What pictures are OK for our image tools

If you tried to turn a photo into a coloring sheet or fuse bead pattern and GlueStick said it wasn’t a great fit for our tool, you are in the right place. This page is for parents (and kids) who just want to understand the rules about our AI image-generation tools, including the Coloring Sheet Generator and the Fuse Bead Art Generator.

Why we check every photo

Our Imagination Station tools are made for kids. We want to make sure that everything our tools create is safe for them and respectful of the intellectual property of others. We hope that people love these tools and share what they make with them widely. We want to make sure that we’re protecting kids and their families if their creations are shared.

The rules for our Imagination Station tools are even stricter than the rules our project authors follow when they publish activities on our site. If you are writing projects for the GlueStick community, see our Content Quality Standards instead. This article is only about photos you upload into Imagination Station tools.

We block more than we have to — on purpose

The Imagination Station image-filter can feel picky and prudish. A beach day, a Pokémon shirt, or shorts that look fine to you might still get flagged by our safety system. That is not a bug.

If our AI is ever unsure if content is safe for kids or infringes on intellectual property, we block. We would rather say “try another photo” than let something slip through that puts kids or creators at risk.

If a picture that feels innocent gets stopped, it usually means our system was being careful — not that your family did something wrong. We know that can be frustrating, but we also know that there are lots of amazing things in your world to take pictures of and turn into art.

What kinds of pictures get blocked

Here is the short version of what we look for:

Famous characters and brands

Well-known fictional characters, branded figures, and logos are blocked — think Pokémon, Disney, Marvel, Nintendo, Sesame Street, and similar. That includes toys, plush, costumes, posters, screenshots, and drawings of those characters.

Real people, real pets, ordinary objects, and landscapes are usually fine. Please remember that this filter can trigger even if the character or trademark is in the background or on clothing. If you’re wearing your favorite Disney shirt or standing in front of a Pokémon stuffy, that photo will not be allowed. Try again with a different photo.

Nudity, sexual content, and crude humor

We block nudity, sexual poses or activity, sexual props or slogans, and crude adult humor. If a picture might read as “adult,” even as a joke, choose a different one. We’ll attempt to block it.

A note about breasts.

It’s very hard for a computer to accurately understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate nudity. While we as a company applaud art that celebrates the human body and many of us were proud public breastfeeding mothers, our Imagination Station tools are not able to consistently distinguish these use cases from potentially harmful ones. Therefore, all nudity, no matter the intention, is forbidden.

Swimwear, underwear, and lingerie

All images of children in swimwear are blocked — even normal family beach or pool photos. Images of children in lingerie or underwear worn as an outfit are blocked too. Very short or revealing clothing is routinely flagged by our filters.

When in doubt, pick a photo where everyone is in street or school clothes. We want to make sure your kid is safe, and that means putting our image filters far away from any gray lines.

Weapons, violence, drugs, alcohol, and hate

We block guns and other weapons, fighting, blood, gore, hate symbols or slurs, and photos where drugs, tobacco, or alcohol are a clear subject.

A plastic toy sword in ordinary play, or a kitchen knife in a cooking photo, is usually fine. If the weapon, injury, or drink is the focus of the picture, it should be denied.

What usually works

When an image is blocked, try:

• A family photo in everyday clothes
• A pet, backyard, playground, or landscape
• A craft, snack, or toy that is not a famous character
• Cropping out posters, packaging, or costumes that show a branded character

Something got through that should not have?

If you see a craft or photo that should have been blocked, please tell us. Use the contact form at the bottom of this page, or email support@gluestick.app. Include what you saw and where you saw it if you can.

Reports like that help us keep GlueStick safer for every family. Thank you for speaking up.

Other questions

Billing, accounts, household settings, or anything else — scroll down to Contact support on this page. You can also browse our FAQs or start from the Support hub.