AI kitchen counter product photo: scale cues for the right size

To keep a product the right size in an AI kitchen counter photo, state the real dimension in the prompt and place familiar objects of known size beside it, such as a mug, a cutting board or a hand. Image models guess scale from context, and a blender that looks like a toy is a returns problem. Check the picture against a ruler.

Why scale drifts

A product reference shows shape and color but not size. When the scene is built around it, the model chooses a size that looks pleasant, not one that is true. Small items grow, large appliances shrink, and a shelf or countertop that does not fit the item makes the mistake visible.

Give it numbers and anchors

Put the height or width in the prompt and name two or three objects of known size. Say that the product should be about the height of a standard mug, or half the width of the cutting board.

curl -X POST https://api.sume.com/v1/images \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SUME_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"google/nano-banana-pro","prompt":"Keep the product identical. Place this 30 cm tall stand mixer on a light oak kitchen counter, next to a standard 9 cm mug and a 40 cm wide cutting board, so the mixer is about three times the mug height. Morning window light, shallow depth of field.","aspect_ratio":"4:3","input_references":[{"type":"image_url","image_url":{"url":"https://example.com/mixer.png"}}]}'

Measure the result

In an image editor, measure the product's height in pixels against the mug and compute the ratio. If your true ratio is 3.3 and the picture shows 2, ask for the size again with a stricter sentence or move the anchor next to the product. Perspective changes the numbers, so use a straight-on camera for checking.

When honesty matters most

For furniture, appliances and anything bought for fit, show the real size or do not show a scene at all. Keep one dimension drawing or a measured packshot in the listing. Treat the lifestyle image as mood, and do not let it replace the size information.

Variants without scale drift

For several scenes, repeat the same dimension and anchor sentence in each prompt, and re-run from the original packshot each time. See AI product photography prompts for a base template.