Text-to-Carousel#

Generate professional carousel images from text content using Gemini image generation API.

Requirements#

• Gemini API key with billing enabled (check TOOLS.md or ask user)
• Model: gemini-3-pro-image-preview (REQUIRED for correct Chinese/CJK text rendering)
• VPN: May need US VPN if Gemini returns location errors

Workflow#

1. Gather Input#

Determine carousel content from one of:

• Direct text/bullet points from user
• Article URL (fetch and extract key points)
• WordPress post (fetch via API)
• User-provided topic (generate content)

Collect:

• Brand info: name, colors, style (check TOOLS.md for known brands)
• Product image: URL or path (for CTA slide)
• Slide count: default 6 slides
• Size: default 1024x1024
• Language: detect from content

2. Plan Slide Structure#

For health/product carousels, use this proven 6-slide structure:

#TypePurpose1CoverHook + brand + topic2ProblemWhy reader should care3SolutionHow product/topic solves it4DetailsKey features, data, ingredients5Social ProofTestimonials, results, evidence6CTAProduct image + buy/contact

For other structures, see references/prompt-patterns.md.

3. Write Prompts#

For each slide, write a Gemini prompt following these rules:

Design prompt structure:

text

Create a [SIZE] [STYLE_PRESET] Instagram slide for [BRAND].

LAYOUT:
- Background: [COLORS/GRADIENT]
- [ELEMENT DESCRIPTIONS WITH EXACT TEXT]
- "[SLIDE_NUM] / [TOTAL]" bottom right

CRITICAL: All Chinese/CJK text must be exactly as written above.

Key rules:

• Specify EXACT text to render — quote every Chinese character
• Include slide number (e.g., "01 / 06")
• Reference brand name and consistent color palette
• For CTA slide with product image: attach the image via inlineData in API call
• For style presets and templates, read references/prompt-patterns.md

4. Generate Images#

Use scripts/generate_carousel.py or call Gemini API directly:

python

import urllib.request, json, base64

API_KEY = "..."  # from TOOLS.md
MODEL = "gemini-3-pro-image-preview"  # REQUIRED for CJK text
url = f"https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/{MODEL}:generateContent?key={API_KEY}"

parts = [{"text": prompt}]
# For CTA slide with product image:
# parts.insert(0, {"inlineData": {"mimeType": "image/jpeg", "data": base64_image}})

payload = {
    "contents": [{"parts": parts}],
    "generationConfig": {"responseModalities": ["image", "text"]}
}

data = json.dumps(payload).encode("utf-8")
req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=data, headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"})
resp = urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=180)
result = json.loads(resp.read())

Add 5-second delay between slides to avoid rate limits.

5. Verify Output#

After generation, verify each slide with vision model:

• Chinese/CJK text accuracy (character-level check)
• Design consistency across slides
• Product image visibility on CTA slide
• Brand elements present (logo, colors, slide numbers)

If text is garbled, regenerate that slide. Pro model rarely fails on Chinese but verify anyway.

Model Selection Guide#

ModelChinese TextDesign QualitySpeedUse Whengemini-3-pro-image-preview✅ Perfect✅ HighSlowerDefault choice — CJK contentgemini-2.5-flash-image❌ Garbled✅ HighFastEnglish-only contentgemini-3.1-flash-image-preview⚠️ Untested✅ HighFastTry for English content

Common Issues#

ProblemSolution429 quota exceededCheck billing is linked to correct GCP projectLocation not supportedUse US VPNChinese text garbledSwitch to gemini-3-pro-image-previewProduct image not matchingAttach actual product image via inlineDataInconsistent design across slidesInclude brand color hex codes and style description in every prompt

File Structure#

text

text-to-carousel/
├── SKILL.md                          # This file
├── scripts/
│   └── generate_carousel.py          # Batch generation script (config-driven)
└── references/
    └── prompt-patterns.md            # Design presets, slide templates, tips