The cover determines the click-through rate. The covers produced by this skill must satisfy two points:This one alone is eye-catching enough, andplaced in a row on the homepage, it's clear they're from the same account。
Family feel (core concept)
Don't lock into a rigid template, but hold to a set of "genes" — make your covers recognizable at a glance:
- Fixed: primary/secondary colors, main font, title position area, account identifier position
- Varies per piece: specific layout, imagery, accent color, information hierarchy
Redesign each time, maintain the family feel. Don't let ten covers look like they came from one mold, and don't let ten covers each say something different.
Platform ratios
| Platform | Ratio | Suggested size |
|---|---|---|
| WeChat Channels / Douyin vertical | 3:4 or 9:16 | 1080×1440 / 1080×1920 |
| Bilibili horizontal | 16:10 | 1280×800 |
| Xiaohongshu | 3:4 | 1080×1440 |
| YouTube | 16:9 | 1280×720 |
| WeChat Official Account first image | 2.35:1 | 1175×500 |
Ask the platform first, set the ratio, then design.
Design process
① 定信息层级：主标题(最大) + 副信息(次) + 视觉锚点(人/物/截图)
② 定钩子文案：封面标题 ≠ 视频标题，更短更冲，3-6 字爆点 + 补充
③ 排版：家族版式基因 + 本条强调色
④ 出图：审提示词 → 生成 → 检查可读性(缩略图大小下还能看清主标题吗)
Iron rules of readability
- The main title must beat mobile list thumbnail sizeclearly readable at a glance (test by shrinking to 200px wide)
- Enough contrast between text and background (light text on dark background/dark text on light background + stroke)
- Don't cram in too much text, one cover one core point
Cover types
| Type | Suited for |
|---|---|
| Big-type poster (black-and-white/high-contrast text as the main element) | Opinion type, suspense type |
| Person on camera + text | Talking head, personal IP |
| Screenshot + highlighted annotations | Hands-on tests, tutorials |
| Collage/editorial | Roundups, comparisons |
Orchestration (reuse existing capabilities)
- Image generation and batch illustration → use the user's
image-studio - Article/cover family and batch illustration → use the user's
space-article-cover-and-batch-illustration - Xiaohongshu image-text cover → use the user's
xiaohongshu-content-tools/ related cover skills
This skill is responsible for defining the "family feel + information hierarchy + platform ratio + hook copy"; the actual image generation routes to the above skills.
Handoff
- Upstream:
space-video-topicthe title/topic, or a frame screenshot from the finished video - Downstream:
06_封面/cover.png→ publish
Core principles
- Family feel: recognizable > showing off on each piece
- Thumbnail readable: the cover is for people who swipe past with their thumb in 0.5 seconds
- Cover copy ≠ video title: shorter, punchier, hookier