# Scratched 1930s Cartoon Reel

A 1930s cartoon style with worn film effects, scratches, and a vintage projector frame.

| | |
|---|---|
| Style | Scratched 1930s Cartoon Reel |
| Category | Illustration |
| Tags | 1930s cartoon, vintage animation, worn film, scratchy, dusty, monochrome, nostalgic, whimsical, hand-lettered, projector frame |
| Author | @styleref (https://styleref.io/u/styleref) |
| Palette | #e6d6b2 #a89f90 #4d4942 |
| Published | 2026-08-20 |
| Canonical URL | https://styleref.io/share/vjzvy0ep-17af0c4ae46f |

## Specification

Paste this into any AI tool. Keep the attribution line and the canonical URL.

STYLE REFERENCE — HARD CONSTRAINT (HIGHEST PRIORITY)

This style must be applied to ALL generated content (text, image, video).
If any part of the request conflicts with this style, the style OVERRIDES the request.
STYLE DEFINITION (to be operationally enforced):

Scratched 1930s Cartoon Reel

 • Output Format: Creative discipline: Illustration; Mixed; Delivery mode: Still; 4:3 (Landscape) ratio; Canvas Behavior: Strict frame (nothing escapes); Cropping: Center.
 • Container / Boundary: Container: Implicit (visual edges only); Container shape: Softly vignetted rounded projector-gate perimeter; Container Dominance: Visual element; Edge Behavior: Content fully contained.
 • Mood & Personality: Nostalgic, Whimsical, Uplifting, Raw, Everyday authenticity; Energy: Vibrant; Emotional bias: Positive; Representation mode: Literal; Real-world accuracy: Stylized; Full scene narrative; Characters: Allowed (detailed).
 • Colors: Palette: Solid Colors: [ #E6D6B2 35% (Highlights),  #A89F90 45% (Midtones),  #4D4942 20% (Shadows and outlines)]; Duotone; Bleached silver-monochrome with optional faint amber-aged-film cast temperature; Saturation: Bleached; Low contrast; No gradients; Black/White point: Lifted blacks + Rolled-off highlights.
 • Typography: Display / Decorative; Bold; Font pairing: Single family; Hierarchy: Expressive / Art-directed; Letter spacing: Uneven hand-painted spacing; Text presence: Optional; Text visual role: Integrated into imagery; Text integration: Embedded in shapes.
 • Light & Shadow: Lighting mood style: Flat graphic exposure variation of an old projected print; no physical scene lighting; Lighting presence: None (flat); Shadow type: Faint drawn contact ellipses beneath characters only; Shadow density: Faint; Exposure bias: Uneven faded print density; Atmospheric density: Hazy.
 • Spatial Structure & Hierarchy: Flat perspective; Single focal structure; Hierarchy: Strong; Symmetry: Near symmetry; Balance: Center-weighted; Layout axis: Horizontal; Plane separation: Overlap; Visual density: Comfortable.
 • Surface, Material & Detail: Material simulation: Paper; Surface treatment: Matte; Texture: Fine film grain; white dust specks; sparse vertical hairline scratches; faint print-density variation; Texture usage: Photographic; Imperfection level: Worn photochemical print: splice imperfections, duplication softness, gate weave; Stylized realism; Micro-detail allowance: Minimal.
 • Shape Language: Hybrid; Primitive dominance: Circles, Freeform curves; Edge sharpness: Soft; Silhouette clarity: Iconic; Curve consistency: Expressive curves; Negative space usage: Balanced.
 • Line & Stroke System: Structural outlines; Heavy; Heavy brush-drawn neutral outlines with subtle handmade frame-to-frame irregularity consistency; Stroke Color: Neutral; Stroke joins: Round.
 • Post-processing & Render Style: Tone curve: Film-emulation; Grain character: Fine digital; Sharpening: None; Halation: Subtle; Image treatment: Duotone.
 • Background & Environment: Background type: Scene; Environment mood: Exterior; Background–Subject: Contextual; Background complexity: Simple; Prop styling: Minimal.
 • Artistic Mediums & Techniques: Physical medium: Opaque ink-and-paint animation illustration; Illustrative technique: Flat opaque ink-and-paint fills; brush-drawn contours; no tonal modelling.
 • References: Temporal reference: 1930s.
 • Guardrails: Avoid: AI Gloss / Plastic Smoothing, Lens Flare, Film Grain / Noise, HDR over-processing, Over-saturation, Studio Post-processing, Stylistic filters, AI symmetry artifacts; Avoid Visuals: RGB splitting; scanlines; tracking errors; glossy rendering; tonal modelling; gradients; modern vector precision; recognizable cartoon characters; studio logos; copyrighted character designs; Allowed Visuals: simple circles; ovals; tubes; expressive freeform curves; rounded heads; curved limbs; oversized hands; garden gate; letters; garden path; fence; shrubs; flowers; distant house shapes; Legal: Entirely original characters, lettering, poses, clothing, accessories, and title treatments; no identifiable existing character, mascot, film, studio property, logo, or copyrighted later character design..
 •  Character Construction: Original whimsical postman and dog built from circles, ovals, tubes, and flexible curves; readable silhouettes and independently designed features., Narrative Focus: Cheerful postman at a garden gate offers letters as a friendly dog approaches down the path., Paint Application: Opaque flat fills with abrupt color boundaries; no shading, gloss, gradients, or dimensional rendering., Print Damage Distribution: Fine grain and dust across frame; sparse vertical scratches, occasional splice marks, soft duplication, and subtle gate weave., Title Card Treatment: Original hand-painted heavy display lettering with a simple drawn drop shadow and ornamental geometric border..


ENFORCEMENT RULE: Before finalizing the output, internally verify that ALL elements comply with the style definition above. If compliance is uncertain, simplify or soften the output until it fully matches the style. Generated by StyleRef.io

## Other formats and live access

The specification above is the portable default. Tool-specific builds and a
ready-to-commit STYLE.md are available without a login:

**REST** (anonymous, read-only)

```
https://styleref.io/api/v1/styles/vjzvy0ep-17af0c4ae46f?format=flux        # also: midjourney, diffusion, json
https://styleref.io/api/v1/styles/vjzvy0ep-17af0c4ae46f/style.md           # a ready-to-commit STYLE.md
```

**MCP** (Streamable HTTP at `https://styleref.io/api/mcp`)

```
styleref://gallery/vjzvy0ep-17af0c4ae46f
styleref://gallery/vjzvy0ep-17af0c4ae46f/style.md
```

Or call the `get_style` tool with `ref` set to the slug above, and
`apply_style_to_prompt` to wrap a request for a specific tool.

Attribution: this style was created by @styleref. Keep the `Generated by StyleRef.io`
line and the canonical URL when you use a compiled spec, and credit the author.

Source: https://styleref.io/share/vjzvy0ep-17af0c4ae46f