How to write prompts for Qwen-Image 2.1

The model does what you write, quite literally. Six rules, each with a real result from a vague prompt and from a clear one. Every image on this page was made by Kokon, first try, same seed on both sides.

The rules apply to Qwen-Image 2.1 wherever you run it, for new images and for edits (2.1 does both in one model, the job Qwen-Image-Edit did for earlier versions): in Kokon, ComfyUI or a hosted API.

Creating images Editing photos Things that just work Cheat sheet FAQ

Creating a new image

01Say what's happening, and where

With a short prompt, the model draws the subject and fills the rest with the most ordinary choice. The action gets lost.

✕ Vague

a monkey playing basketball

A monkey sitting on a post holding a yellow ball, no basketball game

A monkey, sitting on a post, with a football. Nobody is playing.

✓ Clear

Photograph of a monkey dribbling a basketball on an outdoor court, full body, sunny afternoon

The action (dribbling), the place (a court) and the framing (full body). Now it plays.

Describe it like a photo you've already seen: who, doing what, where, in what light.

02Never write "no"

The model reads the words, not the grammar. Writing "no laptop" puts "laptop" in its head.

✕ Negative

Photograph of a minimalist wooden desk by a window, no laptop, no computer

A wooden desk with a closed laptop on it

There's the laptop.

✓ Positive

Photograph of a minimalist wooden desk by a window, the desk is clean and empty except for a small potted plant and a ceramic cup

An empty wooden desk with only a small plant and a cup

Say what is there, and the rest stays empty.

Instead of "no people", write "an empty beach". Instead of "no text", just don't mention text.

03Text goes in quotes, and short

Qwen-Image is great at lettering. Big titles come out right almost every time. Long small lines are where it slips.

✕ Too much small text

…title "NIGHT JAZZ". Below the moon, smaller text "Friday 24 October · Teatro Verdi · 21:00"…

A poster where the small date line is repeated at the top with a typo

The small line shows up twice, once with a typo ("24 ocber").

✓ Short and placed

…Only two lines of text: the title "NIGHT JAZZ" in big bold letters at the top, and "24 OCTOBER" in small letters at the bottom.

A clean poster with NIGHT JAZZ at the top and 24 OCTOBER at the bottom

Exact words in quotes, and where each line goes.

Need a lot of small text? Switch to Quality: at native 2K the long line above came out perfect.

04Details turn "a picture" into your picture

A short prompt isn't wrong, it's just generic. Every detail you add is a decision you make instead of the model.

◐ Fine

a girl riding a bicycle

A girl riding a green bicycle past some trees

✓ Yours

Photograph of a young woman riding a vintage blue bicycle along a seaside promenade, her hair blowing in the wind, a basket of flowers on the handlebar, late afternoon golden light, shot from the side, full body

A young woman on a blue bicycle with a flower basket by the sea at golden hour

◐ Fine

A dog holding a sign that says I ate your homework

A smiling dog holding a sign that reads I ate your homework

✓ A story

Photograph of a guilty-looking golden retriever sitting on a kitchen floor, holding in its mouth a cardboard sign with handwritten black marker text: "I ATE YOUR HOMEWORK". Torn paper scattered around, soft daylight

A guilty golden retriever with a cardboard sign and torn paper on the kitchen floor

The model doesn't get tired of reading. Long prompts in plain sentences work, most important things first.

Editing a photo

Drop in a photo and type the change. Kokon keeps everything you don't mention.

05"Better" means nothing. Say what better is.

The model can't read your mind. Ask it to "improve" a photo and it gives the photo back, almost unchanged.

Original

A bright living room with a yellow armchair, a floor lamp and plants

✕ Vague

make it better

Same room.

✓ Clear

Make the room cozy for a winter evening: dusk outside the window, the floor lamp turned on with warm light, a knitted cream blanket on the armchair, a stack of books and a mug of tea on the rug

The living room at dusk with the lamp on, a blanket on the armchair and books with a mug on the rug

Turn "better" into things you can see: warmer light, a blanket, tidier, more contrast, a sunset.

06Name the thing you want changed

When the prompt doesn't say what, the model picks the most eye-catching thing in the photo.

Original

A bright living room with a yellow armchair

✕ Ambiguous

make it blue

The living room with the armchair turned blue

You meant the walls. It painted the armchair.

✓ Named

Paint the wall behind the armchair a dusty blue. Keep the yellow armchair and everything else unchanged.

The living room with a dusty blue wall and the yellow armchair unchanged

Too many similar things to name? Use Paint area: brush over it and write only the change.

Things that just work

Once the prompt is clear, the model is happy to do a lot at once.

Five changes in one sentence

The same street on a rainy evening, scooter gone, a cat on a chair and a man with an umbrella

Remove the red scooter, make it a rainy evening with wet reflective cobblestones, turn on the café lights, add a ginger cat sitting on a chair, and add an old man with an umbrella walking on the right

"Bottom left corner" means bottom left

The same lighthouse with a small sailboat in the bottom left

Add a small white sailboat on the sea in the bottom left corner. Keep everything else unchanged.

Combine two photos

The sneaker placed on the rug of the living room

Place the white sneaker from image 2 on the rug in image 1, in front of the yellow armchair, with natural shadows matching the room light. Keep the room from image 1 unchanged.

Change the whole style

The same street as an anime-style painting

Turn it into a Studio Ghibli style anime illustration, soft painted backgrounds, keep the same scene and composition

Counts and positions

Three red apples on the left, a green pear on the right, a white jug in the middle

Still life photograph on a wooden kitchen table: three red apples on the left, a single green pear on the right, a white ceramic jug in the middle behind them

A whole scene, every detail

A ramen shop at night with a chef, two customers, lanterns and a cat on a shelf

…On the left an old chef with a white headband pours broth into a bowl. On the right two customers in winter jackets, one laughing. Paper lanterns, handwritten menu boards, a cat sleeps on a shelf in the background…

Camera angles

A breakfast table seen from directly above

Bird's-eye view photograph, straight down, of a breakfast table: a cappuccino with latte art, two croissants, a glass of orange juice, a folded newspaper

Any style you can name

A watercolor fox reading a book under an autumn tree

Watercolor illustration of a fox reading a book under a tree in autumn, soft washes of orange and brown, visible paper texture, children's book style

Cheat sheet

New image

type of image of subject doing what, where, light / time, framing, style

Not every part is needed. Add the ones you care about, most important first. Any language works.

Edit

verb the exact thing into / with what. Keep what matters unchanged.

Words that work

You want	Write
The whole person	full body, wide shot
A face	close-up portrait, 85mm
From above	bird's-eye view, straight down, flat lay
From below	low-angle photograph looking up at…
Blurry background	shallow depth of field
Product shot	plain light grey background, studio lighting, soft shadow
Film look	35mm film, slightly grainy, warm tones

When it goes wrong

Problem	Try
Part of the prompt ignored	Describe that part more, and put it earlier
Something unwanted appeared	Remove its name from the prompt, even after "no"
Text is wrong	Fewer words, in quotes, or switch to Quality
Close, but not quite	Regenerate: a new seed is a new try
Edit changed too much	Add "keep everything else unchanged", or paint the area
Edit changed nothing	Name the object and the new look

Skip tag lists like "masterpiece, 8k, best quality". They don't add quality, they just push everything toward the same dramatic stock-photo look. Describe the look you want in words.

Questions

How do I write a good prompt for Qwen-Image 2.1?

Describe the scene, not just the subject: who or what, doing what, where, in what light, and the framing. "A monkey playing basketball" gave a monkey sitting with a football; "a monkey dribbling a basketball on an outdoor court, full body" gave the game. Plain sentences work, most important things first, and long prompts are fine.

Does Qwen-Image 2.1 support negative prompts?

Not in a useful way. The Turbo model runs at CFG 1, where a separate negative prompt has no effect, and writing "no laptop" in the prompt tends to add a laptop. Describe what should be there instead: "a clean, empty desk with only a plant and a cup".

How do I get correct text in Qwen-Image 2.1 images?

Put the exact words in quotes and say where they go, for example the title "NIGHT JAZZ" in big letters at the top. Big titles come out right almost every time; long lines of small text can be garbled at about 1 megapixel, so use fewer words or render at native 2K.

How should I write edit prompts for Qwen-Image 2.1?

Name the exact thing and the change: "Replace the yellow armchair with a green velvet sofa", "Paint the wall behind the armchair dusty blue". Vague requests like "make it better" return almost the same photo, and "make it blue" changes whatever stands out most. Add "keep everything else unchanged" when an edit changes too much.

Can I ask for several edits in one prompt?

Yes. One sentence removed a scooter, turned the scene into a rainy evening, turned on the lights, added a cat and added a man with an umbrella in a single edit. If one change does not happen, edit the result again.

Can I write Qwen-Image prompts in other languages?

Yes. A descriptive prompt in Italian gave the same picture as the English one with the same seed. Short prompts lose detail in any language.

How do I combine several images in one prompt?

Refer to them as image 1, image 2 and so on, in order, and say what each one gives: "Place the sneaker from image 2 on the rug in image 1, keep the room from image 1 unchanged".

Try it on your own photos

Kokon is free and open source for Windows and macOS. Nothing to set up: it picks the right settings for your computer.

Download Kokon Setup guide