instagram-carousel

Instagram Carousel Generator

Generates fully self-contained, swipeable HTML carousels where every slide is designed to be exported as an individual 1080×1350px PNG for Instagram.

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Step 1: Collect Brand Details

Before generating, ask the user for the following (if not already provided):

1. Brand name — displayed on first and last slides
2. Instagram handle — shown in the IG frame header
3. Primary brand color — hex code, or describe and Claude picks one
4. Logo — SVG path, brand initial, or skip
5. Font preference — see typography table below, or specific Google Fonts
6. Tone — professional, casual, playful, bold, minimal, etc.
7. Images — profile photo, screenshots, product images, etc.
8. Idioma dos slides — default: Português (BR) unless specified otherwise
9. Carousel format — standard (7 slides) or alternate sequence (see sequences section)

If the user provides a website URL or brand assets, derive colors and style from those.

If the user says "make me a carousel about X" without brand details, ask before generating. Don't assume defaults.

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Handling User-Provided Images

This section applies from the very first HTML generation — not only during export.

When the user provides an image file path (e.g., /home/user/gestante.png, /mnt/user-data/uploads/foto.jpg):

⚠️ Critical Rules

1. NEVER use relative paths (gestante.png) — they break in every browser context except the exact folder the HTML lives in.
2. NEVER use background: url(filepath) — leads to 1.5MB+ base64 inline strings that crash the browser parser.
3. ALWAYS embed as base64 data: URI — works in preview, export, and any environment.
4. ALWAYS generate the HTML via Python (Path.write_text()) — shell heredocs interpolate $ and backticks, corrupting base64 strings.

Step-by-step: embed an image

# 1. Check the actual file format (extension may lie)
file /path/to/image.png

import base64
from pathlib import Path

# 2. Read and encode
img_path = Path("/path/to/image.png")
# Use "image/jpeg" if `file` command says JPEG, else "image/png"
mime = "image/jpeg"  # or "image/png"
b64 = base64.b64encode(img_path.read_bytes()).decode()
data_uri = f"data:{mime};base64,{b64}"

# 3. Inject into HTML template as a Python variable — never via shell
html = f"""
<div style="position:relative;width:100%;height:100%;">
  <img src="{data_uri}"
       style="position:absolute;inset:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;z-index:0;">
  <div style="position:absolute;inset:0;background:rgba(255,255,255,0.35);z-index:1;"></div>
  <!-- slide content goes here, z-index:2 -->
</div>
"""

Path("/home/claude/carousel.html").write_text(html, encoding="utf-8")

Image as slide background (most common use)

<!-- Inside the slide div, before any content -->
<img src="{data_uri}"
     style="position:absolute;inset:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;z-index:0;">
<!-- Semi-transparent overlay so text stays readable -->
<div style="position:absolute;inset:0;background:rgba(255,255,255,0.35);z-index:1;"></div>
<!-- All slide content must have z-index:2 or higher -->

For dark slides, use rgba(0,0,0,0.45) as the overlay instead.

Common image mistakes to avoid

Mistake	What goes wrong	Fix
<img src="gestante.png">	Broken image — relative path only works if HTML and image share the same folder	Always use base64 data: URI
background: url('data:...') inline with 1.5MB base64	Browser parser crash, 1.3M token context	Use <img> tag with object-fit:cover
Generating HTML via shell echo or heredoc	$ and backtick characters in base64 get interpolated and corrupt the string	Always use Python Path.write_text()
Assuming .png extension = PNG format	File may actually be JPEG; wrong MIME type breaks rendering	Run file command to detect actual format

---

Step 2: Derive the Full Color System

From the user's single primary brand color, generate the full 6-token palette:

BRAND_PRIMARY   = {user's color}                    // Main accent — progress bar, icons, tags
BRAND_LIGHT     = {primary lightened ~20%}           // Secondary accent — tags on dark, pills
BRAND_DARK      = {primary darkened ~30%}            // CTA text, gradient anchor
LIGHT_BG        = {warm or cool off-white}           // Light slide background (never pure #fff)
LIGHT_BORDER    = {slightly darker than LIGHT_BG}    // Dividers on light slides
DARK_BG         = {near-black with brand tint}       // Dark slide background

Rules for deriving colors:

• LIGHT_BG: tinted off-white complementing the primary (warm → warm cream, cool → cool gray-white)
• DARK_BG: near-black with subtle brand tint (warm → #1A1918, cool → #0F172A)
• LIGHT_BORDER: always ~1 shade darker than LIGHT_BG
• Brand gradient: linear-gradient(165deg, BRAND_DARK 0%, BRAND_PRIMARY 50%, BRAND_LIGHT 100%)

---

Step 3: Set Up Typography

Based on the user's font preference, pick a heading font and body font from Google Fonts.

Style	Heading Font	Body Font
Editorial / premium	Playfair Display	DM Sans
Modern / clean	Plus Jakarta Sans (700)	Plus Jakarta Sans (400)
Warm / approachable	Lora	Nunito Sans
Technical / sharp	Space Grotesk	Space Grotesk
Bold / expressive	Fraunces	Outfit
Classic / trustworthy	Libre Baskerville	Work Sans
Rounded / friendly	Bricolage Grotesque	Bricolage Grotesque

Font size scale (fixed across all brands):

• Headings: 28–34px, weight 600, letter-spacing -0.3 to -0.5px, line-height 1.1–1.15
• Body: 14px, weight 400, line-height 1.5–1.55
• Tags/labels: 10px, weight 600, letter-spacing 2px, uppercase
• Step numbers: heading font, 26px, weight 300
• Small text: 11–12px

Apply via CSS classes .serif (heading font) and .sans (body font) throughout all slides.

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Slide 1 — Hook Rules

The first slide must stop the scroll in under 1 second. Prioritize these formats:

Hook format	Example
Afirmação polêmica	"Você está usando IA errado"
Número + benefício	"7 ferramentas que substituem seu designer"
Pergunta que dói	"Por que seus carrosséis têm 0 salvamentos?"
Resultado concreto	"Esse post gerou 4.200 seguidores em 3 dias"
Inversão de expectativa	"Mais esforço no design = menos alcance"

Rules:

• Never start with the brand name as headline
• Visual proof on Slide 1 whenever possible (screenshot, result, real number)
• Hook must promise value that the following slides deliver

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Slide Sequences

Standard (7 slides — default)

#	Type	Background	Purpose
1	Hero	LIGHT_BG	Hook — bold statement, logo lockup, optional watermark
2	Problem	DARK_BG	Pain point — what's broken, frustrating, or outdated
3	Solution	Brand gradient	The answer — what solves it, optional quote/prompt box
4	Features	LIGHT_BG	What you get — feature list with icons
5	Details	DARK_BG	Depth — customization, specs, differentiators
6	How-to	LIGHT_BG	Steps — numbered workflow or process
7	CTA	Brand gradient	Call to action — logo, tagline, CTA button. No arrow. Full progress bar.

Listicle (5–10 slides)

#	Type	Background
1	Hero	LIGHT_BG
2–N	Item N	Alternating LIGHT/DARK
Last	CTA	Brand gradient

Use for: "X ferramentas", "X erros", "X dicas"

Tutorial (7 slides)

#	Type	Background
1	Hero	LIGHT_BG
2	Contexto / Por quê	DARK_BG
3–5	Passo 1, 2, 3	Alternating
6	Resultado esperado	DARK_BG
7	CTA	Brand gradient

Comparação (5 slides)

#	Type	Background
1	Hero (o que será comparado)	LIGHT_BG
2	Opção A	LIGHT_BG
3	Opção B	DARK_BG
4	Veredicto	Brand gradient
5	CTA	DARK_BG

General rules for all sequences:

• Start with a hook — first slide must stop the scroll
• End CTA on brand gradient — no swipe arrow, progress bar at 100%
• Alternate light and dark backgrounds for visual rhythm
• Adapt sequence to topic — not every carousel needs all slides

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Slide Architecture

Format

• Aspect ratio: 4:5 (Instagram carousel standard)
• Each slide is self-contained — all UI elements baked into the image
• Alternate LIGHT_BG and DARK_BG backgrounds for visual rhythm

Required Elements on Every Slide

1. Progress Bar (bottom of every slide)

Shows position in the carousel. Fills as user swipes.

• Position: absolute bottom, full width, 28px horizontal padding, 20px bottom padding
• Track: 3px height, rounded corners
• Fill width: ((slideIndex + 1) / totalSlides) * 100%
• Light slides: rgba(0,0,0,0.08) track, BRAND_PRIMARY fill, rgba(0,0,0,0.3) counter
• Dark slides: rgba(255,255,255,0.12) track, #fff fill, rgba(255,255,255,0.4) counter
• Counter label beside the bar: "1/7" format, 11px, weight 500

function progressBar(index, total, isLightSlide) {
  const pct = ((index + 1) / total) * 100;
  const trackColor = isLightSlide ? 'rgba(0,0,0,0.08)' : 'rgba(255,255,255,0.12)';
  const fillColor = isLightSlide ? BRAND_PRIMARY : '#fff'; // use actual BRAND_PRIMARY value
  const labelColor = isLightSlide ? 'rgba(0,0,0,0.3)' : 'rgba(255,255,255,0.4)';
  return `<div style="position:absolute;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;padding:16px 28px 20px;z-index:10;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;">
    <div style="flex:1;height:3px;background:${trackColor};border-radius:2px;overflow:hidden;">
      <div style="height:100%;width:${pct}%;background:${fillColor};border-radius:2px;"></div>
    </div>
    <span style="font-size:11px;color:${labelColor};font-weight:500;">${index + 1}/${total}</span>
  </div>`;
}

⚠️ Important: Always replace BRAND_PRIMARY with the actual hex value before rendering. Never leave it as a variable name in the HTML output.

2. Swipe Arrow (right edge — every slide EXCEPT the last)

Subtle chevron guiding the user to keep swiping. Removed on the last slide.

• Position: absolute right, full height, 48px wide
• Background: gradient fade transparent → subtle tint
• Chevron: 24×24 SVG, rounded strokes
• Light slides: rgba(0,0,0,0.06) bg, rgba(0,0,0,0.25) stroke
• Dark slides: rgba(255,255,255,0.08) bg, rgba(255,255,255,0.35) stroke

function swipeArrow(isLightSlide) {
  const bg = isLightSlide ? 'rgba(0,0,0,0.06)' : 'rgba(255,255,255,0.08)';
  const stroke = isLightSlide ? 'rgba(0,0,0,0.25)' : 'rgba(255,255,255,0.35)';
  return `<div style="position:absolute;right:0;top:0;bottom:0;width:48px;z-index:9;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;background:linear-gradient(to right,transparent,${bg});">
    <svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none">
      <path d="M9 6l6 6-6 6" stroke="${stroke}" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/>
    </svg>
  </div>`;
}

---

Reusable Components

Strikethrough pills

<span style="font-size:11px;padding:5px 12px;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1);border-radius:20px;color:#6B6560;text-decoration:line-through;">{Old tool}</span>

Tag pills

<span style="font-size:11px;padding:5px 12px;background:rgba(255,255,255,0.06);border-radius:20px;color:{BRAND_LIGHT};">{Label}</span>

Prompt / quote box

<div style="padding:16px;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.15);border-radius:12px;border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.08);">
  <p class="sans" style="font-size:13px;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.5);margin-bottom:6px;">{Label}</p>
  <p class="serif" style="font-size:15px;color:#fff;font-style:italic;line-height:1.4;">"{Quote text}"</p>
</div>

Feature list

<div style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:14px;padding:10px 0;border-bottom:1px solid {LIGHT_BORDER};">
  <span style="color:{BRAND_PRIMARY};font-size:15px;width:18px;text-align:center;">{icon}</span>
  <div>
    <span class="sans" style="font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:{DARK_BG};">{Label}</span>
    <span class="sans" style="font-size:12px;color:#8A8580;">{Description}</span>
  </div>
</div>

Numbered steps

<div style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:14px 0;border-bottom:1px solid {LIGHT_BORDER};">
  <span class="serif" style="font-size:26px;font-weight:300;color:{BRAND_PRIMARY};min-width:34px;line-height:1;">01</span>
  <div>
    <span class="sans" style="font-size:14px;font-weight:600;color:{DARK_BG};">{Step title}</span>
    <span class="sans" style="font-size:12px;color:#8A8580;">{Step description}</span>
  </div>
</div>

Color swatches

<div style="width:32px;height:32px;border-radius:8px;background:{color};border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.08);"></div>

CTA button (final slide only)

<div style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;padding:12px 28px;background:{LIGHT_BG};color:{BRAND_DARK};font-family:'{BODY_FONT}',sans-serif;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;border-radius:28px;">
  {CTA text}
</div>

Tag / Category Label

<span class="sans" style="display:inline-block;font-size:10px;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:2px;color:{color};margin-bottom:16px;">{TAG TEXT}</span>

• Light slides: BRAND_PRIMARY
• Dark slides: BRAND_LIGHT
• Brand gradient slides: rgba(255,255,255,0.6)

Logo Lockup (first and last slides)

• If logo icon: 40px circle (BRAND_PRIMARY bg) + icon centered + brand name beside
• If initials: 40px circle with first letter in white
• Brand name: 13px, weight 600, letter-spacing 0.5px

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Layout Rules

• Content padding: 0 36px standard
• Bottom-aligned slides with progress bar: 0 36px 52px to clear the bar
• Hero/CTA slides: justify-content: center
• Content-heavy slides: justify-content: flex-end
• Content must never overlap the progress bar — use padding-bottom: 52px

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Instagram Frame (Preview Wrapper)

When displaying in chat, wrap in an Instagram-style frame:

• Header: Avatar (BRAND_PRIMARY circle + logo) + handle + subtitle
• Viewport: 4:5 aspect ratio, swipeable/draggable track with all slides
• Dots: Small dot indicators below the viewport
• Actions: Heart, comment, share, bookmark SVG icons
• Caption: Handle + short description + "2 HOURS AGO" timestamp

Include pointer-based swipe/drag interaction for preview. Slides are still standalone export-ready images.

Important: .ig-frame must be exactly 420px wide. The carousel viewport is 420×525px. Do NOT change this width — export depends on it.

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Review Flow

Always follow this flow. Never skip to export without approval.

1. Generate the HTML preview first — never jump directly to export
2. Show the preview and ask: "Quais slides precisam de ajuste antes de exportar?"
3. Fix only the mentioned slides — never regenerate the entire carousel unless the direction fundamentally changes
4. Only proceed to export when the user explicitly confirms approval (e.g., "pode exportar", "aprovado", "ok")

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Exporting Slides as Instagram-Ready PNGs

After the user approves the carousel preview, export each slide as an individual 1080×1350px PNG.

Critical Export Rules

1. Use Python for HTML generation — never use shell scripts with variable interpolation. Always use Path.write_text() or open().write().

2. Embed images as base64 — all user-uploaded images must be base64-encoded as data:image/jpeg;base64,... URIs. Check actual file format with the file command — a .png extension may contain a JPEG.

3. Keep the 420px layout width — use Playwright's device_scale_factor to scale up to 1080px output WITHOUT changing the layout viewport.

Install Playwright (only if needed)

Before running the export script, check and install only if missing:

python3 -c "import playwright" 2>/dev/null || pip3 install playwright
python3 -c "from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright; sync_playwright().__enter__().chromium" 2>/dev/null || python3 -m playwright install chromium

Export Script

import asyncio
from pathlib import Path
from playwright.async_api import async_playwright

INPUT_HTML = Path("/path/to/carousel.html")
OUTPUT_DIR = Path("/path/to/output/slides")
OUTPUT_DIR.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

TOTAL_SLIDES = 7  # Update to match your carousel

VIEW_W = 420
VIEW_H = 525
SCALE = 1080 / 420  # = 2.5714...

async def export_slides():
    async with async_playwright() as p:
        browser = await p.chromium.launch()
        page = await browser.new_page(
            viewport={"width": VIEW_W, "height": VIEW_H},
            device_scale_factor=SCALE,
        )

        html_content = INPUT_HTML.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
        await page.set_content(html_content, wait_until="networkidle")
        await page.wait_for_timeout(3000)  # Wait for Google Fonts to load

        # Hide IG frame chrome, show only the slide viewport
        await page.evaluate("""() => {
            document.querySelectorAll('.ig-header,.ig-dots,.ig-actions,.ig-caption')
                .forEach(el => el.style.display='none');

            const frame = document.querySelector('.ig-frame');
            frame.style.cssText = 'width:420px;height:525px;max-width:none;border-radius:0;box-shadow:none;overflow:hidden;margin:0;';

            const viewport = document.querySelector('.carousel-viewport');
            viewport.style.cssText = 'width:420px;height:525px;aspect-ratio:unset;overflow:hidden;cursor:default;';

            document.body.style.cssText = 'padding:0;margin:0;display:block;overflow:hidden;';
        }""")
        await page.wait_for_timeout(500)

        for i in range(TOTAL_SLIDES):
            await page.evaluate("""(idx) => {
                const track = document.querySelector('.carousel-track');
                track.style.transition = 'none';
                track.style.transform = 'translateX(' + (-idx * 420) + 'px)';
            }""", i)
            await page.wait_for_timeout(400)

            await page.screenshot(
                path=str(OUTPUT_DIR / f"slide_{i+1}.png"),
                clip={"x": 0, "y": 0, "width": VIEW_W, "height": VIEW_H}
            )
            print(f"Exported slide {i+1}/{TOTAL_SLIDES}")

        await browser.close()

asyncio.run(export_slides())

Why This Works

• device_scale_factor=2.5714 renders at high DPI — a 420px element becomes 1080px in the output. Layout stays at 420px.
• clip captures only the carousel viewport, not browser chrome.
• wait_for_timeout(3000) gives Google Fonts time to load.
• track.style.transition = 'none' disables swipe animation so slides snap instantly.

Common Export Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	What goes wrong	Fix
Setting viewport to 1080×1350	Layout reflows — fonts tiny, spacing breaks	Keep viewport at 420×525, use device_scale_factor
Using shell scripts to generate HTML	$ signs and backticks get interpolated	Always use Python for HTML generation
Not waiting for fonts	Headings render in fallback system fonts	wait_for_timeout(3000) after page load
Not hiding IG frame chrome	Export includes header, dots, caption	Hide .ig-header,.ig-dots,.ig-actions,.ig-caption
Changing .ig-frame width	Entire layout shifts	Always keep at exactly 420px
Leaving BRAND_PRIMARY as variable name in CSS	Color renders as invalid / invisible	Always interpolate actual hex values into HTML

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Design Principles

1. Every slide is export-ready — arrow and progress bar are part of the slide image
2. Light/dark alternation — creates visual rhythm across swipes
3. Heading + body font pairing — display font for impact, body for readability
4. Brand-derived palette — all colors stem from one primary, keeping everything cohesive
5. Progressive disclosure — progress bar fills and arrow guides forward
6. Last slide is special — no arrow, full progress bar, clear CTA
7. Consistent components — same tag style, list style, spacing across all slides
8. Content padding clears UI — body text never overlaps progress bar or arrow
9. Hook-first copy — Slide 1 exists to stop the scroll, not to introduce the brand
10. Iterate fast — show preview, fix specific slides, don't rebuild from scratch