Custom characters give your storyboards consistency and personality. Instead of relying on generic options, you can design characters that match your story, client, or brand. Once created, characters can be reused across frames and projects, helping your storyboards feel consistent and professional.
Creating a Custom Character
Open the storyboard you're working on and switch to Generator View.
Select Generate image.
Select Add reference images, then choose Create character. This will open the Playground in the sidebar.
In the Playground, describe the character you’d like to create. Be as specific as possible about details like:
Age
Appearance and characteristics (e.g. hairstyle, clothing, accessories)
Any defining features
Choose an image style and select Generate to create your character.
If you’re happy with the result, you can:
Use the character a reference image for the current frame.
Insert the image (as it currently is) into the frame.
Save the image to Assets so that it can be used at a later point by yourself or teammates.
If you’d like to make changes to the character, click Create variation in Playground and try again, adding more detail to your description if needed.
Uploading Your Own Character
If you already have a character design you’d like to use, you can upload it directly into Boords.
This option is ideal if you’re working with pre-designed characters (for example, from a client or illustrator) and want them to appear consistently throughout your storyboard.
Select Add reference images, then Upload image.
Choose the character image from your device to upload.
Once uploaded, the character will become available to insert into frames.
Adding a Character to a Frame
Once your character is created or uploaded, add them to your storyboard's frames.
In the shot description, describe what you’d like the character to do (e.g. sitting in a café, walking down the street).
Click Generate to create the frame.
If you’re happy with the image, click Save to insert it into the frame. If not, click Discard and try again.
Tips for Effective Custom Characters
Be detailed in your descriptions. Clear prompts lead to consistent, reusable characters.
Standard and Workflow plans have shared character libraries so the whole team can access them
Try different art styles or colour schemes to adapt a character for different projects.
Creating custom characters in Boords lets you design and reuse consistent, recognizable people across your storyboards.
Whether you generate characters in the Playground or upload your own designs, building a character library helps you save time, maintain visual consistency, and bring your stories to life with more personality.