Direct answer
Screenshot style and screenshot recipe are two separate settings that control different things: style is the visual look of each frame — layout, gradient, color, device framing — while recipe is the composition strategy across the whole set of screenshots. There are 26 visual styles to choose from and 6 recipes, and the two combine independently, so the same recipe can be run in different visual styles without changing the underlying shot structure.
What each setting is actually responsible for
| Setting | Controls | Example decision it makes |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Layout type, gradient and color, device framing, corner radius, shadow | Whether a screenshot looks like a classic top-caption frame, a tilted phone mockup, or a full-bleed gradient frame |
| Recipe | How individual screenshots are sequenced across the full set | Whether the first frame leads with a value proposition, a full UI hero shot, or a step-by-step guided tour |
The six recipes solve different sequencing problems
Auto Mix randomizes across strategies with the first frame prioritizing a value proposition, which works as a reasonable default when there's no strong opinion about sequencing yet. Full-Screen Hero leads with the real UI so users immediately understand the core experience. Feature Callout isolates one component to highlight a specific capability. Spotlight Strip uses wide horizontal bands, useful for information-dense or card-based interfaces. Guided Tour adds a step-by-step feel for apps whose value is in a sequence of actions. AI Redraw Story has the model understand the full interface first, then redraw it according to App Store best practices — useful when the goal is a full visual rework rather than a direct screenshot capture.
Pick recipe based on what the app needs to prove first
The right recipe question isn't "which looks best" — it's "what does a user need to understand in the first two seconds of scrolling screenshots." An app whose value is immediately visible in the UI benefits from Full-Screen Hero; an app whose value depends on a sequence of steps benefits from Guided Tour; an app with one standout capability benefits from Feature Callout.
Style is a brand decision, recipe is a comprehension decision
It's easy to spend most of the decision time on style because it's the most visually obvious choice, but recipe has more impact on whether a first-time viewer actually understands what the app does. Treat style as a brand-fit decision and recipe as a comprehension decision, and don't let the more visible choice crowd out the more consequential one.
Common mistakes
- Picking a style based on visual preference without checking whether the recipe it's paired with actually fits the app's story.
- Defaulting to Auto Mix indefinitely instead of switching to a more deliberate recipe once the team has a clear opinion about sequencing.
- Assuming a style change alone will fix screenshots that aren't communicating clearly — that's usually a recipe problem, not a style problem.
Checklist
- Choose a recipe based on what a first-time viewer needs to understand, not on visual preference.
- Choose a style based on brand fit, separately from the recipe decision.
- If screenshots aren't landing despite trying different styles, reconsider the recipe before regenerating again in the same recipe.
Operating rule
If screenshots look good but don't communicate, the problem is almost always the recipe, not the style — check sequencing before changing the visual theme again.