Getting Started

Quickstart

Generate your first AI character photo in under 5 minutes. Follow these steps to go from sign-up to a finished image.

1. Sign up & subscribe

Visit tesni.io/login and sign in with your Google or GitHub account. Then head to your Account page and subscribe to the Pro plan ($19.99/mo) to unlock the canvas and all AI models.

2. Add your fal.ai API key

Tesni uses a Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) model - you provide your own fal.ai API key and generation costs are charged directly to your fal.ai account.

1. Go to fal.ai/dashboard/keys (create a free fal.ai account if you don't have one).
2. Click Create API Key, give it a name (e.g. "Tesni"), and copy the key.
3. Back in Tesni, go to Account → API Keys tab.
4. Paste your key and click Save. Tesni will validate the key automatically.

3. Create a project

From the dashboard, click + New Project. Give it a name and you'll be taken to the canvas.

4. Add a Character node

Open the Nodes panel from the left sidebar. Click Character to place a Character node. Upload a face reference photo or describe your character (age, ethnicity, hair, build). You can also choose from a template.

5. Add a Scene node (optional)

Add a Scene node to describe the environment, lighting, camera angle, mood, and setting. You can also skip this and describe the scene directly in the Image node.

6. Add an Image node

Add an Image node. This is where your generated photo will appear. Choose a model from the dropdown - we recommend FLUX Kontext Character for best results.

7. Connect & generate

Drag from the Character node's output handle to the Image node's input handle. Optionally connect the Scene node too. Then click Generate on the Image node. In a few seconds, your AI character photo will appear.

8. Iterate

Not quite right? Adjust the prompt, change the model, or modify scene settings and regenerate. Every generation is saved in the Image node's history so you can compare results and roll back.