Charis

Charis is a lightweight CLI tool that allows you to generate stunning AI images directly from your terminal - powered by Google’s Imagen “Nano Banana” models. Designed for developers, designers, and creators who want to bring ideas to life instantly, Charis turns simple text prompts into high-quality visuals without leaving the command line.

Charis Screenshot

What Does Charis Do?

Charis transforms creative prompts into ready-to-use images using Google’s latest generation of lightweight AI models. With just one command, you can:

  • Generate AI images instantly from a natural-language description.
  • Customize styles and formats (realistic, digital art, poster, minimal, etc.).
  • Save outputs locally with automatic file naming and metadata.
  • Integrate image generation into scripts or workflows, thanks to its simple CLI interface.

Perfect for freelancers, developers, and artists who want a fast, code-free way to prototype visuals, mockups, or content ideas.

My Work

I designed and built Charis as a personal productivity tool that evolved into a flexible, open-source CLI framework:

  • Developed the CLI in Bun + TypeScript, leveraging Vercel’s AI SDK for inference calls.
  • Integrated Google’s Imagen Nano models, providing local access to high-quality AI generation.
  • Implemented argument parsing and prompt presets, allowing users to control output style, aspect ratio, and number of images.
  • Added caching and auto-save, storing all generations with timestamps and prompt metadata.
  • Created a modular structure for easy extension - supporting future providers (OpenAI, Flux, etc.).
  • Packaged as a standalone executable, enabling one-line installation and offline-ready usage.

🚀 Key Features

  • Text-to-Image in Seconds: Generate visuals directly from your terminal using plain text prompts.
  • Flexible Styles: Choose between realistic, illustration, minimal, or cinematic looks.
  • Offline-Friendly CLI: Runs as a local binary - no complex setup required.
  • Metadata Logging: Automatically stores prompts, model, and timestamps for reproducibility.
  • Scriptable: Perfect for automation, pipelines, or creative workflows.

🛠️ Tools and Technologies

  • Bun + TypeScript - Fast runtime for CLI development.
  • Vercel AI SDK - Unified interface for text-to-image models.
  • Google Imagen Nano Models - The core AI engine for lightweight, high-quality image generation.
  • Node CLI Libraries (commander, chalk) - Argument parsing and UX styling.
  • JSON-based Config System - Simple user customization for defaults and presets.

Charis is a small but powerful example of how AI creativity can live in your terminal - no heavy UIs, no API complexity, just text and imagination. Whether you’re generating concept art, social media content, or experimental visuals, Charis gives you full creative control with one simple command.

If you’d like to try Charis or integrate it into your creative workflow, I’d be happy to share a demo or early access build.