baoyu-cover-image

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Generates article cover images with 5 dimensions (type, palette, rendering, text, mood) combining 9 color palettes and 6 rendering styles. Supports cinematic (2.35:1), widescreen (16:9), and square (1:1) aspects. Use when user asks to "generate cover image", "create article cover", or "make cover".

11.7kinstalls

Sourcejimliu/baoyu-skills

Added on2026-02-04

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add jimliu/baoyu-skills baoyu-cover-image

SKILL.md Content

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Cover Image Generator

Generate elegant cover images for articles with 5-dimensional customization.

Usage

bash

# Auto-select all dimensions based on content
/baoyu-cover-image path/to/article.md

# Quick mode: skip confirmation, use auto-selection
/baoyu-cover-image article.md --quick

# Specify dimensions (new 5D system)
/baoyu-cover-image article.md --type conceptual --palette warm --rendering flat-vector
/baoyu-cover-image article.md --text title-subtitle --mood bold

# Style presets (backward-compatible shorthand for palette + rendering)
/baoyu-cover-image article.md --style blueprint
/baoyu-cover-image article.md --style blueprint --rendering hand-drawn  # override rendering

# Visual only (no title text)
/baoyu-cover-image article.md --no-title

# Direct content input
/baoyu-cover-image
[paste content]

# Direct input with options
/baoyu-cover-image --palette mono --rendering digital --aspect 1:1 --quick
[paste content]

# With reference images
/baoyu-cover-image article.md --ref style-ref.png
/baoyu-cover-image article.md --ref ref1.png ref2.png --quick

Options

Option	Description
`--type <name>`	Cover type: hero, conceptual, typography, metaphor, scene, minimal
`--palette <name>`	Color palette: warm, elegant, cool, dark, earth, vivid, pastel, mono, retro
`--rendering <name>`	Rendering style: flat-vector, hand-drawn, painterly, digital, pixel, chalk
`--style <name>`	Preset shorthand (expands to palette + rendering, see Style Presets)
`--text <level>`	Text density: none, title-only, title-subtitle, text-rich
`--mood <level>`	Emotional intensity: subtle, balanced, bold
`--aspect <ratio>`	16:9 (default), 2.35:1, 4:3, 3:2, 1:1, 3:4
`--lang <code>`	Title language (en, zh, ja, etc.)
`--no-title`	Alias for `--text none`
`--quick`	Skip confirmation, use auto-selection for missing dimensions
`--ref <files...>`	Reference images for style/composition guidance

Five Dimensions

Dimension	Controls	Values	Default
Type	Visual composition, information structure	hero, conceptual, typography, metaphor, scene, minimal	auto
Palette	Colors, color scheme, decorative hints	warm, elegant, cool, dark, earth, vivid, pastel, mono, retro	auto
Rendering	Line quality, texture, depth, element style	flat-vector, hand-drawn, painterly, digital, pixel, chalk	auto
Text	Text density, information hierarchy	none, title-only, title-subtitle, text-rich	title-only
Mood	Emotional intensity, visual weight	subtle, balanced, bold	balanced

Dimensions can be freely combined. Auto-selection rules: references/auto-selection.md

Type Gallery

Type	Description	Best For
`hero`	Large visual impact, title overlay	Product launch, brand promotion, major announcements
`conceptual`	Concept visualization, abstract core ideas	Technical articles, methodology, architecture design
`typography`	Text-focused layout, prominent title	Opinion pieces, quotes, insights
`metaphor`	Visual metaphor, concrete expressing abstract	Philosophy, growth, personal development
`scene`	Atmospheric scene, narrative feel	Stories, travel, lifestyle
`minimal`	Minimalist composition, generous whitespace	Zen, focus, core concepts

Type composition details: references/types.md

Palette Gallery

Palette	Vibe	Primary Colors
`warm`	Friendly, approachable	Orange, golden yellow, terracotta
`elegant`	Sophisticated, refined	Soft coral, muted teal, dusty rose
`cool`	Technical, professional	Engineering blue, navy, cyan
`dark`	Cinematic, premium	Electric purple, cyan, magenta
`earth`	Natural, organic	Forest green, sage, earth brown
`vivid`	Energetic, bold	Bright red, neon green, electric blue
`pastel`	Gentle, whimsical	Soft pink, mint, lavender
`mono`	Clean, focused	Black, near-black, white
`retro`	Nostalgic, vintage	Muted orange, dusty pink, maroon

Palette definitions: references/palettes/

Rendering Gallery

Rendering	Description	Key Characteristics
`flat-vector`	Clean modern vector	Uniform outlines, flat fills, geometric icons
`hand-drawn`	Sketchy organic illustration	Imperfect strokes, paper texture, doodles
`painterly`	Soft watercolor/paint	Brush strokes, color bleeds, soft edges
`digital`	Polished modern digital	Precise edges, subtle gradients, UI components
`pixel`	Retro 8-bit pixel art	Pixel grid, dithering, chunky shapes
`chalk`	Chalk on blackboard	Chalk strokes, dust effects, board texture

Rendering definitions: references/renderings/

Text & Mood

Text Level	Title	Subtitle	Tags	Use Case
`none`	-	-	-	Pure visual, no text
`title-only`	✓	-	-	Simple headline (default)
`title-subtitle`	✓	✓	-	Title + supporting context
`text-rich`	✓	✓	✓ (2-4)	Information-dense

Mood	Contrast	Saturation	Weight	Use Case
`subtle`	Low	Muted	Light	Corporate, thought leadership
`balanced`	Medium	Normal	Medium	General articles (default)
`bold`	High	Vivid	Heavy	Announcements, promotions

Full guides: references/dimensions/text.md | references/dimensions/mood.md

Style Presets & Compatibility

Style Presets:
```
--style X
```
expands to palette + rendering. See references/style-presets.md
Compatibility Matrices: Palette×Rendering, Type×Rendering, Type×Text, Type×Mood. See references/compatibility.md
- ✓✓ = highly recommended | ✓ = compatible | ✗ = not recommended

File Structure

Output directory depends on

default_output_dir

preference:

Preference	Output Path
`same-dir`	`{article-dir}/`
`imgs-subdir`	`{article-dir}/imgs/`
`independent` (default)	`cover-image/{topic-slug}/`
Pasted content	`cover-image/{topic-slug}/` (always)

<output-dir>/
├── source-{slug}.{ext}    # Source files (text, images, etc.)
├── refs/                  # Reference images (if provided)
│   ├── ref-01-{slug}.{ext}
│   ├── ref-01-{slug}.md   # Description file (optional)
│   ├── ref-02-{slug}.{ext}
│   ├── ref-02-{slug}.md   # Description file (optional)
│   └── extracted-style.md # Verbally extracted style (if no file path)
├── prompts/cover.md       # Generation prompt
└── cover.png              # Output image

Slug: Extract main topic (2-4 words, kebab-case). Example: "The Future of AI" →

future-of-ai

Conflict: If directory exists, append timestamp:

{topic-slug}-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS

Source Files: Copy all sources with naming

source-{slug}.{ext}

(multiple supported)

Workflow

Progress Checklist

Cover Image Progress:
- [ ] Step 0: Check preferences (EXTEND.md) ⛔ BLOCKING
  - [ ] Found → load preferences → continue
  - [ ] Not found → run first-time setup → MUST complete before Step 1
- [ ] Step 1: Analyze content + determine output directory
  - [ ] 1.1 Reference images ⚠️ (if provided)
    - [ ] File path given → saved to refs/ ✓
    - [ ] No path → asked user OR extracted verbally
  - [ ] 1.2 Output directory determined
- [ ] Step 2: Confirm options (5 dimensions) ⚠️ REQUIRED unless --quick or all specified
- [ ] Step 3: Create prompt
  - [ ] References in prompt ONLY if files exist in refs/
  - [ ] Extracted style/palette appended to prompt body (if no file)
- [ ] Step 4: Generate image
  - [ ] 4.1 References verified before generation
  - [ ] 4.2 Pass refs via --ref if skill supports AND files exist
- [ ] Step 5: Completion report

Flow

Input → [Step 0: Preferences] ─┬─ Found → Continue
                               │
                               └─ Not found → First-Time Setup ⛔ BLOCKING
                                              │
                                              └─ Complete setup → Save EXTEND.md → Continue
                                                                                      │
        ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
        ↓
Analyze + Save Refs → [Output Dir ⚠️] → [Confirm: 5 Dimensions] → Prompt → Generate → Complete
                                                 ↓
                                        (skip if --quick or all specified)

Step 0: Load Preferences (EXTEND.md) ⛔ BLOCKING

Purpose: Load user preferences or run first-time setup.

CRITICAL: If EXTEND.md not found, MUST complete first-time setup before ANY other questions or steps. Do NOT proceed to content analysis, do NOT ask about reference images, do NOT ask about dimensions — ONLY complete the preferences setup first.

Use Bash to check EXTEND.md existence (priority order):

bash

# Check project-level first
test -f .baoyu-skills/baoyu-cover-image/EXTEND.md && echo "project"

# Then user-level (cross-platform: $HOME works on macOS/Linux/WSL)
test -f "$HOME/.baoyu-skills/baoyu-cover-image/EXTEND.md" && echo "user"

Result	Action
Found	Read, parse, display preferences summary → Continue to Step 1
Not found	⛔ BLOCKING: Run first-time setup ONLY (references/config/first-time-setup.md) → Complete and save EXTEND.md → Then continue to Step 1

Preferences Summary (when found):

Preferences loaded from [project/user]:
• Watermark: [enabled/disabled] [content if enabled]
• Type/Palette/Rendering: [value or "auto"]
• Text: [value or "title-only"] | Mood: [value or "balanced"]
• Aspect: [default_aspect] | Output: [dir or "not set — will ask in Step 1.5"]
• Quick mode: [enabled/disabled] | Language: [value or "auto"]

Schema: references/config/preferences-schema.md

Step 1: Analyze Content

1.0 Detect & Save Reference Images ⚠️ REQUIRED if images provided

Check if user provided reference images. Handle based on input type:

Input Type	Action
Image file path provided	Copy to `refs/` subdirectory → can use `--ref`
Image in conversation (no path)	ASK user for file path with AskUserQuestion
User can't provide path	Extract style/palette verbally → append to prompt (NO frontmatter references)

CRITICAL: Only add

references

to prompt frontmatter if files are ACTUALLY SAVED to

refs/

directory.

If user provides file path:

Copy to
```
refs/ref-NN-{slug}.{ext}
```
(NN = 01, 02, ...)
Create description:
```
refs/ref-NN-{slug}.md
```
Verify files exist before proceeding

If user can't provide path (extracted verbally):

Analyze image visually, extract: colors, style, composition
Create
```
refs/extracted-style.md
```
with extracted info
DO NOT add
```
references
```
to prompt frontmatter
Instead, append extracted style/colors directly to prompt text

Description File Format (only when file saved):

yaml

---
ref_id: NN
filename: ref-NN-{slug}.{ext}
usage: direct | style | palette
---
[User's description or auto-generated description]

Usage	When to Use
`direct`	Reference matches desired output closely
`style`	Extract visual style characteristics only
`palette`	Extract color scheme only

Verification (only for saved files):

Reference Images Saved:
- ref-01-{slug}.png ✓ (can use --ref)
- ref-02-{slug}.png ✓ (can use --ref)

Or for extracted style:

Reference Style Extracted (no file):
- Colors: #E8756D coral, #7ECFC0 mint...
- Style: minimal flat vector, clean lines...
→ Will append to prompt text (not --ref)

1.1 Save Source Content

If pasted, save to
```
source.md
```
in target directory; if file path, use as-is

Backup rule: If

source.md

exists, rename to

source-backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md

1.2 Content Analysis

Extract topic, core message, tone, keywords
Identify visual metaphors
Detect content type

1.3 Reference Image Analysis (if provided in Step 1.0)

For each reference image:

Analysis	Description
Visual characteristics	Style, colors, composition
Content/subject	What the reference depicts
Style match	Which type/palette/rendering align
Usage recommendation	`direct` / `style` / `palette`

1.4 Language Detection

Detect source language
Note user's input language
Compare with EXTEND.md preference

1.5 Determine Output Directory

Per File Structure rules
If no
```
default_output_dir
```
preference + file path input, include in Step 2 Q4

Step 2: Confirm Options ⚠️

Validate all 5 dimensions + aspect ratio. Full confirmation flow: references/workflow/confirm-options.md

Skip Conditions:

Condition	Skipped	Still Asked
`--quick` or `quick_mode: true`	5 dimensions	Aspect ratio (unless `--aspect` )
All 5 + `--aspect` specified	All	None

Step 3: Create Prompt

Backup rule: If

prompts/cover.md

exists, rename to

prompts/cover-backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.md

Save to

prompts/cover.md

. Full template: references/workflow/prompt-template.md

CRITICAL - References in YAML Frontmatter:

When reference files are saved to

refs/

, MUST add
references
field in frontmatter:

yaml

---
type: cover
palette: warm
rendering: flat-vector
references:
  - ref_id: 01
    filename: refs/ref-01-podcast-thumbnail.jpg
    usage: style
---

Rule	Action
Files saved to `refs/`	Add to frontmatter `references` list
Style extracted verbally (no file)	Omit `references` field, describe in body
Before writing	Verify: `test -f refs/ref-NN-{slug}.{ext}`

Reference Embedding:

Situation	Frontmatter	Body
Reference file saved to `refs/`	Add to `references` ✓	Brief style note
Style extracted verbally (no file)	Omit `references`	Full style description
File in frontmatter but doesn't exist	ERROR - fix or remove	—

Step 4: Generate Image

4.1 Backup existing

cover.png

→

cover-backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.png

(if regenerating)

4.2 Check available image generation skills; if multiple, ask user preference

4.3 Process References ⚠️ REQUIRED if references in frontmatter

Read
references
from prompt frontmatter and process each entry:

Parse frontmatter to get references list:

yaml

references:
  - ref_id: 01
    filename: refs/ref-01-podcast-thumbnail.jpg
    usage: style

VERIFY each file exists:
bash
```
test -f refs/ref-NN-{slug}.{ext} && echo "exists" || echo "MISSING"
```
- If file MISSING → ERROR, fix prompt or remove from references
- If file exists → proceed with processing
Process based on
```
usage
```
type:

Usage	Action	Example
`direct`	Add reference path to `--ref` parameter	`--ref refs/ref-01-brand.png`
`style`	Analyze reference, append style traits to prompt	"Style: clean lines, gradient backgrounds..."
`palette`	Extract colors from reference, append to prompt	"Colors: #E8756D coral, #7ECFC0 mint..."

Check image generation skill capability:

Skill Supports `--ref`	Action
Yes (e.g., baoyu-image-gen with Google)	Pass reference images via `--ref`
No	Convert to text description, append to prompt

Verification: Before generating, confirm reference processing:

Reference Processing:
- ref-01-brand.png: using as direct reference ✓
- ref-02-style.png: extracted palette ✓

4.4 Generate

Call selected skill with prompt file path, output path (
```
cover.png
```
), aspect ratio
If references with
```
direct
```
usage AND skill supports
```
--ref
```
: include
```
--ref
```
parameter
On failure: auto-retry once before reporting error

Step 5: Completion Report

Cover Generated!

Topic: [topic]
Type: [type] | Palette: [palette] | Rendering: [rendering]
Text: [text] | Mood: [mood] | Aspect: [ratio]
Title: [title text or "visual only"]
Language: [lang] | Watermark: [enabled/disabled]
References: [N images (direct/style/palette) or "extracted style" or "none"]
Location: [directory path]

Files:
✓ source-{slug}.{ext}
[✓ refs/ref-01-{slug}.{ext} ... (if references saved)]
[✓ refs/ref-01-{slug}.md ... (description files)]
[✓ refs/extracted-style.md (if style extracted verbally)]
✓ prompts/cover.md
✓ cover.png
[✓ cover-backup-{timestamp}.png (if regenerated)]

Image Modification

Action	Steps
Regenerate	Backup existing → Update prompt file FIRST → Regenerate with same settings
Change dimension	Backup existing → Confirm new value → Update prompt file FIRST → Regenerate

IMPORTANT: When regenerating, ALWAYS update the prompt file (

prompts/cover.md

) FIRST before regenerating. This ensures changes are documented and reproducible.

All modifications automatically backup existing

cover.png

before regenerating.

Notes

Cover must be readable at small preview sizes
Visual metaphors > literal representations
Title: readable, impactful
Two confirmation points: Step 0 (first-time setup) + Step 2 (options) - skip Step 2 with
```
--quick
```
Use confirmed language for title text
Maintain watermark consistency if enabled
Check compatibility matrices when selecting combinations
```
--no-title
```
is alias for
```
--text none
```
```
--style
```
presets are backward-compatible; explicit
```
--palette
```
/
```
--rendering
```
override preset values

Composition Principles

Generous whitespace: 40-60% breathing room; avoid cluttered layouts
Visual anchor: Main element centered or offset left (reserve right for title)
Character handling: Simplified silhouettes or icon-style figures; NO realistic humans
Icon vocabulary: Use simple, recognizable symbols (see references/visual-elements.md)

Title Handling

Source: Use the exact title provided by user, or extract from source content
Do NOT invent titles: Stay faithful to the original
If no title in source and user doesn't provide one, ask user to specify

References

Dimensions: text.md | mood.md Palettes: references/palettes/ Renderings: references/renderings/ Auto-Selection: references/auto-selection.md Style Presets: references/style-presets.md Compatibility: references/compatibility.md Types: references/types.md Visual Elements: references/visual-elements.md Workflow: confirm-options.md | prompt-template.md Config: preferences-schema.md | first-time-setup.md | watermark-guide.md

baoyu-cover-image

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Cover Image Generator

Usage

Options

Five Dimensions

Type Gallery

Palette Gallery

Rendering Gallery

Text & Mood

Style Presets & Compatibility

File Structure

Workflow

Progress Checklist

Flow

Step 0: Load Preferences (EXTEND.md) ⛔ BLOCKING

Step 1: Analyze Content

Step 2: Confirm Options ⚠️

Step 3: Create Prompt

Step 4: Generate Image

Step 5: Completion Report

Image Modification

Notes

Composition Principles

Title Handling

References