Why does the model sometimes add new elements anyway?

The model has a creative bias. To enforce strictness, repeat "do NOT add new structures" near the end of the prompt and use the polish-neurips-diagram template style.

Can it preserve a specific color from the input image?

Yes — say "Preserve the original purple block color exactly" and reference what it represents.

PromptsPolish

PolishImage → ImageLow creditEN

Refine Color & Typography (Image-to-Image)

Polish an existing diagram into publication quality without redesigning it.

When to use this prompt

When you already have a draft figure (PowerPoint export, screenshot, hand-drawn) and need it cleaned up to match journal standards.

The prompt

Refine this diagram with a cohesive academic color palette, improved font hierarchy, consistent line weights, and balanced whitespace.

Preserve:
- Overall layout and spatial relationships
- All labels and their wording
- Arrow directions and connections
- Scientific content

Improve:
- Color palette: switch to a restrained academic palette (deep navy, teal, light gray) with one accent color for the most important element.
- Typography: use one clean sans-serif throughout; titles 14pt, labels 10pt, annotations 8pt.
- Line weights: thin 0.75pt for connectors, medium 1.5pt for main flow arrows.
- Whitespace: add 8pt padding inside boxes; align elements to a consistent grid.

Subtly add a single accent color to draw the reader's eye to the key result. Do not add new structures, do not redesign, do not relabel. Output should look publication-ready for a top-conference submission.

Variations

Strict-preserve micro-edit

Refine this image. Preserve everything exactly except: (1) replace label "S8" with "Ss" in the same font / size / color; (2) apply a subtle 45-degree diagonal light-gray pattern to the canvas background covering the full canvas at low contrast.

Upgrade to Nature-style

Upgrade to Nature-journal styling: white background, single accent color (deep blue), serif titles, sans-serif labels, fine line weights. No gradients, no shadows. Keep all original content intact.

Tips

Always say "Preserve …" first. Without explicit preservation, models redesign aggressively.
List the exact properties to change. "Improve typography" is too vague; "use sans-serif at 10pt" is actionable.
For strict micro-edits, repeat "Do not change anything else" in 2 separate places in the prompt.