Leonardo AI Cheat Sheet
A quick reference for Leonardo AI: generation modes, models, Elements, image guidance, and the settings that control your results. Searchable and printable.
Ways to create
| Feature | Description | Example / tip |
|---|---|---|
| Create images from a text prompt. | isometric cozy coffee shop, soft lighting | |
| Use a reference image to guide a new one. | Upload a sketch, generate a finished render | |
| Draw and see AI fill it in live as you go. | Rough shapes in, polished art out | |
| Turn a generated image into a short video clip. | Add gentle motion to a landscape | |
| Increase resolution and add detail to any image. | Upscale to print quality |
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Models & controls
| Feature | Description | Example / tip |
|---|---|---|
| Pick the base model for the style and fidelity you want. | Phoenix for prompt accuracy | |
| Stack style modifiers on top of any model and dial their strength. | Add a 'Toon Pastel' element at 0.5 | |
| ControlNet-style guidance - match pose, depth, edges or composition from a reference. | Match the pose of an uploaded photo | |
| Pipelines that boost coherence, contrast and prompt adherence. | Turn on for sharper, richer results |
Settings that shape the result
| Feature | Description | Example / tip |
|---|---|---|
| How strictly it follows your prompt. Higher is more literal, lower is more creative. | 5-9 for a good balance | |
| List what to avoid. | blurry, extra fingers, text, watermark | |
| Set the output size and shape. | 16:9 for wallpapers, 2:3 for portraits | |
| Reuse a seed to reproduce or subtly vary an image. | Fix the seed, then tweak the prompt | |
| Subject, style, lighting, detail - specific beats long. | a fox, papercraft style, studio light, high detail |
Frequently asked questions
What are Elements in Leonardo AI?
Elements are reusable style modifiers you layer on top of a model and control with a strength slider. They are the quickest way to apply a consistent look - like a particular illustration or texture style - across many generations.
What does Image Guidance do?
It lets a reference image steer the result using controls like pose, depth, edges or composition (similar to ControlNet). It is how you keep a specific layout or character pose while changing the style or content.
How do I get sharper, more accurate images?
Turn on the enhancement pipelines (Alchemy / Prompt Magic), raise the guidance scale a little so it follows your prompt more closely, add a negative prompt to remove common artifacts, and upscale the final image.
Is Leonardo AI free?
Leonardo offers a free daily allotment of credits. Paid plans add more credits, faster generation, higher resolution and commercial usage.
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