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# How do I prepare a character sheet for upload?

## 🧍Character Sheets for Upload

When you upload your own character, the image you upload is the reference Atlabs works from in every scene. A single front-facing photo shows the face, but not the back of the hair, the side of the outfit, or how tall the character is. A **character sheet** puts all of that into one image, so the character stays the same in every scene, from every angle.

For character uploads, follow two rules:
1. **All angles visible:** the character shown from the front, the side and the back, plus a close-up of the face.
2. **Height marked:** the character standing next to a height scale, with their height labelled.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/1/a/c/41accd17b39fe400/image_dyc0de.png)

### What a good character sheet contains
---
One image, four panels side by side, on a plain background:

| Panel | What it shows | Why it matters |
| ---- | ---- | ---- |
| **Front view** | Full body, facing the camera | Face, outfit and proportions from the front |
| **Side view** | Full body in profile | Hair shape, nose and body depth, so side shots match |
| **Back view with height scale** | Full body from behind, next to a ruler with the height labelled | The back of the hair and outfit, and how tall the character is |
| **Face close-up** | Head and shoulders, facing the camera | Fine detail in the eyes, skin and expression |

### Rule 1: All angles visible

* Show the **front, side and back** of the same character, full body, head to toe.
* Add a **close-up of the face** as the last panel.
* Keep the **same outfit, colours and proportions** in every panel.
* Use a **neutral standing pose**, arms relaxed, so nothing hides the body or clothes.

### Rule 2: Height marked

* Place the character next to a **vertical height scale** in one panel, for example marked at 50, 100, 150 and 200 cm.
* **Label the character's height** with a line at the top of the head, for example "97 cm".
* Draw the character **to scale** against the ruler. A toddler should reach about halfway up a 200 cm scale, not fill the frame.
* If you upload more than one character, use the **same scale on every sheet**, so a child and an adult keep the right size next to each other.

### Do and don't

| Do | Don't |
| ---- | ---- |
| Plain light grey or white background | Busy scenery or a coloured backdrop |
| Soft, even lighting | Strong shadows, coloured or dramatic light |
| One character per sheet | Several characters on the same sheet |
| Full body visible, feet included | Cropped legs, or a pose that hides the outfit |
| Only the height labels as text | Names, captions, logos or watermarks |
| Landscape image (16:9) | A tall, narrow image where the panels get tiny |

## Sample prompt

Paste this into **Create Image** to make a sheet like the example above:

```
Character reference sheet in 16:9 landscape format. Four panels side by side, separated by thin white vertical lines, on a plain light grey studio background with soft, even lighting and no cast shadows.

Character: a cheerful 3-year-old girl in a polished 3D cartoon style. Deep brown skin, big brown eyes, round cheeks and a warm smile. Black curly hair in two high Afro puffs, each tied with a purple ribbon bow and a string of yellow, teal and purple beads. She wears a teal short-sleeved top with a yellow rounded collar, a yellow vest with patterned trim and a small smiling sun badge, a full knee-length skirt in a purple, orange and pink African wax-print pattern, and white sneakers with purple, teal and yellow details.

Panel 1: full-body front view, standing straight, facing the camera, hands clasped in front.
Panel 2: full-body side view in profile, standing straight, arms relaxed.
Panel 3: full-body back view, standing straight, next to a vertical height ruler marked at 50 cm, 100 cm, 150 cm and 200 cm. A horizontal line at the top of her head is labelled "97 cm". She is drawn to scale against the ruler, so she reaches just under the 100 cm mark.
Panel 4: close-up portrait of her head and shoulders, front view, same smile.

The same character, outfit, colours and proportions in every panel. Full body visible from head to toe in panels 1 to 3. No other characters, no props, and no text other than the ruler labels.
```

### Make it your own
Keep the first and last paragraphs and the four panel lines as they are. Change only these parts:

| Part | What to write |
| ---- | ---- |
| **Style** | The visual style of your video, for example 3D cartoon, anime, flat 2D or realistic |
| **Character** | Age, build, skin tone, eyes, hair, and the full outfit from top to shoes, with colours |
| **Height** | The real height in cm, in the label and in the "reaches just under the ... mark" line |
| **Pose** | Leave as standing straight, unless the character has a signature prop or posture |

Blank version to copy:

```
Character reference sheet in 16:9 landscape format. Four panels side by side, separated by thin white vertical lines, on a plain light grey studio background with soft, even lighting and no cast shadows.

Character: [age and who they are] in [visual style] style. [Skin tone, eyes, face]. [Hair]. [Outfit from top to shoes, with colours].

Panel 1: full-body front view, standing straight, facing the camera.
Panel 2: full-body side view in profile, standing straight, arms relaxed.
Panel 3: full-body back view, standing straight, next to a vertical height ruler marked at 50 cm, 100 cm, 150 cm and 200 cm. A horizontal line at the top of the head is labelled "[height] cm". The character is drawn to scale against the ruler.
Panel 4: close-up portrait of the head and shoulders, front view.

The same character, outfit, colours and proportions in every panel. Full body visible from head to toe in panels 1 to 3. No other characters, no props, and no text other than the ruler labels.
```

💡 **Tip:** Already have a picture of your character? Add it under **Reference Images** in Create Image and start the prompt with "Using the character in the reference image, create a character reference sheet...". Then skip the character description.

## Steps to follow:

### 1. Create the sheet

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/1/a/c/41accd17b39fe400/screenshot-2026-10-11-at-11153_8wiybn.png)

1. In the top menu, go to **Image → Create Image**.
2. Pick a **Model**. Choose one that renders text well, so the ruler labels come out readable.
3. Paste the prompt into **Describe an image and click Generate**.
4. Set **Dimension** to **16:9 Widescreen**.
5. Click **Generate** and check the result against the two rules: all angles visible, height marked.
6. If a panel is wrong, generate again, or fix that one detail in **Image → Edit Image**.

### 2. Upload it as a character

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/4/1/a/c/41accd17b39fe400/image_y5y93v.png)

1. Open your story and click **Characters** in the top bar, then **+ Add New Character**. In a new project, you can do the same at the Cast step.
2. In the **Select Actor** window, open the **Upload** tab.
3. Fill in **First Name** and **Last Name** (both required), and **Gender**, **Age** and **Role** if you want.
4. Choose how Atlabs should treat the image:
   * **Keep Uploaded Look** if your sheet is already in your video's visual style.
   * **Match Video Style** if it needs converting, for example, a real photo going into a 3D cartoon video.
5. Under **Upload Actor Image**, drop the file, paste the image or a URL, or click **Select From Library**.
6. Pick the character's **Actor Voice**.
7. Click **Generate**.

🚨 The image must be a **PNG or JPG**, up to **50 MB** and **36 megapixels**.
🚨 If your sheet already matches the video's style, don't choose **Match Video Style**. It runs a full style conversion and can change a character that was already right.


## 💬 Frequently Asked Questions

**Can I upload a single photo instead of a sheet?**
Yes, uploads work with one clear, well-lit, front-facing image. A sheet is recommended because it also shows the side, the back and the height, which a single photo can't.

**Why does the height matter?**
It tells Atlabs how big the character is next to other characters and objects. Without it, a toddler and an adult can come out the same size in a shared scene.

**The numbers on the ruler came out wrong or unreadable. What should I do?**
Generate again, or try a model that renders text better. What matters is that the labelled height is readable and the character is drawn to scale against it.

**Do I need a sheet for every character?**
One sheet per character you upload, each with a single character on it. Use the same ruler scale on all of them.

**Does this work for animals and non-human characters?**
Yes. Show the same four panels and mark the height in the same way.

**My uploaded character looks different in the video. Why?**
Check which option you picked on upload. **Match Video Style** repaints the character, so use **Keep Uploaded Look** when the sheet is already in your video's style. See [Match Video Style vs. Keep Uploaded Look](https://help.atlabs.ai/en-us/article/match-video-style-vs-keep-uploaded-look-xh25r9/).

**Related articles:** [Upload your own character](https://help.atlabs.ai/en-us/article/upload-your-own-character-6rx9cz/) · [Why do my characters look different from scene to scene?](https://help.atlabs.ai/en-us/article/why-do-my-characters-look-different-from-scene-to-scene-n00uet/) · [How to reuse a character, location, or object across videos?](https://help.atlabs.ai/en-us/article/how-to-reuse-a-character-location-or-object-across-videos-1lcgwrl/)


Still Need Help? Reach out to us at support@atlabs.ai — we're happy to assist.