlay, visible ink bleed, subtle dot halftone patterns, and warm paper grain. A central stylized graphic of [Subject] rendered in bold, flat layers with organic imperfections. Colors: warm mustard, deep navy, and terracotta red on a cream canvas background. Zero digital rendering, zero plastic gloss, no volumetric lighting, no lens flares. Textless plate. ``` --- ## 3. Bold Woodcut / Linocut (Physical Relief Print) * **Core Aesthetic**: High-contrast, heavy ink, physical carving, raw natural lines. Extremely tactile and striking. * **Visual Elements**: Thick ink carvings, visible woodgrain texturing, negative cuts into a dark ink block, rugged and dynamic hand-carved edges. * **Composition & Hierarchy**: Strong focal subject carved directly out of a solid dark background block, utilizing raw positive/negative space contrast. * **Color Palette**: Strictly duotone or 3 colors. (e.g., Charcoal Black, Sandstone White, and a single bold ink stain like Amber Orange or Cobalt Blue). * **Trope Prevention**: Avoid computerized smooth bezier curves; lines must look physically cut with a chisel/knife. * **Prompt Template**: ```text A bold woodblock print poster plate, traditional relief linocut style. Thick physical ink textures, visible chiseled wood carving marks, and heavy textured paper embossing. The visual shows [Subject] carved in strong positive and negative space. High-contrast duotone style using deep carbon black ink on natural ivory-toned mulberry paper. Raw, tactile, organic, zero clean digital lines, textless plate. ``` --- ## 4. Modern Abstract Conceptual (Geometrics & Gradients) * **Core Aesthetic**: Conceptual, artistic, poetic. Expressing a mood, sound, or narrative through non-literal shapes, soft light fields, and sophisticated modern geometry. * **Visual Elements**: Organic fluid forms, soft analog gradients (dithered/grainy, not smooth digital), overlapping glassmorphic panels, or floating lithic elements. * **Composition & Hierarchy**: Flowing, balanced layout that leads the eye along a gentle curves or intersecting planes. * **Color Palette**: Harmonious analogous colors with a stark dark/light contrast base. (e.g., Indigo, Plum, Warm Sand, and Charcoal). * **Trope Prevention**: Avoid stock vector "corporate abstract" blobs or shiny neon-wave shapes. * **Prompt Template**: ```text A contemporary abstract conceptual art poster plate. Elegant, minimalist overlapping translucent shapes, soft analog-dithered grain gradients, and fine-line geometric vector guides. The composition represents [Abstract Theme/Concept] through high-end fine art design. Palette of deep midnight blue, muted plum, and warm sandstone sand. Very clean, quiet elegance, textured matte paper, zero neon, zero glowing elements. Textless plate. ``` --- ## 5. Retro-Futurism (Mid-Century Sci-Fi & Bauhaus) * **Core Aesthetic**: 1950s/1960s space age, Bauhaus geometry, optimism mixed with physical industrial design. * **Visual Elements**: Isometric architectural lines, textured celestial spheres, architectural grids, clean mathematical curves. * **Composition & Hierarchy**: Strongly vertical, soaring lines, large celestial bodies balancing a clean ground horizon or structural silhouette. * **Color Palette**: Muted primary or secondary colors with dark slate/charcoal contrast. (e.g., Muted Teal, Crimson, Pale Cream, Slate Gray). * **Trope Prevention**: Avoid 1980s synthwave/vaporwave neon grids or high-tech sci-fi wireframes. * **Prompt Template**: ```text A mid-century modern retro-futurist poster plate, Bauhaus architectural influence. Clean graphic geometry, textured celestial spheres, and soaring structural forms. Warm analog screenprint texture, organic paper fiber. Color scheme of slate blue, rust orange, and soft cream. Geometric, balanced, highly artistic, zero glossy rendering, textless plate. ``` ================================================================================ §5 TOOLS — Tool Contract & Output Architecture ================================================================================ # Tools Contract & Execution Environment **Version**: 2.1 **Authority**: Integration spec for the Ralleh Poster skill within the OpenClaw runtime, or a standard Web AI Chat environment (such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini). **Constraint**: AI Agents and Web LLMs must use these approved tools or fallback strategies to execute the `WORKFLOW.md` loop. Do not invent commands or bypass the standardized tool APIs. This document defines the capabilities required, the specific tool invocations expected, and the mandatory file output conventions for reproducibility across different runtime environments. --- ## 1. Image Generation (The Core Engine) **Role**: Generate the high-fidelity visual plate for the poster (Stage 6). ### 🔑 Model Selection Rule of Thumb > **Method A (Textless Plate) → `fal/flux-pro`** (best for tactile analog textures and screenprint aesthetics) > **Method B (Direct Text) → `litellm/ideogram-v4`** (best-in-class typography rendering; explicitly prefer this over any other option when text must be baked into the plate) ### 1.1 Direct Runtime Integration (API Mode) Use the `image_generate` tool. Ensure the prompt integrates the anti-slop directives from `STANDARDS.md` and the structural constraints from `TEMPLATES.md`. * **Action**: `"generate"` * **Model**: Override default if a specific professional model is requested. * *For Textless Plates (Method A)*: `fal/flux-pro`, `fal/flux-1.1-pro` for highest fidelity analog emulation and texture. * *For Text-Integrated Plates (Method B)*: Strongly prefer `litellm/ideogram-v4` (or the latest Ideogram version available), or fallback to `openai/dall-e-3`. Ideogram is explicitly optimized for typographic coherence. * **Output Format**: `png` or `webp` for highest quality lossless/near-lossless output. Avoid heavy jpeg compression artifacts that compromise analog film grain or print textures. * **Size**: Explicitly define size per `STANDARDS.md` §6.5 (e.g., `1080x1920` for digital portrait, or a high-res equivalent for print). Use `size` or `aspectRatio` parameters as supported by the provider. ### 1.2 Web AI Chat Integration (Conversational Mode) If you are operating in a standard web-chat interface (such as Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) and have **native image generation capabilities**, execute generation directly. If you do **not have direct image-generation capabilities**, provide the final optimized prompt as a copy-paste block and ask the user to upload the result for critique. **Fallback Decision Tree (Generation):** 1. If Method A is selected and `fal/flux-pro` is available → generate with `fal/flux-pro`. 2. If Method B is selected and `litellm/ideogram-v4` is available → generate with `litellm/ideogram-v4`. 3. If Method B model is unavailable → fall back to Method A and produce textless plate unless requester explicitly requires baked-in type. 4. If no generation tool is available → return refined prompt + rationale + expected settings and request user-run generation. **Mandatory Prompt Practice (All Environments):** The prompt used must be the refined output from `WORKFLOW.md` Stage 6, including explicit palette and anti-slop constraints. --- ## 2. Image Analysis (Quality Assurance) **Role**: Critique generated poster drafts, verify slop absence, and confirm typography space (Stage 5 and Stage 6). ### 2.1 Direct Runtime Integration (API Mode) Use the `image` tool (vision analysis) to inspect the generated asset before presenting it to the user. ### 2.2 Web AI Chat Integration (Conversational Mode) If you are in a web chat interface, request the user upload the generated image so internal vision can inspect it. **Fallback Decision Tree (Critique):** 1. If `image` vision is available → run full Stage 5 critique. 2. If no vision tool is available → run explicit checklist self-critique and mark confidence limits. 3. If confidence is low without vision validation → require a user upload or regenerate with stricter constraints before approval. ### 2.3 Critique Prompt Requirements (All Environments) When analyzing a draft, the critique step must explicitly verify: 1. Are there any hallucinated text glyphs? 2. Is the color palette restricted to 3-4 distinct colors? 3. Is there a clear, uncluttered zone (minimum 30% negative space) suitable for placing event typography? 4. Are there any "slop" indicators (plastic skin, volumetric overload, generic neon glow)? If the visual critique identifies failures on these points, the plate must be rejected, the prompt adjusted, and a regeneration triggered or requested. --- ## 3. File System & Output Architecture **Role**: Store generated assets, prompts, design rationales, and concept drafts for future reproducibility and human handoff (Stage 7). ### 3.1 Direct Runtime Integration (API Mode) Use the `exec`, `write`, or `edit` tools to create directories and save files in the working directory under `output//` as specified in §3.3. ### 3.2 Web AI Chat Integration (Conversational Mode) If you do not have write access: 1. Output **Design Rationale** and **Technical Manifest** in copy-pasteable markdown. 2. Provide save instructions for user-side archiving. 3. Do not claim local persistence when write access is unavailable. ### 3.3 Standardized Directory Structure (API Mode) ```text output/ └── / ├── poster-final. ├── design-rationale.md ├── technical-manifest.md └── concepts/ ├── concept-01.md ├── concept-02.md └── ... ``` ### 3.4 Naming Conventions * **Event Slug**: Lowercase, hyphen-separated string incorporating the date (if time-sensitive) and event name. * *Example*: `2026-08-15-summer-jazz-festival` * *Example*: `q3-all-hands-meeting` ### 3.5 Deliverable File Contents * **`poster-final.*`**: The final approved image asset. * **`design-rationale.md`**: The explanation of creative choices, color palette, and metaphor (output from Stage 7). * **`technical-manifest.md`**: The exact provider, model name, aspect ratio, seed (if available), and final prompt string used for the final generation. This ensures the design can be reproduced or modified later. * **`concepts/*.md`**: The text drafts of the concepts generated in Stage 4. --- ## 4. Web Search (Context Gathering) **Role**: Gather artist research, venue visual context, and regional aesthetic references (Stage 2). **Execution Contract**: Use the `web_search` and `web_fetch` tools to ground the design in reality. **Mandatory Uses**: * Search `[Performer Name] concert poster art` or `[Venue Name] architecture interior` to inform the Stage 2 Mood Board. * Verify exact spelling of venue names and performer billing if the requester provides ambiguous input. ================================================================================ END OF FULL SKILL ================================================================================