A reference set is a named, reusable library of references that you point Layer at to keep generations consistent — the same character, palette, or art direction across everything you make. Think of it as the difference between attaching one image and handing Layer a whole style guide.

What a reference set can hold

A reference set isn't limited to a single image. One set can contain a variety of items — images, video, and even 3D assets — grouped under one name. That lets you assemble everything that defines a look or a character in one place.

When to build a reference set — and when to keep a single asset

The rule of thumb: build a reference set when your references are repeatable and thorough; keep things as single assets when they're one-off or single-use. A few examples:

One image of a character → single asset. A full turnaround → reference set. If all you have is a single picture of a character, just keep it as an asset and attach it when you need it. Once you have a thorough set — front, back, side, top-down ortho views — group them into a reference set so Layer can keep the character consistent from any angle.
A character that spans media → reference set. When a character comes with more than images — voice samples, example videos, and a 3D model — unify those different asset types in one reference set, so there's a single, complete definition to work from.
Backgrounds you'll train a style on → reference set. A couple of one-off backgrounds → keep them on the canvas. Gathering background art to train a style? Collect it into a reference set. Just have a few backgrounds to drop into a workflow or a single generation? Leave them as assets on the canvas.

💡 It usually comes down to repeatability: if you'll reuse these references to keep something consistent — a recurring character, a trained style — build a reference set. For a true one-off, a single asset is simpler.

They live in projects — and can be shared

Reference sets belong to projects, but they aren't locked to one. A set can be shared across projects, so a style or character library you build once can be reused everywhere — no need to rebuild it for each piece of work.

💡 On the Reference Sets page, use the Scope filter — All · Workspace · Featured · Shared — to find sets that have been shared with you or across projects.

Use a reference set in a chat

To guide the Agent with a reference set, first make sure you're in the project the set lives in — then bring it into the conversation one of two ways:

Click Add reference set in the composer, or
Type @ and pick the set by name.

The Agent conditions its generations on that set, keeping your output on-style.

Use a reference set on the generation form

Reference sets aren't only for the Agent. When you set up a generation yourself, you can add a reference set directly on the generation form too. So whether you're chatting or driving a generation by hand, the same set keeps results consistent.

Train a style from a reference set

Reference sets are also where you train custom styles. Gather examples of the look you want into a set, then train a style from it — and apply that style to future generations for a repeatable, on-brand result.

📘 Want the full walkthrough? See Training a custom style for step-by-step instructions.

Tips

Name and tag sets clearly so they're easy to find and @-mention later.
Build one set per character, style, or theme for the cleanest, most predictable results.
Share a set across projects to reuse a style library instead of rebuilding it.