Poster Prompts as SVG

This is the outcome of running a vibe-coded agent skill on every V2 poster.

The motivation is, people would look at the posters and say:

"Wouldn't it be better if it used a real typeface?" - so it benefits from the painstaking design that font designers put into typefaces
"Wouldn't it be better if it were an editable vector file?" - so a human can change the text, move elements around, etc.

I casually asked Claude Code to convert a few, just so I could see whether I preferred the real typefaces. The goal here is to cut out the artwork, recreate that type, and assemble it back together. If the nature of the poster makes it impossible (hand-drawn text, detailed background, etc.), we abort early, explaining why. Redrawing artwork as vectors was not a goal, but Claude did it anyway when the images were simple.

Claude achieved this by writing ad-hoc Python code to locate artwork and text, find a best-fit typeface, and replace the text -- when it could. This consumed a lot of tokens, and I ran out that day. When my quota reset, I asked it to write the tools it would need to do this more efficiently. So we end up with deterministic tools that measure, which the LLM uses to rebuild the poster. As we converted more posters, Claude made changes to the tools on the fly. It is fully vibe coded, so I have no idea whether the code is good or bad. As you can see, it doesn't always get things right, but I have called this a stopping point.

Claude chose a palette of 300 fonts from Google Fonts, refusing to use license-encumbered fonts. It tries to pick a font close to the one that the AI image generation model invented for the poster, and does not always succeed. It also apparently doesn't take advantage of the layout engine's ability to centre text on a line.

Results fall into these categories:

Skill abandoned early, correctly, with an explanation
Skill abandoned early, maybe it should have tried harder
Conversion done, looks OK
Conversion done, obvious flaws, but the skill thinks it succeeded
Conversion done, skill has acknowledged flaws, and explained why (alert icon top left corner)
Conversion done, skill has acknowledged flaws, and explained why (alert icon top left corner), but flaw description is wrong

Well, the failures are failures. I'm sure there are pro tools that would do a better job.

The "successes" are more interesting. Some of them have chosen a close-enough typeface, and positioned it well enough, that we can call it a like-for-like conversion. In those cases, the million pound question is: do I prefer the real type to the image-model drawn text?

I'm not sure I do. In most cases, I kind of like what the image model has done better - it's moulded to the shape of the poster, and the shape of the words. It could probably do a better job, with training - but I'm not the connoisseur to adjudicate on that. Maybe it's just that the SVG version doesn't use the font it ought to: in places that's obviously what's happened, it's used a sans where it should be a serif. In other places it's chosen something close-ish, and maybe the right font just doesn't exist.

I know real designers who get an uncanny-valley ick from seeing type that's almost, but not quite, a typeface they know. I also wonder whether a broader audience gets an unconscious sense of "you can always tell" AI ick from seeing text in that mode.

Anyway, scroll through and judge for yourself.

Bauhaus / Modernist fete poster, original bitmap — Bauhaus / Modernist — fête

Bauhaus / Modernist gig poster, original bitmap — Bauhaus / Modernist — gig

Swiss / International Typographic Style fete poster, original bitmap — Swiss / International Typographic Style — fête

Swiss / International Typographic Style gig poster, original bitmap — Swiss / International Typographic Style — gig

De Stijl fete poster, original bitmap — De Stijl — fête

De Stijl gig poster, original bitmap — De Stijl — gig

Mid-century Modern Graphic fete poster, original bitmap — Mid-century Modern Graphic — fête

Mid-century Modern Graphic gig poster, original bitmap — Mid-century Modern Graphic — gig

Contemporary Editorial fete poster, original bitmap — Contemporary Editorial — fête

Contemporary Editorial gig poster, original bitmap — Contemporary Editorial — gig

Wayfinding / Signage gig poster, original bitmap — Wayfinding / Signage — gig

Japonisme fete poster, original bitmap — Japonisme — fête

Japonisme gig poster, original bitmap — Japonisme — gig

Cubist Exhibition Poster fete poster, original bitmap — Cubist Exhibition Poster — fête

Cubist Exhibition Poster gig poster, original bitmap — Cubist Exhibition Poster — gig

Surrealist gig poster, original bitmap — Surrealist — gig

Minimalism (Art) fete poster, original bitmap — Minimalism (Art) — fête

Minimalism (Art) gig poster, original bitmap — Minimalism (Art) — gig

Suprematism fete poster, original bitmap — Suprematism — fête

Orphism / Simultanism fete poster, original bitmap — Orphism / Simultanism — fête

Orphism / Simultanism gig poster, original bitmap — Orphism / Simultanism — gig

Concrete Art fete poster, original bitmap — Concrete Art — fête

Concrete Art gig poster, original bitmap — Concrete Art — gig

Risograph fete poster, original bitmap — Risograph — fête

Risograph gig poster, original bitmap — Risograph — gig

Stamp / Letterpress (Modernised) fete poster, original bitmap — Stamp / Letterpress (Modernised) — fête

Screenprint Pop fete poster, original bitmap — Screenprint Pop — fête

Botanical Scientific Illustration fete poster, original bitmap — Botanical Scientific Illustration — fête

Botanical Scientific Illustration gig poster, original bitmap — Botanical Scientific Illustration — gig

Cut Paper / Matisse fete poster, original bitmap — Cut Paper / Matisse — fête

Cut Paper / Matisse gig poster, original bitmap — Cut Paper / Matisse — gig

Monochrome + Single Accent fete poster, original bitmap — Monochrome + Single Accent — fête

Monochrome + Single Accent gig poster, original bitmap — Monochrome + Single Accent — gig

Penny Dreadful / Sensation Novel Cover gig poster, original bitmap — Penny Dreadful / Sensation Novel Cover — gig

Etching / Engraving fete poster, original bitmap — Etching / Engraving — fête

Etching / Engraving gig poster, original bitmap — Etching / Engraving — gig

Mimeograph / Ditto Machine fete poster, original bitmap — Mimeograph / Ditto Machine — fête

Child Poster Paint + Pro Typography fete poster, original bitmap — Child Poster Paint + Pro Typography — fête

Child Poster Paint + Pro Typography gig poster, original bitmap — Child Poster Paint + Pro Typography — gig

Golden Age Travel Poster gig poster, original bitmap — Golden Age Travel Poster — gig

Japanese Minimal Poster fete poster, original bitmap — Japanese Minimal Poster — fête

Japanese Minimal Poster gig poster, original bitmap — Japanese Minimal Poster — gig

East German DEFA Film Poster fete poster, original bitmap — East German DEFA Film Poster — fête

East German DEFA Film Poster gig poster, original bitmap — East German DEFA Film Poster — gig

Taisho Modern / Japanese 1920s fete poster, original bitmap — Taisho Modern / Japanese 1920s — fête

Festival of Britain fete poster, original bitmap — Festival of Britain — fête

Festival of Britain gig poster, original bitmap — Festival of Britain — gig

Zagreb School Animation fete poster, original bitmap — Zagreb School Animation — fête

Ukiyo-e / Japanese Woodblock fete poster, original bitmap — Ukiyo-e / Japanese Woodblock — fête

WPA / New Deal fete poster, original bitmap — WPA / New Deal — fête

ACT UP / AIDS Crisis Activism fete poster, original bitmap — ACT UP / AIDS Crisis Activism — fête

ACT UP / AIDS Crisis Activism gig poster, original bitmap — ACT UP / AIDS Crisis Activism — gig

Festival Indie Lineup gig poster, original bitmap — Festival Indie Lineup — gig

Factory Records / Haçienda fete poster, original bitmap — Factory Records / Haçienda — fête

Factory Records / Haçienda gig poster, original bitmap — Factory Records / Haçienda — gig

NASA Worm Modernist gig poster, original bitmap — NASA Worm Modernist — gig

Contemporary Flat Illustration fete poster, original bitmap — Contemporary Flat Illustration — fête

Contemporary Flat Illustration gig poster, original bitmap — Contemporary Flat Illustration — gig

Pixel Art fete poster, original bitmap — Pixel Art — fête

Pixel Art gig poster, original bitmap — Pixel Art — gig

Low Poly fete poster, original bitmap — Low Poly — fête

Low Poly gig poster, original bitmap — Low Poly — gig

Arts and Crafts fete poster, original bitmap — Arts and Crafts — fête

Arts and Crafts gig poster, original bitmap — Arts and Crafts — gig

Art Nouveau fete poster, original bitmap — Art Nouveau — fête

Art Nouveau gig poster, original bitmap — Art Nouveau — gig

Art Deco fete poster, original bitmap — Art Deco — fête

Art Deco gig poster, original bitmap — Art Deco — gig

Streamline Moderne fete poster, original bitmap — Streamline Moderne — fête

Streamline Moderne gig poster, original bitmap — Streamline Moderne — gig

Constructivist fete poster, original bitmap — Constructivist — fête

Constructivist gig poster, original bitmap — Constructivist — gig

Memphis / 80s Postmodern fete poster, original bitmap — Memphis / 80s Postmodern — fête

Memphis / 80s Postmodern gig poster, original bitmap — Memphis / 80s Postmodern — gig

Brutalist Graphic Design fete poster, original bitmap — Brutalist Graphic Design — fête

Brutalist Graphic Design gig poster, original bitmap — Brutalist Graphic Design — gig

Wayfinding / Signage fete poster, original bitmap — Wayfinding / Signage — fête

Vienna Secession fete poster, original bitmap — Vienna Secession — fête

Vienna Secession gig poster, original bitmap — Vienna Secession — gig

Glasgow Style fete poster, original bitmap — Glasgow Style — fête

Glasgow Style gig poster, original bitmap — Glasgow Style — gig

Push Pin Studios fete poster, original bitmap — Push Pin Studios — fête

Push Pin Studios gig poster, original bitmap — Push Pin Studios — gig

New Wave Typography fete poster, original bitmap — New Wave Typography — fête

New Wave Typography gig poster, original bitmap — New Wave Typography — gig

Grunge Typography fete poster, original bitmap — Grunge Typography — fête

Grunge Typography gig poster, original bitmap — Grunge Typography — gig

Victorian Broadside fete poster, original bitmap — Victorian Broadside — fête

Victorian Broadside gig poster, original bitmap — Victorian Broadside — gig

Belle Époque Lithograph fete poster, original bitmap — Belle Époque Lithograph — fête

Belle Époque Lithograph gig poster, original bitmap — Belle Époque Lithograph — gig

Futurist fete poster, original bitmap — Futurist — fête

Futurist gig poster, original bitmap — Futurist — gig

Dada Collage fete poster, original bitmap — Dada Collage — fête

Dada Collage gig poster, original bitmap — Dada Collage — gig

Surrealist fete poster, original bitmap — Surrealist — fête

Expressionist Woodcut fete poster, original bitmap — Expressionist Woodcut — fête

Expressionist Woodcut gig poster, original bitmap — Expressionist Woodcut — gig

Pop Art fete poster, original bitmap — Pop Art — fête

Pop Art gig poster, original bitmap — Pop Art — gig

Op Art fete poster, original bitmap — Op Art — fête

Op Art gig poster, original bitmap — Op Art — gig

Psychedelic Sixties fete poster, original bitmap — Psychedelic Sixties — fête

Psychedelic Sixties gig poster, original bitmap — Psychedelic Sixties — gig

Graffiti / Street Art fete poster, original bitmap — Graffiti / Street Art — fête

Graffiti / Street Art gig poster, original bitmap — Graffiti / Street Art — gig

Suprematism gig poster, original bitmap — Suprematism — gig

Vorticism fete poster, original bitmap — Vorticism — fête

Vorticism gig poster, original bitmap — Vorticism — gig

Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity fete poster, original bitmap — Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity — fête

Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity gig poster, original bitmap — Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity — gig

CoBrA fete poster, original bitmap — CoBrA — fête

CoBrA gig poster, original bitmap — CoBrA — gig

Pre-Raphaelite Illustration fete poster, original bitmap — Pre-Raphaelite Illustration — fête

Pre-Raphaelite Illustration gig poster, original bitmap — Pre-Raphaelite Illustration — gig

Big Eyes / Keane Waif fete poster, original bitmap — Big Eyes / Keane Waif — fête

Big Eyes / Keane Waif gig poster, original bitmap — Big Eyes / Keane Waif — gig

Stamp / Letterpress (Modernised) gig poster, original bitmap — Stamp / Letterpress (Modernised) — gig

Screenprint Pop gig poster, original bitmap — Screenprint Pop — gig

Cyanotype / Blueprint fete poster, original bitmap — Cyanotype / Blueprint — fête

Cyanotype / Blueprint gig poster, original bitmap — Cyanotype / Blueprint — gig

Penny Dreadful / Sensation Novel Cover fete poster, original bitmap — Penny Dreadful / Sensation Novel Cover — fête

Halftone / Newsprint fete poster, original bitmap — Halftone / Newsprint — fête

Halftone / Newsprint gig poster, original bitmap — Halftone / Newsprint — gig

Mimeograph / Ditto Machine gig poster, original bitmap — Mimeograph / Ditto Machine — gig

School Cutout Collage fete poster, original bitmap — School Cutout Collage — fête

School Cutout Collage gig poster, original bitmap — School Cutout Collage — gig

Crayon Folk Handmade fete poster, original bitmap — Crayon Folk Handmade — fête

Crayon Folk Handmade gig poster, original bitmap — Crayon Folk Handmade — gig

Punk Photocopied Fanzine fete poster, original bitmap — Punk Photocopied Fanzine — fête

Punk Photocopied Fanzine gig poster, original bitmap — Punk Photocopied Fanzine — gig

Zine Cut-and-Paste fete poster, original bitmap — Zine Cut-and-Paste — fête

Zine Cut-and-Paste gig poster, original bitmap — Zine Cut-and-Paste — gig

Mexican Calavera / Posada fete poster, original bitmap — Mexican Calavera / Posada — fête

Mexican Calavera / Posada gig poster, original bitmap — Mexican Calavera / Posada — gig

Pennsylvania Dutch / Fraktur fete poster, original bitmap — Pennsylvania Dutch / Fraktur — fête

Pennsylvania Dutch / Fraktur gig poster, original bitmap — Pennsylvania Dutch / Fraktur — gig

Madhubani / Indian Folk Art fete poster, original bitmap — Madhubani / Indian Folk Art — fête

Madhubani / Indian Folk Art gig poster, original bitmap — Madhubani / Indian Folk Art — gig

Scandinavian Folk / Rosemaling fete poster, original bitmap — Scandinavian Folk / Rosemaling — fête

Scandinavian Folk / Rosemaling gig poster, original bitmap — Scandinavian Folk / Rosemaling — gig

Polish Poster School fete poster, original bitmap — Polish Poster School — fête

Polish Poster School gig poster, original bitmap — Polish Poster School — gig

Golden Age Travel Poster fete poster, original bitmap — Golden Age Travel Poster — fête

Neon Sign / Diner Americana fete poster, original bitmap — Neon Sign / Diner Americana — fête

Neon Sign / Diner Americana gig poster, original bitmap — Neon Sign / Diner Americana — gig

Taisho Modern / Japanese 1920s gig poster, original bitmap — Taisho Modern / Japanese 1920s — gig

Shanghai Calendar Poster / Yuefenpai fete poster, original bitmap — Shanghai Calendar Poster / Yuefenpai — fête

Shanghai Calendar Poster / Yuefenpai gig poster, original bitmap — Shanghai Calendar Poster / Yuefenpai — gig

Brazilian Tropicália fete poster, original bitmap — Brazilian Tropicália — fête

Brazilian Tropicália gig poster, original bitmap — Brazilian Tropicália — gig

Italian Futurist Typography fete poster, original bitmap — Italian Futurist Typography — fête

Italian Futurist Typography gig poster, original bitmap — Italian Futurist Typography — gig

Zagreb School Animation gig poster, original bitmap — Zagreb School Animation — gig

German Expressionist Film Poster fete poster, original bitmap — German Expressionist Film Poster — fête

German Expressionist Film Poster gig poster, original bitmap — German Expressionist Film Poster — gig

Hong Kong Cinema Poster fete poster, original bitmap — Hong Kong Cinema Poster — fête

Hong Kong Cinema Poster gig poster, original bitmap — Hong Kong Cinema Poster — gig

Ukiyo-e / Japanese Woodblock gig poster, original bitmap — Ukiyo-e / Japanese Woodblock — gig

WPA / New Deal gig poster, original bitmap — WPA / New Deal — gig

Soviet Propaganda fete poster, original bitmap — Soviet Propaganda — fête

Soviet Propaganda gig poster, original bitmap — Soviet Propaganda — gig

Cuban OSPAAAL Revolutionary fete poster, original bitmap — Cuban OSPAAAL Revolutionary — fête

Cuban OSPAAAL Revolutionary gig poster, original bitmap — Cuban OSPAAAL Revolutionary — gig

Atelier Populaire / Paris May 1968 fete poster, original bitmap — Atelier Populaire / Paris May 1968 — fête

Atelier Populaire / Paris May 1968 gig poster, original bitmap — Atelier Populaire / Paris May 1968 — gig

North Korean Propaganda fete poster, original bitmap — North Korean Propaganda — fête

North Korean Propaganda gig poster, original bitmap — North Korean Propaganda — gig

Soviet Space Programme fete poster, original bitmap — Soviet Space Programme — fête

Soviet Space Programme gig poster, original bitmap — Soviet Space Programme — gig

90s Rave / Acid Graphics fete poster, original bitmap — 90s Rave / Acid Graphics — fête

90s Rave / Acid Graphics gig poster, original bitmap — 90s Rave / Acid Graphics — gig

90s Drum and Bass Flyer fete poster, original bitmap — 90s Drum and Bass Flyer — fête

90s Drum and Bass Flyer gig poster, original bitmap — 90s Drum and Bass Flyer — gig

Festival Indie Lineup fete poster, original bitmap — Festival Indie Lineup — fête

4AD Records fete poster, original bitmap — 4AD Records — fête

4AD Records gig poster, original bitmap — 4AD Records — gig

Heavy Metal Concert Poster fete poster, original bitmap — Heavy Metal Concert Poster — fête

Heavy Metal Concert Poster gig poster, original bitmap — Heavy Metal Concert Poster — gig

Reggae / Sound System Flyer fete poster, original bitmap — Reggae / Sound System Flyer — fête

Reggae / Sound System Flyer gig poster, original bitmap — Reggae / Sound System Flyer — gig

80s NYC Hip Hop Flyer fete poster, original bitmap — 80s NYC Hip Hop Flyer — fête

80s NYC Hip Hop Flyer gig poster, original bitmap — 80s NYC Hip Hop Flyer — gig

Blaxploitation Movie Poster fete poster, original bitmap — Blaxploitation Movie Poster — fête

Blaxploitation Movie Poster gig poster, original bitmap — Blaxploitation Movie Poster — gig

Skateboard / Street Graphics fete poster, original bitmap — Skateboard / Street Graphics — fête

Skateboard / Street Graphics gig poster, original bitmap — Skateboard / Street Graphics — gig

Designers Republic fete poster, original bitmap — Designers Republic — fête

Designers Republic gig poster, original bitmap — Designers Republic — gig

NASA Worm Modernist fete poster, original bitmap — NASA Worm Modernist — fête

Psychedelic Seventies Corporate fete poster, original bitmap — Psychedelic Seventies Corporate — fête

Psychedelic Seventies Corporate gig poster, original bitmap — Psychedelic Seventies Corporate — gig

Y2K Chrome fete poster, original bitmap — Y2K Chrome — fête

Y2K Chrome gig poster, original bitmap — Y2K Chrome — gig

Vaporwave fete poster, original bitmap — Vaporwave — fête

Vaporwave gig poster, original bitmap — Vaporwave — gig

Synthwave / Retrowave fete poster, original bitmap — Synthwave / Retrowave — fête

Synthwave / Retrowave gig poster, original bitmap — Synthwave / Retrowave — gig

Glitch Art fete poster, original bitmap — Glitch Art — fête

Glitch Art gig poster, original bitmap — Glitch Art — gig