🎨 RetroForge StyleCaster

🎨 RetroForge StyleCaster A powerful ComfyUI prompt builder designed for Flux2Klein workflows that transforms any input image into stunning stylized 3D renders with modular control. ⚠️ Important Notice RetroForge StyleCaster is designed for creative stylization and artistic experimentation. Because of how Flux2Klein models work, extreme 3D stylization and perfect facial likeness cannot be fully achieved at the same time. The stronger the collectible figurine effect becomes, the more the model naturally reinterprets facial proportions. Recommended settings for maximum identity preservation Stylization: LOW Identity Strength: STRICT Animated Stylization: OFF Final results always depend on: Source image quality Model version Prompt Overall stylization strength Designed by artists, for artists. No coding required. Choose a preset for instant results or unlock complete creative control with 13 modular parameters . 🚀 Quick Start — Presets ✨ CLEAN_3D Vibe Premium studio-quality render with faithful facial likeness. Perfect for • Portraits • Product shots • Character references 🎞️ VINTAGE_POSTER Vibe Aged paper, gentle creases, noir shadows and timeless poster aesthetics. Perfect for • Movie posters • Album covers • Retro artwork Default Style Uses MEDIUM grunge for a balanced vintage appearance. 🧸 PIXAR_STYLE Vibe Glossy resin materials, expressive eyes and warm cinematic lighting. Perfect for • Family portraits • Pets • Cheerful characters 🌆 CYBERPUNK_NEON Vibe Chrome surfaces, magenta/cyan lighting and dense futuristic detail. Perfect for • Sci-fi characters • Cyberpunk artwork • Technology-themed renders 👁️ HORROR_NOIR Vibe Hyperreal skin, unsettling atmosphere and dramatic shadows. Perfect for • Horror icons • Dark portraits • Thriller artwork 🏺 CLAYMATION Vibe Soft matte clay with a handcrafted stop-motion feel. Perfect for • Whimsical characters • Handmade aesthetics • Stylized collectibles 🤍 PORCELAIN_DOLL Vibe Fragile ceramic glaze with cold, elegant lighting. Perfect for • Fashion artwork • Elegant portraits • Delicate doll aesthetics 🎯 MINIMALIST Vibe Clean silhouettes with strong shapes and negative space. Perfect for • Logos • Icons • Posters • Graphic design 📸 HYPERREAL Vibe Photorealistic materials with pore-level detail and cinematic lighting. Perfect for • Maximum realism • High-end renders • Showcase images ▶️ How to Use Select a preset. Connect the node to your Flux2Klein sampler. Generate. All compatible parameters are configured automatically. Want more control? Switch to CUSTOM mode and fine-tune every setting manually. 🎛️ Full Parameter Guide (CUSTOM Mode) 🎨 Core Stylization stylization Controls the overall strength of the 3D transformation. Options LOW — subtle realism MEDIUM — balanced stylization HIGH — collectible figurine appearance with sculpted resin detail animated_stylization Adds cartoon influence. Options OFF — realistic 3D LOW MEDIUM HIGH — full Pixar / DreamWorks style expression_protection Preserves the original facial expression. Options OFF NORMAL STRICT — prevents beautification and forced facial symmetry identity_strength Controls how closely the generated face matches the original. Options LOOSE BALANCED STRICT — preserves wrinkles, moles and subtle facial characteristics 🎨 Color & Typography color_fidelity Controls color accuracy. Options LOW MEDIUM HIGH — preserves original skin, hair and clothing colors as closely as possible typography_mode Controls text handling. Options AUTO PRESERVE — keeps and stylizes existing text NONE — removes text entirely 🖼️ Composition & Background composition_strength Controls framing complexity. Options LOW — centered composition MEDIUM HIGH — dynamic poster layout background_mode Controls how the background is processed. Options PRESERVE CLEAN REINTERPRET STUDIO — clean gradient studio backdrop 💡 Lighting & Atmosphere lighting_mood Controls the lighting style. Options NEUTRAL DRAMATIC NOIR — classic venetian-blind shadows WARM COLD NEON — cyberpunk magenta/cyan rim lighting 🧱 Surface & Texture material_quality Controls the surface material appearance. Options DEFAULT HYPERREAL MATTE_CLAY GLOSSY_RESIN PORCELAIN METALLIC 🕰️ Vintage & Detail grunge_overlay Adds aging and weathering effects. Options OFF SUBTLE MEDIUM — gentle creases and vintage texture HEAVY — scratches and stains EXTREME — heavily damaged, torn appearance detail_density Controls overall detail level. Options MINIMAL — focus on silhouettes BALANCED DENSE — micro-details throughout the entire image ➕ Extra base_prompt Your primary transformation prompt. Use this field to customize the core request or improve facial preservation by adding phrases like: sharp facial features detailed face accurate face likeness extra_positive Append additional prompts, LoRA triggers or custom instructions without modifying the main prompt. 💡 Pro Tips 👻 Horror Use: Animated Stylization → OFF Expression Protection → STRICT Pixar-style eyes immediately reduce the horror atmosphere. 🎞️ Vintage Posters Recommended combination: Grunge Overlay → MEDIUM Lighting Mood → NOIR Background Mode → STUDIO Increase to HEAVY or EXTREME for distressed poster effects. 🙂 Maximum Identity Use: Identity Strength → STRICT Color Fidelity → HIGH Expression Protection → STRICT Then add: sharp facial features accurate likeness to base_prompt . This improves facial preservation, although it may slightly reduce stylization strength. 🌆 Cyberpunk For vibrant neon artwork combine: Lighting Mood → NEON Material Quality → METALLIC Color Fidelity → LOW This allows the model to freely recolor the image into a cyberpunk palette. 🔤 Typography If the source image already contains text: Use PRESERVE or AUTO . Choose NONE if you want to remove all text. ⚖️ Identity vs Style Flux2Klein naturally prioritizes stylization at higher settings. If facial accuracy is more important than artistic transformation, start with: Stylization → LOW Identity Strength → STRICT Then reinforce the prompt using face-specific keywords inside base_prompt . 🧠 Advanced Techniques 🎯 Multi-Reference Trick for Better Identity Preservation The included workflow uses two reference images instead of one to achieve stronger identity preservation while maintaining stylized 3D results. 🖼️ Reference Image #1 Your original image provides: Color Texture Lighting Overall appearance This tells the model what to generate . ✏️ Reference Image #2 The same image is processed using AIO_Preprocessor before being supplied as a second reference. This version provides: Facial structure Body proportions Pose Overall outlines Unlike ControlNet, this image is not used as a control signal . Instead, it is passed directly into Flux2Klein's native multi-reference conditioning , allowing the model to blend information from both references simultaneously. 💡 Why It Works Flux2Klein attempts to satisfy both conditioning sources at the same time. The first image describes: "What should be generated?" The second image describes: "How should it be structured?" The result is often: Better facial proportions Stronger pose consistency Improved identity preservation Cleaner 3D stylization ...all without relying on ControlNet. 🎨 Choosing the Right Preprocessor ✏️ Lineart Best for Portraits Faces Clear outlines Why use it Provides the strongest facial structure preservation and is the recommended starting point for most portraits. 📐 Canny Best for Hard edges Architecture Mechanical objects Why use it Excellent for preserving sharp contours and geometric detail. 🌄 Depth Best for Complex scenes Interior spaces Environmental renders Why use it Adds spatial awareness and improves perspective consistency. 🧱 Normal Map Best for Surface relief Material detail Mechanical assets Why use it Helps preserve surface topology and fine material information. ⭐ Recommended Starting Points For most projects: Portraits → Lineart Objects & Architecture → Canny Complex Scenes → Depth Different source images respond differently, so don't hesitate to experiment. ⚙️ Recommended Settings For the best balance between identity preservation and stylization: Preset: CLEAN_3D (or any preset you prefer) Stylization: LOW Identity Strength: STRICT Expression Protection: STRICT Animated Stylization: OFF ⚠️ Technical Note This workflow takes advantage of an undocumented behavior in Flux2Klein's native multi-reference blending. Because this behavior is not officially documented: Results may vary between model versions. Different preprocessors may produce different outcomes. Future updates could change how this behaves. Treat it as an advanced optimization technique rather than a guaranteed feature. 🔧 Recommended Companion Nodes RetroForge StyleCaster works best as part of a larger workflow. Here are two companion nodes that pair exceptionally well with it. 📐 ZImageResolutionScaler 🔗 https://civitai.red/models/2344436/z-image-resolution-picker Automatically resizes images to resolutions that work best with Flux2Klein models. Why use it? Flux models are surprisingly sensitive to input resolution. Feeding very large images (such as 4K photos) often introduces facial artifacts or inconsistent stylization. ZImageResolutionScaler automatically finds a more suitable working resolution before generation begins. 🔤 Simple Text Overlay Node 🔗 https://civitai.red/models/2711044/simple-text-overlay-node Adds crisp text overlays after rendering. Perfect for: Movie titles Logos Captions Credits Poster typography Why use it? StyleCaster can preserve existing text reasonably well, but generating new readable text is still unreliable. Adding typography as a post-process produces much cleaner and more professional results. 🔧 Installation Installation takes only a few seconds. Extract the RetroForge-StyleCaster folder. Copy it into: ComfyUI/custom_nodes/ Restart ComfyUI. Find the node under: prompt → builders You're ready to create. ⚠️ Limitations & Notes 3D Stylization vs Facial Accuracy This is a limitation of Flux2Klein models—not a bug in StyleCaster. As stylization increases, the model naturally begins to reinterpret facial anatomy. Higher stylization creates stronger collectible and animated aesthetics, while lower stylization preserves facial identity more faithfully. Finding the right balance between style and likeness is part of the creative process.