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cursor-image-generation-workflow Generate Production-Ready Images Without Leaving Cursor inbox 2024-12-27 research

Idea

Discovery

Source: Weekly digest 2024-12-27, MCP ecosystem research
Evidence:

  1. MCP Servers Launching:

    • FlowHunt Image Gen for Cursor
    • Multiple GitHub repos for Cursor + MCP image generation
    • Active r/mcp discussions about Cursor integration

  2. Developer Pain Quote (HN):

    "Integrating AI into existing workflows or replacing those workflows is often more complex and error-prone than simply having human beings do the thing"

  3. Context-Switching Problem:

    • Previous research: context-switching-pain-2024-12-24.md
    • Developers hate leaving IDE to generate images
    • Copy/paste between tools breaks flow state

Why This Matters

Strategic Rationale:

  1. Cursor is Exploding

    • AI-first developers use Cursor or Claude Code
    • Cursor has built-in AI context
    • MCP support makes it extensible
    • Target: early adopters with high willingness to pay

  2. Workflow Integration = Our Moat

    • Competitors have APIs, we have workflow
    • "Never leave your IDE" is powerful promise
    • Workflow-native positioning

  3. Practical Tutorial = SEO + Conversion

    • Developers search "how to add images to Cursor"
    • Step-by-step content ranks well
    • High conversion intent (ready to implement)

Potential Angle

End-to-end tutorial: Real Next.js project

Hook: "You're building a Next.js landing page in Cursor. You need hero images. Do you: A) Switch to Midjourney, generate, download, upload to project B) Ask Cursor to generate images right in your chat

Option B is now possible. Here's how."

Structure:

  1. The Old Way (Pain)

    • Open Midjourney/DALL-E in browser
    • Generate image
    • Download
    • Upload to project
    • Reference in code
    • Repeat for variations
    • Time: 10-15 minutes per image

  2. The New Way (Solution)

    • Type in Cursor: "Generate hero image: modern SaaS dashboard, purple gradient"
    • Image appears in chat
    • Auto-saved to /public/images
    • Cursor suggests code: <Image src="/images/hero-abc123.png" />
    • Time: 30 seconds

  3. Setup Guide (Step-by-Step)

    Prerequisites:

    • Cursor IDE installed
    • Banatie API key (free trial)
    • Next.js project (any framework works)

    Installation:

    # 1. Install Banatie MCP server
npm install -g @banatie/mcp-server

# 2. Configure Cursor
# Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "banatie": {
      "command": "banatie-mcp",
      "env": {
        "BANATIE_API_KEY": "your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

# 3. Restart Cursor

    First Image:

    • Open Cursor chat
    • Type: "Use Banatie to generate a hero image"
    • Cursor shows available tools
    • Enter prompt
    • Image generated and saved

  4. Real Use Cases

    Use Case 1: Blog Post Headers

    Prompt: "Generate header image for blog post about React Server Components, 
tech aesthetic, blue/purple gradient, 1200x630"

Result: hero-react-server-components.png in /public/blog/

    Use Case 2: Product Mockups

    Prompt: "Generate 5 variations of iPhone mockup showing our dashboard UI, 
modern office background, @product-style"

Result: 5 consistent images using saved style

    Use Case 3: OG Images (Automated)

    // In your build script:
const banatie = new BanatieClient();

for (const post of blogPosts) {
  const ogImage = await banatie.generate({
    prompt: `Blog header: ${post.title}`,
    size: "1200x630",
    project: "blog-og-images"
  });

  await saveToPublic(ogImage, `og/${post.slug}.png`);
}

  5. Advanced Features

    Consistent Style with @name:

    # First time:
"Generate hero image, modern SaaS aesthetic, save as @hero-style"

# Later:
"Generate another hero using @hero-style"
# → Consistent aesthetic across all images

    Project Organization:

    # Automatic organization by project context
banatie.generate({
  prompt: "...",
  project: "landing-page-redesign"  // Auto-detected from folder
});

# All images for this project grouped together
# Easy to find, manage, iterate

    Cursor-Specific Magic:

    • Cursor understands project context
    • Auto-suggests image paths in code
    • Tab completion for generated images
    • @codebase aware of all generated assets

  6. Comparison: Banatie vs Other MCP Servers

    Feature Banatie Replicate MCP Together AI MCP
    Setup time 2 min 5 min 10 min
    Project organization ✓ ✗ ✗
    @name references ✓ ✗ ✗
    Auto-save to project ✓ Manual Manual
    Cost transparency $0.01/img Varies $0.03/img
    Cursor suggestions ✓ Limited Limited

  7. What Developers Say

    Note: Need actual testimonials. Placeholder quotes:

    "I generate 20-30 images per project. Banatie's MCP server saved me hours of context switching." — Sarah Chen, Indie Hacker

    "The @name references are a game changer for consistent brand imagery." — Marcus Rodriguez, Agency Owner

  8. Try It Now

    • Free tier: 100 images/month
    • Takes 2 minutes to set up
    • Works with any Cursor project

Call to Action:

  • Get Banatie API key (free trial)
  • Install MCP server
  • Generate your first image in Cursor
  • Share your workflow on Twitter

Keywords

Needs DataForSEO validation

High intent keywords:

  • "cursor image generation"
  • "mcp server image generation"
  • "generate images in cursor ide"
  • "ai images cursor tutorial"
  • "next.js ai image generation"

Secondary:

  • "cursor mcp server"
  • "claude desktop image generation"
  • "ai workflow cursor"

Notes

Target Audience:

  • AI-first developers using Cursor
  • Next.js / React developers
  • Indie hackers building products
  • Small agencies (2-10 people)

Competition:

  • Replicate has MCP server (but generic)
  • Together AI has MCP server (but complex setup)
  • No one has end-to-end Cursor tutorial yet

SEO Opportunity:

  • "Cursor image generation" - low competition
  • Early mover advantage
  • Can rank for brand + workflow keywords

Production Requirements:

  1. Actually Build This:

    • MCP server must work flawlessly
    • Auto-save to project folder
    • Cursor code suggestions

  2. Screen Recording:

    • Show actual Cursor workflow
    • Record real-time generation
    • Show before/after setup

  3. Code Samples:

    • Real Next.js project on GitHub
    • Copy-paste ready snippets
    • Automated OG image generation script

  4. Testimonials:

    • Need real developer quotes
    • Get 2-3 early users to try and review
    • Share results on Twitter/Reddit

Distribution:

  • Post in r/Cursor
  • Post in r/modelcontextprotocol
  • Share on Cursor community Discord
  • Twitter thread with demo video
  • Submit to Product Hunt (if polished)

Risk:

  • Cursor might change MCP implementation
  • Other MCP servers might copy features

Mitigation:

  • Focus on complete workflow, not just MCP
  • Build relationships in Cursor community
  • Keep iterating on DX improvements

Success Metrics:

  • Drives MCP server installs
  • Converts free → paid users
  • Ranks for "cursor image generation"
  • Gets shared in Cursor community

Timeline:

  • Week 1: Build/polish MCP server
  • Week 2: Create tutorial content
  • Week 3: Get testimonials
  • Week 4: Publish and distribute