> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.protoface.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Choosing a source image > Pick a source image that helps Protoface build a natural custom avatar. Use this page as the full reference for choosing an image for a custom avatar. Protoface works best when the image has one clear, centered, front-facing face-like subject. That subject can be a real person, an animated or generated character, a mascot, or another synthetic character, as long as the face is distinct and clear. ## What Protoface needs A strong source image has: * One primary subject only. * A face or face-like structure looking directly at the camera. * Both eyes visible. * A distinct nose or nose bridge. * A visible mouth, chin, cheeks, and forehead. * Even lighting across the face. * Enough room around the head so the face is not cut off. * PNG or JPEG format. For stylized, mascot, and synthetic avatars, the key is not realism. The key is a clear face layout. The image is more likely to work when it has familiar facial features: two eyes, a nose area, a mouth, a chin or jaw shape, and a centered head. ## Good examples These images give Protoface a single distinct face with clear structure.
Good
Good example: centered forward-facing real portrait with even lighting
Good
Good example: centered forward-facing animated character with visible eyes, nose, mouth, chin, and forehead
Good
Good example: centered forward-facing mascot with a clear face-like structure
Good
Good example: centered forward-facing synthetic character with distinct eyes, nose, mouth, chin, and forehead
## Bad examples These images are harder for Protoface to detect correctly because the face is cropped, turned away, poorly lit, too small, covered, or missing normal face structure.
Avoid
Bad example: cropped portrait with the face partially obscured
Avoid
Bad example: side-profile portrait where the face is turned away
Avoid
Bad example: portrait with harsh backlighting and deep face shadows
Avoid
Bad example: full-body animal side view with no distinct front-facing face
Avoid
Bad example: synthetic character with a screen face and no distinct nose, mouth, chin, or forehead
Avoid
Bad example: animated image with multiple faces, cropped faces, and covered facial features
## Best practices by image type ### Real people Use a head-and-shoulders portrait with the person centered and looking forward. The eyes, nose, mouth, chin, and forehead should all be visible. A neutral or slightly smiling expression is best. Avoid sunglasses, masks, hands on the face, heavy hair over the eyes, strong backlight, motion blur, and tight crops. ### Animated or generated characters Animated and AI-generated characters can work well when they are composed like a portrait photo. Use one character, front-facing, centered, with clear eyes, nose, mouth, chin, forehead, and symmetrical head shape. Avoid action scenes, crowd shots, partial faces, dramatic camera angles, and props covering the face. ### Animal or mascot characters Animal and mascot avatars work best when the image is a human-like mascot portrait, not a normal pet photo. Use a front-facing character with large visible eyes, a centered snout or nose, a clear mouth, cheeks, chin or jaw shape, and a head-and-shoulders crop. Avoid full-body animals, side views, tiny faces, busy outdoor backgrounds, or real pets holding toys in their mouth. ### Synthetic characters Synthetic characters work best when they have a human-like or mascot-like face layout. Use a character with two visible eyes, a nose bridge or nose-like shape, a mouth, chin, forehead, and symmetrical head. Avoid screen-only faces, black visors, helmets with no visible facial structure, reflective masks, or abstract heads. ## Quick checklist before upload Use an image where: * The subject is the only face in frame. * The face is large enough to inspect clearly. * The subject is looking forward, not sideways or downward. * Both eyes are visible. * The nose, mouth, chin, cheeks, and forehead are visible. * The lighting is even. * The source image has no UI, stickers, text, or watermark. * The file is PNG or JPEG. Avoid images with: * Multiple faces. * Side profiles or tilted heads. * Full-body subjects with tiny faces. * Sunglasses, masks, hair, hands, props, or objects covering the face. * Harsh backlighting, deep shadows, blur, filters, or heavy stylization. * Abstract, screen-only, or helmet-like faces without normal features. * Cropped-off foreheads, chins, ears, or cheeks. ## If a build fails If an avatar reaches `status: "failed"`, check `failure_reason` on the avatar response before uploading another source image. If the reason says no face was detected, choose a clearer front-facing source with stronger face features. For stylized characters, mascots, and synthetic characters, try making the next image more portrait-like with familiar facial features. Add visible eyes, nose area, mouth, chin, and forehead, then remove anything that hides or competes with the face. ## Next Upload a portrait image from the dashboard or API. See the upload endpoint and request shape.