How to use a prompt card for the first time: pick, fill, paste, fix once
The hardest part of asking an AI for an image or a piece of writing is knowing what to say. Two people who want the same picture can get very different results depending on their wording. A Promptpan card is that wording, already worked out for you. You fill in a few blanks with your own details, and the card builds the long instruction (the prompt) for you.
This guide is for your first card. We'll go from choosing a card to filling the blanks, pasting into free ChatGPT, and the short sentences that fix a result you don't love. No sign-up or payment needed.
1. Choose a card by what you want to make
The four buttons under "What would you like to make?" on the home page are the fastest way in. Run a shop? Tap "Shop owners". Want your photo in a new art style? "Restyle my photo". New phone screen? "Phone wallpapers". Want a song? "Make a song (Suno)". The card list below filters to that group right away.
If you know what you're after, type a short word like "menu", "birthday" or "Christmas" into the search box above the list. A card number works too. "Today's pick" changes every day, so it's a good place to start if you're not sure.
Read the card's description before judging by the cover image. The description and the "What you get" box tell you what you'll end up with. For example, the chibi selfie card needs your photo, while the menu price board card only needs menu items and prices. Whether a card needs a photo changes the next steps.
2. Fill the blanks with your own details
Each card shows a few fields with sample text already in them. The samples only show the kind of thing to write. They aren't your information. Replace them with your shop name, menu, dates or names.
You don't have to fill every field. Fill the ones you need and leave the rest blank; the card fills the gaps naturally. For fields with option buttons, just tap the one you like. On a first try, leave the buttons on their defaults, look at the result, then change one at a time so you can see what each one does.
Keep these in mind:
| Watch out for | Why |
|---|---|
| Use real names, prices and dates | AI will happily draw wrong details. Correct input means a correct result |
| One idea per field | Cramming several ideas into one field makes key words drop out |
| Leave out other people's private info | Only use phone numbers or addresses that are meant to be public |
If there's a size option, match it to where you'll use the result: square or 4:5 for an Instagram feed, 9:16 for phone wallpapers and stories, A4 if you'll print it.
3. Tap "Copy prompt" and paste it into free ChatGPT
When the fields are ready, tap the copy button. The whole instruction, with your details inside, is copied. Don't worry if it looks long. It's written so the AI understands you precisely, so there's no need to trim it.
Open ChatGPT and start a new chat. Free accounts can create images and upload photos, but there's a daily limit; if you hit it, ChatGPT tells you when you can try again. OpenAI's free tier FAQ
- If the card needs a photo, attach it first.
- Paste the prompt into the message box (Ctrl+V on a computer, or press and hold the box on a phone and choose Paste).
- Check that the photo and the prompt are in the same message, then send.
If you see a notice that copying didn't work, select the prompt text on screen and copy it by hand. Sending the photo and the prompt as separate messages sometimes makes the AI ignore the photo, so keep them together.
4. Not quite right? Ask for one change
A first result doesn't have to be perfect. Don't start over: in the same chat, say what to change and what to keep. Naming both is what makes a fix land. Here are examples of the kind of sentence to use:
The spelling of "Haru Coffee" is wrong. Fix only the lettering and keep everything else the same.
The face doesn't look enough like my photo. Make the eyes and hairstyle closer to the photo.
Make the colors a little warmer. Don't change the layout or the text.
AI image tools still misspell text sometimes. Read important words like shop names, prices and dates letter by letter. If a word keeps coming out wrong, keep the image and add the exact text yourself in a photo editor or design app.
5. A few card types work a little differently
Most cards follow the steps above. A few are slightly different:
- Photo cards: for cards like "my photo" or pet portraits, the photo you choose is half the result. A bright, front-facing photo of one person works best.
- Suno (music) cards: the copied text goes into Suno, the music app, not ChatGPT. The card explains which box each part goes into. Check Suno's own pricing and rights.
- Skill cards: these hand a whole task to the AI, like review replies or blog posts. The "Open GPT" button copies the prompt and opens the chat for you. Some skill cards go into your AI's settings once and work in every chat.
- Motion graphics cards: these make a short video instead of an image. Paste the prompt into the AI named on the card and it builds the video file.
Frequently asked questions
Does it cost anything? Every Promptpan card is free, and ChatGPT works on a free account. Free accounts do have a daily limit.
Do I need to know English prompts? No. Fill the fields in plain words and the card writes the full instruction.
Can I use the same card many times? Yes. Change the fields or option buttons and try again. Even the same prompt gives a slightly different result each time.
I can't find the card I need. Use "Request" on the home page and tell us what you'd use the card for. When it's ready, we'll reply with the card number.
Once you've made one, the rest comes quickly. Start with today's pick on the home page.