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.

What a good character sheet contains

One image, four panels side by side, on a plain background:

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

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:

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

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

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:
5. • 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.

Related articles: Upload your own character · Why do my characters look different from scene to scene? · How to reuse a character, location, or object across videos?

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

Updated on: 10/11/2026