The guide · playbook
Make Instagram carousels with ChatGPT Image 2.
Most people use ChatGPT Image 2 the wrong way — they ask it to "make a carousel" in one giant prompt, get random-looking slides, then blame the model. The better way is simple: references → exact copy → slide 1 variants → anchor slide → one slide at a time. It's the reference-first workflow that makes carousel production faster, cleaner, and repeatable — and every prompt is below.
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The big idea
ChatGPT Image 2 is good at making slides, but only when you give it the right inputs. The goal is not to ask for a full carousel and hope. The goal is to build a clear visual brief, create a strong first slide, then use that first slide as the anchor for the rest of the carousel. That is how you get consistency.
Step 1: Pick the idea
Start with one clear idea — not a broad topic. Bad: "AI content creation." Better: "How to use ChatGPT Image 2 to make Instagram carousels." Even better: "Most people use ChatGPT Image 2 wrong because they ask for the whole carousel instead of building from a visual anchor." Your carousel needs one sharp point.
Step 2: Write the copy first
Do not generate images before writing the slide copy. You need to know what each slide is supposed to say before you design it. Use this structure:
Here's a worked example of that copy filled in:
Step 3: Collect references
References are the shortcut. Do not describe the style from scratch — show it the style. Use 2 to 4 references. They can be Instagram carousels, posters, book covers, website screenshots, brand graphics, or previous slides you liked. But do not just upload them and say "make it like this" — that's too vague. You need to tell ChatGPT what to borrow.
Step 4: Give references a job
This is the part most people miss. Each reference should have a role:
You can also spell out exactly what to borrow and what to ignore:
That one distinction makes the output way better. References are not the sauce — the sauce is telling ChatGPT what to borrow and what to ignore.
Step 5: Create slide 1 first
Do not generate the whole carousel at once. Start with slide 1. Your cover slide sets typography, colour, layout, texture, spacing, visual hierarchy, and the overall design language. Make 3 versions of slide 1, pick the best one, then refine it until you're happy. That final version becomes your visual anchor.
Prompt 1: create slide 1 variants
Copy this prompt and replace the placeholders:
And the same prompt with the example placeholders filled in:
Step 6: Refine the best slide 1
After you get the 3 versions, choose the best one, then refine it with specific feedback. Do not say "make it better" — say exactly what needs to change:
Examples of specific change requests: "Make the headline larger and more dominant." · "Make the background feel more raw and editorial." · "Reduce the clutter and keep one strong focal point." · "Make the typography feel less generic and more premium." · "Bring back the border, but do not change anything else."
Step 7: Use slide 1 as the anchor
Once slide 1 is locked, use it as the visual reference for every other slide. This is the key. Every slide after that should use the original references, your finished slide 1, exact slide copy, and specific visual direction. Do not ask it to invent the style again — tell it to match slide 1.
Prompt 2: generate the rest of the carousel
Use this for every slide after slide 1. Attach slide 1 as an image and use this prompt:
Here are the example prompts for slides 2 through 6, each with its copy and visual direction filled in.
Example slide 2 prompt:
Example slide 3 prompt:
Example slide 4 prompt:
Example slide 5 prompt:
Example slide 6 prompt:
Step 8: Final consistency check
When all slides are done, upload them together and ask:
Do not regenerate everything. Only fix the weak slides.
Final checklist before posting
Before you post, run through this:
If the answer is yes, post it.
The short version
That's it. Do not overcomplicate it.
This guide gives you the basic workflow and prompt templates. For the full breakdown — the exact carousel production process, how to choose better references, how to write better carousel copy, how to build a consistent visual style, real examples and teardowns, and deeper prompt stacks — Artem shares it inside the Artemis community: join here.
Original guide by Artem Novitckii. More from him on Instagram, in the Skool community, and across his resource library.