To keep one illustrated character the same across a 12-spread picture book, approve two images before any spread: a character sheet and a style still, and attach both as references to every spread you generate, with the scene described in words and the character never re-described. On 8frame that is one board with a frame per spread, an image node per spread and the same two references wired into all twelve. The limit authors do not expect comes at the end: print wants about 300 DPI at the full page size including bleed, and the small downloads are web previews, so the file you send to print is the Original, sometimes after an image upscale.
This page is for authors, small publishers and creators making their own book. The tool comparison and the Amazon KDP disclosure rules are on our children's book illustration tools page; this one is the board and the print file.
TL;DR
| Step | Node or model on 8frame | Price in credits | Needs as input |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style still | Nano Banana 2 | 11 per image at 1K | A prompt naming medium, line and palette |
| Character sheet | Nano Banana 2 or Seedream 5 Lite | 11 at 1K, or 6 | The style still as a reference |
| Thumbnails for pacing | ShotGrid | 42 per 3x3 sheet at 4K | Up to 10 references, prompt up to 5,000 characters |
| Each spread | Seedream 5 Lite | 6 per image | Up to 14 references: sheet, style still, props |
| Each spread, higher resolution | Nano Banana 2 | 17 at 2K, 22 at 4K | Up to 10 references |
| Small fix on a spread | Flux Edit (FLUX.2 pro) | 7 for a ~1 MP input | The spread and an instruction |
| Enlarge for print | BRIA Increase Resolution | 6 | One image, 2x or 4x, up to 8192 x 8192 |
Why 12 spreads
A spread is two facing pages. Twelve spreads are 24 pages, and 24 is the minimum page count Amazon KDP lists for a paperback in most trim sizes with black ink and white paper (its hardcover table starts at 75). So twelve illustrated spreads is the smallest paperback picture book KDP will print, which is why the number keeps coming up. Check the table for your trim size and ink before you plan.
The board, node by node
1. Lay out the book as frames
Make twelve frames in a row, label them Spread 1 to Spread 12, and connect them with arrows in reading order. Under each frame put a sticky note with the text for that spread and one line on the picture: who, where, doing what. The board has frames, sticky notes in five colours, shapes, text and arrows that stay attached; it has no table, so the notes are the manuscript.
Mark on each note where the words will sit (top left sky, bottom strip, right page). The model will need that space left empty.
2. The style still comes first
Most drift in picture books is style, not face: line weight changes, the palette warms up, a flat gouache look turns into soft 3D on spread seven. So approve the look before the character.
Generate a single scene in the book's style with a style block you will reuse word for word, for example: "Gouache texture, visible paper grain, thin brown ink line, palette of ochre, sage, dusty pink and cream, flat light, no gradients, no 3D rendering." Pick one result and keep it on the board as the style still. Write the style block on a sticky note next to it.
3. The character sheet, in that style
Attach the style still to a new image node and make the character: front, side, back, three expressions, on a plain background. Give the character two or three features a reader checks at a glance (a red scarf, a patched ear, round glasses) and write them on the sheet's sticky note. Approve one sheet.
From here on, the style still and the sheet travel together into every spread.
4. Thumbnails before finals
ShotGrid makes a 3x3 contact sheet, nine frames in one image, for 42 credits at 4K, with 1 to 10 reference images and a prompt up to 5,000 characters. Two sheets cover the twelve spreads with room to spare: describe nine spreads in one prompt and check pacing, where the character sits on each page, and whether the text space is there. Fix the plan on the sticky notes, not on finals.
5. One image node per spread
Under each frame, put an image node with three inputs: the character sheet, the style still and the spread's note as the prompt. Describe only the scene and the action. Do not describe the character again in new words: that is the commonest way a scarf changes colour.
The reference limits decide which model you can wire this into:
| Image model | References it accepts | Price per image |
|---|---|---|
| Seedream 5 Lite | Up to 14, the largest on the roster | 6 |
| Nano Banana 2 | Up to 10 | 8 / 11 / 17 / 22 at 0.5K / 1K / 2K / 4K |
| Nano Banana Pro | Up to 10 | 21 at 1K or 2K, 42 at 4K |
| GPT Image 2 | 1 to 10 | 29 square or 20 other ratios, high quality |
| Qwen Image 3, Grok Image 2.0 | 3 | 6 at 1K; 9 at 1K |
A spread with a second character or a recurring prop (the kite, the house) needs a third and fourth reference, so a model with room for several is the safer choice. The same table applies to comic panels; the comic-specific changes to the sheet are on our page on comic and webtoon panels with one character.
6. Review all twelve side by side
Put the twelve results next to each other on the board and check the features on the sheet's note, spread by spread: scarf colour, ear patch, number of buttons, line weight. Fix small slips with Flux Edit (7 credits for a ~1 MP input, rising with input size) or Kontext Max (13) instead of regenerating the whole spread. If a spread is off in style rather than detail, regenerate it with the style still attached again.
Invite a co-author or editor to the board as a commenter to leave comments on the spreads that need a decision. Commenters are free for the people you invite; giving someone the editor role on the board needs a seat on a Creator or Agency plan.
The print file
KDP's help page on images asks for images "at a minimum resolution of 300 DPI", and its trim size page says objects that reach the page edge "must extend past where the page will be trimmed" by 0.125 inch (3.2 mm). For a 6 x 9 inch book, KDP says to "set the page size to 6.125 x 9.25 inches". If even one interior page needs bleed, the whole file needs it.
The pixel arithmetic is inches times 300:
| What you print | Size with bleed | Pixels at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|
| One 6 x 9 in page | 6.125 x 9.25 in | 1,838 x 2,775 |
| A full-bleed spread across two 6 x 9 pages | 12.25 x 9.25 in | 3,675 x 2,775 |
Compare that with what the image models return on 8frame (median sizes measured over 120 days): Nano Banana 2 most often 2,752 x 1,536 (4.2 MP), Seedream 5 Lite 2,304 x 4,096 (9.4 MP), Nano Banana Pro 4.2 MP. A single portrait page fits inside a Seedream 5 Lite image. A full-bleed landscape spread does not fit inside a typical Nano Banana 2 image, so either generate at a higher setting or enlarge the still:
- BRIA Increase Resolution, 6 credits, 2x or 4x, content-preserving, up to 8192 x 8192.
- Topaz Image Upscale, 11 credits per started 24 MP block of output; the upscale tool starts on Topaz.
- Clarity, 13 credits, always 2x on 8frame and diffusion-based, so it can change detail; check the character's features again afterwards.
Then download the right file. The download menu offers Small, Medium and Large, which are WebP previews 256, 640 and 1,280 pixels wide, and Original, the stored file (PNG for every measured image model). Only the Original is a print file. Flatten and place it in your layout tool, and set the text there, not in the image: no image model on 8frame outputs vector art, and words generated inside a picture have to be proofread on every attempt.
Where it breaks
- Style drift is quieter than face drift. A character can keep the scarf and still lose the gouache texture. Attach the style still to every spread, not only the first.
- Re-describing the character. New words for the same character invite a new character. Keep the description on the sticky note and reuse it unchanged, or leave it out and let the sheet carry it.
- Close-ups. A spread that is all face shows every small difference from the sheet. Check close-up spreads first, and keep the character large enough that the sheet's features are visible.
- Small downloads. The 1,280-pixel Large preview is about 4 inches wide at 300 DPI. Use Original.
- Upscaling can invent. Clarity is diffusion-based. BRIA is the content-preserving one; check the character's features after any upscale.
- Real children. Do not use a photo of a real child as a reference without written consent from the parent or guardian, and do not base a character on a real person who has not agreed.
For the general method behind the sheet, see the character consistency workflow and the short definition in what character consistency means.
FAQ
How do I keep the same character on every page of a children's book? Approve a character sheet and a style still, attach both to every spread's image node, describe only the scene and the action, and review all spreads side by side before you print.
Why does the style change even when the character stays the same? Because the character reference carries the character, not the look of the book. A separate style still attached to every spread, plus a style block reused word for word, keeps the medium and palette steady.
What resolution do I need for a printed picture book? KDP asks for at least 300 DPI, and full-bleed pages need 0.125 inch beyond the trim. A 6 x 9 inch page with bleed is 1,838 x 2,775 pixels; a full-bleed spread across two such pages is 3,675 x 2,775.
Can I print the images I download from 8frame? Download the Original, which is the stored PNG. Small, Medium and Large are WebP previews up to 1,280 pixels wide, too small for print.
How many pages does a KDP paperback picture book need? KDP's trim size table lists 24 pages as the minimum for most paperback trim sizes with black ink and white paper; 12 spreads are 24 pages. Check the table for your trim size and ink.
Approve the look and the character first; every spread gets both.
Sources
- Amazon KDP Help, Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins (0.125 in bleed; 6 x 9 in becomes 6.125 x 9.25 in; whole file needs bleed if one page does; paperback minimum 24 pages for most trim sizes, hardcover 75): kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GVBQ3CMEQW3W2VL6, checked 2026-11-09
- Amazon KDP Help, Format Images in Your Book (minimum 300 DPI; flatten layers): kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202169030, checked 2026-11-09
- 8frame prices, defaults and limits, image sizes and download options: the 8frame app, checked 2026-11-09
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