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Agent skill

Photo to Zine Postcard

by Whiplashzeb in Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard

Turns one photograph into a minimal two-sided 2:3 postcard: the original photo above a hand-drawn motif, small metadata and three color swatches, plus a matching back.

MITAuto-check passedMedia & Creative

Install Photo to Zine Postcard

skills CLI
$ npx skills add Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard --skill photo-to-zine-postcard -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard photo-to-zine-postcard --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
photo-to-zine-postcard
GitHub stars
249
Token cost
~3k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,205 words
Files
18 (incl. assets)
Skills in repo
1
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Turns one photograph into a minimal two-sided 2:3 postcard: the original photo above a hand-drawn motif, small metadata and three color swatches, plus a matching back.

  • Works in 12 steps: Name → Goal → Default Format → …
  • Making a printable postcard from a travel or landscape photo
  • SKILL.md covers 1. Name, 2. Goal, 3. Default Format and 4. Fixed Front Structure, plus 15 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

The skill generates two coordinated images from a single source photo. The front keeps the photograph unaltered and in its original aspect ratio in the upper area, with a thin frame, then adds generous blank space, a metadata block on the lower left, one large hand-drawn motif on the lower right, an optional much smaller supporting motif and exactly three sampled color swatches. The back is a unified, functional postcard back.

The default is a portrait 2:3 card, referenced at 100 × 150 mm, on warm off-white paper with a subtle grain. The agent picks the main motif for distinct source identity, appealing color, clear silhouette, strong contrast and elegant shape, preferring things like vivid water, shorelines, mountain silhouettes or plant clusters over dull fragments. The layout is fixed and no extra modules are allowed. The skill is self-contained and tells the agent not to consult other skills; the repository adds sample outputs, a customization guide and examples.

When your agent uses it

  • Making a printable postcard from a travel or landscape photo
  • Designing a sparse zine-style layout around an existing picture
  • Producing matching front and back images for a photo card

Example prompts

  • “Turn my photo of Lake Louise at dusk into a zine postcard, front and back.”
  • “Make a postcard from ./photos/green-door.jpg and pull three swatches from the image.”
  • “Create a printable 2:3 postcard with the original photo on top and a hand-drawn mountain motif below.”

Workflow steps

12 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Name
  2. Goal
  3. Default Format
  4. Fixed Front Structure
  5. Main Photo
  6. Main Motif Selection
  7. Hand-Drawn First Rule
  8. Main Motif Size and Placement
  9. Supporting Motif
  10. Color Swatches
  11. Metadata
  12. Forbidden Front Elements

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 0091403. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Photo to Zine Postcard loads about 3k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 71 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,205 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~71
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~3k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard at commit 0091403, republished under its MIT licence (© Whiplashzeb). 1,205 words, ~3,019 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/photo-to-zine-postcard/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 17 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
photo-to-zine-postcard
description
Turn a user-provided photograph into a minimal two-sided 2:3 zine-style postcard. Preserve the original photo above, then create a sparse hand-drawn source-specific motif, minimal metadata, three sampled color swatches, and a matching functional postcard back.

SKILL.md — photo-zine-postcard-v3.3

1. Name

photo-zine-postcard-v3.3

A compact, self-contained skill for generating a minimal postcard front and back from one source photo.

Use only this document.
Do not retrieve or reference external skills.

2. Goal

Generate two coordinated images:

  1. Front — original photo embedded above, minimal editorial composition below
  2. Back — unified postcard back

The design must remain:

  • minimal
  • airy
  • source-specific
  • visually attractive
  • lightly hand-crafted
  • print-friendly

The source photo remains primary.
The lower area contains one strong visual motif, not a collection of samples.

3. Default Format

  • card ratio: portrait 2:3
  • reference print size: 100 × 150 mm
  • background: warm off-white / ivory paper
  • texture: very subtle paper grain
  • original photo: embedded directly
  • lower fragment style: hand_drawn_first
  • palette: enabled by default

4. Fixed Front Structure

Do not redesign the layout.

Use this structure:

  1. original photo in the upper area
  2. generous blank transition space
  3. metadata block on the lower left
  4. one large main visual motif on the lower right
  5. optional one much smaller supporting motif
  6. exactly three small color swatches near the lower area

Do not add any other visual modules.

5. Main Photo

  • Use the actual source photo.
  • Preserve its exact original aspect ratio.
  • Do not stretch, repaint, replace, or crop it by default.
  • Place it in the upper half, centered horizontally.
  • Add a very thin frame.
  • Leave a small even paper gap between photo and frame.
  • At most one tiny archival tape detail is allowed.

6. Main Motif Selection

The model must first select the most visually attractive and source-defining motif, not merely the easiest object to isolate.

Selection priority

Choose the motif with the strongest combination of:

  1. distinctive source identity
  2. visually appealing color
  3. clear silhouette
  4. strong contrast
  5. elegant shape
  6. relevance to the overall photograph
Prefer
  • vivid turquoise or blue water forms
  • distinctive shoreline contours
  • strong mountain silhouettes
  • expressive plant clusters
  • recognizable window-and-vine structures
  • elegant architectural fragments
  • visually dominant clouds or shadows
Avoid as main motif
  • dull beige fragments when a stronger colored subject exists
  • visually insignificant debris
  • the easiest isolated object if it is not the most attractive
  • low-contrast secondary details
  • fragments that do not represent the photograph’s main visual character
Mandatory rule

When the source contains a clearly dominant color feature, the main motif should normally come from that feature.

For example:

  • turquoise lake photo → select turquoise water / shoreline motif
  • mountain sunset → select illuminated ridge or sky-lit peak
  • ivy window → select window + vine cluster
  • flower close-up → select the flower, not the pot or background

7. Hand-Drawn First Rule

The main motif should be hand-drawn by default when the subject is suitable.

This is not optional styling language.
It is the preferred rendering mode.

Required hand-drawn treatment

Render the main motif as a restrained editorial illustration using one or a combination of:

  • watercolor
  • gouache
  • ink
  • pencil
  • cut-paper illustration
  • painted contour
  • soft hand-rendered texture

The result must:

  • preserve the original silhouette
  • preserve the major internal structure
  • preserve the recognizable identity
  • keep the source color character
  • feel more lively than a raw crop
  • remain clean and controlled
Do not use a raw crop as the main motif when the motif is suitable for drawing.

Good hand-drawn candidates:

  • water shapes
  • shorelines
  • islands
  • mountains
  • plants
  • branches
  • windows
  • clouds
  • rocks
  • simple buildings
  • facades
  • natural contours
Crop fallback

Use a source crop only when exact fidelity is essential, such as:

  • faces
  • hands
  • text or signage
  • precise machinery
  • complex perspective
  • dense repeated detail
  • objects that lose identity when simplified

When using crop fallback, keep it lightly softened and integrated with the paper.

8. Main Motif Size and Placement

The main motif should be clearly visible and larger than in V3 Lite.

Recommended size:

  • width: 28%–38% of card width
  • height: 14%–22% of card height

Placement:

  • lower right
  • lower center-right

The motif must remain subordinate to the main photo, but should feel intentional and substantial.

9. Supporting Motif

Optional only.

Rules:

  • one supporting motif maximum
  • size: 20%–35% of the main motif
  • placed close to the main motif
  • must support the same visual story
  • may be hand-drawn or lightly cropped
  • never equal in size to the main motif

10. Color Swatches

Color swatches are enabled by default.

Use exactly three small swatches sampled from the source photo:

  1. dominant color
  2. dark structural color
  3. pale neutral or accent color

Rules:

  • small and secondary
  • simple circles or rectangles
  • no texture sample cards
  • no large palette strip
  • no more than three
  • placed near the lower edge or near the main motif
  • never replace the main motif

For the turquoise lake example, the swatches should normally include:

  • bright turquoise
  • deep teal
  • pale mineral sand
Show full SKILL.md (442 more words)Show less

11. Metadata

Allowed text only:

  • title
  • optional short subtitle
  • LOCATION
  • DATE
  • small index number

Preferred placement:

  • lower left
  • restrained and compact

Do not add:

  • keyword lists
  • descriptive paragraphs
  • multiple labels
  • phrases such as SHORE / ISLAND / MINERAL / LAGOON / SALT
  • invented metadata such as Unknown or Undated unless explicitly requested

Leave metadata values blank when not provided.

12. Forbidden Front Elements

Do not add:

  • rows of multiple cutouts
  • multiple main motifs
  • texture sample boxes
  • material sample cards
  • image sample grids
  • large color blocks
  • generic circles
  • decorative dots
  • wave doodles
  • badges
  • seals
  • logos
  • keyword lists
  • long captions
  • full-width lower compositions
  • rounded card corners unless explicitly requested

If uncertain, simplify.

13. Back

Generate a unified postcard back.

Include:

  • thin outer border
  • one vertical divider slightly right of center
  • stamp box in the upper-right
  • 3 or 4 address lines on the right
  • large blank message area on the left

Optional:

  • small POST CARD text near upper-left
  • tiny metadata or index near lower-left
  • one extremely faint source-derived watermark

Do not add:

  • large collage
  • large palette
  • decorative sample blocks
  • anything that reduces writing space

14. Quality Requirements

Target:

  • highest detail quality
  • sharp and clear rendering
  • crisp edges
  • refined hand-drawn texture
  • clean paper texture
  • low noise
  • no blur
  • no muddy watercolor
  • no smudged edges
  • suitable for later 4× super-resolution upscaling

Quality requirements must improve rendering only.
They must not increase the number of elements.

15. Priority Order

Always follow this order:

  1. original photo embedded correctly
  2. V3 Lite layout preserved
  3. large white space preserved
  4. choose the most visually attractive source-defining motif
  5. use hand-drawn rendering when suitable
  6. make the main motif large enough to read clearly
  7. optional one small supporting motif
  8. include exactly three small source-derived color swatches
  9. minimal metadata
  10. omit everything else

If any later rule conflicts with an earlier rule, keep the earlier rule.

16. Front Prompt Template

text
Create a minimal portrait postcard front using the fixed V3 Lite structure.

Use the actual source photo in the upper area. Preserve its exact original aspect ratio. Do not repaint, replace, stretch, or crop it unless cropping was explicitly requested. Center it horizontally, keep generous margins, add a very thin frame, and leave a small even paper gap between the photo and frame.

Keep a large blank transition area below the photo.

In the lower area, use:
- one compact metadata block on the lower left
- one large source-specific main motif on the lower right
- optionally one much smaller supporting motif near it
- exactly three small color swatches sampled from the source photo

Select the main motif based on visual attractiveness and source identity, not ease of extraction. Prefer the most distinctive color-rich and elegant feature in the image. When the source contains a dominant color feature, choose that feature as the main motif. Do not choose a dull neutral fragment when a stronger colored motif exists.

Render the main motif as a restrained hand-drawn editorial illustration whenever suitable. Preserve its original silhouette, major internal structure, identity, and source color character. Use controlled watercolor, gouache, ink, pencil, or cut-paper illustration treatment. Keep it clean, sharp, and clearly derived from the source photo.

Use a source crop only when exact fidelity is essential.

The main motif should occupy roughly 28% to 38% of the card width and remain subordinate to the photo.

Use exactly three tiny source-derived color swatches: dominant color, dark structural color, and pale neutral or accent color.

Add only:
- title
- optional short subtitle
- LOCATION
- DATE
- small index number

Leave location and date values blank if the user did not provide them.

Do not add keyword lists, sample boxes, rows of cutouts, image cards, generic circles, large color blocks, wave doodles, badges, seals, logos, or long text.

Use warm ivory paper with subtle grain.

Quality: highest detail quality, sharp and clear, crisp edges, refined hand-drawn texture, low noise, no blur, suitable for later 4× super-resolution upscaling.

Overall mood: minimal, airy, refined, source-specific, lightly hand-crafted, and collectible.

17. Back Prompt Template

text
Create a matching unified postcard back using the same portrait 2:3 ratio, paper tone, thin-line style, and restrained visual language as the front.

Keep it functional and mostly blank.

Include:
- thin outer border
- one vertical divider slightly right of center
- stamp box in the upper-right
- 3 or 4 address lines on the right
- large blank message area on the left

Optionally add small POST CARD text near the upper-left and tiny metadata or index near the lower-left.

Do not add a large collage, palette, sample blocks, or decoration that reduces writing space.

Quality: clean sharp lines, refined paper texture, low noise, no blur, suitable for later 4× super-resolution upscaling.

18. Quick Checklist

Front
  • original photo embedded
  • original aspect ratio preserved
  • thin frame and even paper gap
  • V3 Lite layout preserved
  • large whitespace remains
  • main motif selected for visual attractiveness
  • dominant color feature preferred
  • hand-drawn style used when suitable
  • main motif large enough
  • at most one small supporting motif
  • exactly three small color swatches
  • no keyword list
  • no sample boxes
  • no decorative overload
  • output sharp and high-detail
Back
  • unified functional layout
  • writing space preserved
  • no large collage
  • output clean and sharp

19. One-Line Definition

Preserve the V3 Lite layout, embed the original photo unchanged above, choose the most visually attractive source-defining motif below, render it as a large restrained hand-drawn editorial illustration when suitable, retain one optional supporting motif, and always include exactly three small source-derived color swatches.

© Whiplashzeb, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 17 other files (assets) in the repository root of Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard.

  • SKILL.md
  • CHANGELOG.md
  • CONTRIBUTING.md
  • LICENSE
  • README.md
  • README_EN.md
  • assets/README.md
  • assets/alpine-glow.png
  • assets/blue-arc-lake.png
  • assets/college-garden.png
  • assets/forest-homestead.png
  • assets/green-door.png
  • assets/lake-at-dusk.png
  • assets/turquoise-basin.png
  • assets/turquoise-lake.png
  • assets/valley-current.png
  • docs/CUSTOMIZATION.md
  • examples/README.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 0091403

Compare with similar skills

Photo to Zine Postcard next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

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Photo to Zine Postcard this skillWhiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard249—~3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
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Generate Imageynulihao/AgentSkillOS61810 repos~1.7kAutomated safety check: NotesNone
GPT Image Generation CLIwuyoscar/GPT-Image2-Skill5.7k—~2.5kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
BlockRun Image GenerationBlockRunAI/ClawRouter6.6k—~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Native Transparent ImagegenZSeven-W/craft-skills2251 repos~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

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Categories

Questions about Photo to Zine Postcard

What does Photo to Zine Postcard do?

Turns one photograph into a minimal two-sided 2:3 postcard: the original photo above a hand-drawn motif, small metadata and three color swatches, plus a matching back. The skill generates two coordinated images from a single source photo. The front keeps the photograph unaltered and in its original aspect ratio in the upper area, with a thin frame, then adds generous blank space, a metadata block on the lower left, one large hand-drawn motif on the lower right, an optional much smaller supporting motif and exactly three sampled color swatches.

When should I use Photo to Zine Postcard?

Photo to Zine Postcard fits situations like: making a printable postcard from a travel or landscape photo; designing a sparse zine-style layout around an existing picture; producing matching front and back images for a photo card.

How do I install Photo to Zine Postcard in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard --skill photo-to-zine-postcard -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (the Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard repository) into .claude/skills/photo-to-zine-postcard in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Photo to Zine Postcard in Codex?

Run `npx skills add Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard --skill photo-to-zine-postcard -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (the Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard repository) into .agents/skills/photo-to-zine-postcard in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Photo to Zine Postcard in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard --skill photo-to-zine-postcard -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/photo-to-zine-postcard, .gemini/skills/photo-to-zine-postcard, .github/skills/photo-to-zine-postcard and .opencode/skills/photo-to-zine-postcard in your project.

What does Photo to Zine Postcard need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Photo to Zine Postcard is instructions for the agent only.

Does Photo to Zine Postcard access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Photo to Zine Postcard safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Photo to Zine Postcard use?

Photo to Zine Postcard is published under the MIT licence (from the LICENSE file in the skill folder). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Photo to Zine Postcard use?

About 3k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 12k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Photo to Zine Postcard?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Photo to Zine Postcard: AI Image Generation and Editing (zhayujie/CowAgent, 47k stars), Generate Image (ynulihao/AgentSkillOS, 618 stars), GPT Image Generation CLI (wuyoscar/GPT-Image2-Skill, 5.7k stars) and BlockRun Image Generation (BlockRunAI/ClawRouter, 6.6k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Photo to Zine Postcard?

Whiplashzeb (a GitHub user) maintains it in Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard, which has 249 GitHub stars. The repository was last updated on August 7, 2026.

Source: Whiplashzeb/photo-to-zine-postcard on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.