Generate controlled social-image variants from the CLI

Run a controlled three-ratio procedure

Define one master prompt before opening the terminal. Keep the subject, palette, lighting, background, and visual hierarchy unchanged. Prepare a square command first, then repeat the same model and prompt at 16:9 and 9:16. The current version-pinned CLI accepts `--aspect` or `--aspectRatio`, and its implementation maps only `1:1`, `16:9`, and `9:16` into the generation request.

Redirect each command's stdout to a separately named JSON file, such as `launch-a_01_square.json`. The version-pinned implementation serializes its returned value as JSON. Without a completed wait branch it prints the generation-start response; when `--wait` is present and no upload is required, it calls the wait endpoint with the start response's generation ID and prints that wait response. If a command produces no valid JSON or its outcome is unclear, stop the sequence and require a human decision before any retry. This is a procedural safety gate, not a claim that duplicate-job prevention is built into the CLI.

Keep credentials and processing boundaries explicit

Set `OFFLINECREATOR_API_KEY` in the environment used by the command; do not paste it into the prompt, command arguments, response filenames, or a generation manifest. The versioned package documentation says the key stays in environment or MCP client configuration and that tools do not echo it. The CLI is a thin interface to Studio, so generation still runs through disclosed cloud providers rather than on the local machine.

Review source rights and remove confidential material before generation. Apply the operator's normal access controls to locally saved response JSON and media; this is a handling recommendation, not a claim about undocumented response fields. If the workflow requires on-device processing, this cloud CLI is the wrong execution path; the product page distinguishes Studio's cloud route from the separate LocalForge option.

Choose one image model and keep it fixed

Use `npx @offlinecreator/mcp@0.1.1 models` to inspect the published catalog before the proof. OfflineCreator currently lists FLUX Schnell as a 1-credit text-to-image option for fast iteration, FLUX 1.1 Pro Ultra as a 8-credit option for photoreal detail, and Recraft V3 as a 5-credit option for brand graphics. These are catalog positions and costs, not comparative quality guarantees.

For a controlled set, choose one model for all three ratios. Switching model and ratio together prevents a reviewer from knowing which change caused a different composition. Start with the model whose stated fit matches the deliverable, record its exact ID from the live models response, and do not infer IDs from display names.

Use one prompt with a deliberate composition variable

Write the invariant prompt as a reusable shell variable, then add only the placement instruction needed for each ratio. For example, preserve the same product description, warm-neutral palette, soft side light, matte surface, and restrained background in every run. For the square version ask for a centered composition; for landscape ask for usable negative space beside the subject; for vertical ask for safe space above and below.

Run each command separately: `npx @offlinecreator/mcp@0.1.1 generate --model "$MODEL" --prompt "$PROMPT" --aspect 1:1 --wait`, then repeat with `16:9` and `9:16`. Redirect each response to a different JSON file. The package's published CLI supports `models`, `balance`, and `generate`; `generate` requires a model and prompt, passes the recognized aspect ratio, and waits when `--wait` is present.

Build a labeled contact sheet before selecting

After authorized generation and download, place the three genuine outputs in one review directory with filenames that expose ratio and run order, such as `launch-a_01_square.png`, `launch-a_02_landscape.png`, and `launch-a_03_vertical.png`. ImageMagick's official `montage` tool combines separate images into a tiled composite; its `-label`, `-geometry`, and `-tile` options add filenames, set thumbnail geometry, and control the grid.

The reproducible command is `magick montage -label %f launch-a_*.png -geometry 320x320+12+24 -tile 3x1 contact-sheet.png`. This page documents that procedure; it does not present a completed OfflineCreator contact sheet or claim that three outputs were generated during research. When a real set exists, review subject integrity, palette drift, unwanted text, cropping risk, and the intended copy area at the same thumbnail scale. Keep the individual files because the sheet is a comparison aid rather than a delivery asset.

Choose the next guide by the remaining uncertainty

Return to the creative-workflow directory when the deliverable or access method is still undecided. Use the product-scene guide when the unresolved issue is realistic product framing rather than ratio coverage. Use the brand-graphic guide when the concept calls for a design-oriented image model. This page remains narrowly responsible for a repeatable CLI proof across the three aspect ratios recognized by the current package.

Editorial ownership boundary

This page owns the narrow task of generating and reviewing controlled social-image variants from the OfflineCreator CLI. It should retain exact command syntax, the current ratio contract, and a contact-sheet review method. Broader model routing belongs to the workflow directory, product-scene prompting belongs to its dedicated guide, and general responsive cropping belongs to the responsive-crop guide.