Comprehensive Meme Factory

A Claude Code skill for creating memes using the free memegen.link API and textual meme formats. Generates shareable meme images from popular templates with custom text, all without requiring image editing software or API keys.

When to Use This Skill

Choose Meme Factory when:

• You want to create memes quickly from popular templates
• You need to generate meme images programmatically
• You want to add humor to documentation, README files, or presentations
• You're building a chatbot or app that generates memes
• You need a quick visual joke for team communication

Consider alternatives when:

• You need serious image generation (use an image generation skill)
• You want to edit existing images (use an image editor skill)
• You need professional marketing visuals (use a design skill)

Quick Start

Copy
# Install the skill
claude install comprehensive-meme-factory

# Create a meme
claude "Create a Drake meme: top text 'Writing tests' bottom text 'Testing in production'"

# Use a specific template
claude "Make a 'This is fine' meme about deploying on Friday"

# Generate meme URL
claude "Generate a memegen URL for 'Change my mind' template with text 'TypeScript is just JavaScript with extra steps'"

Core Concepts

Memegen.link API

Feature	Description	Example
Template Library	100+ popular meme formats	Drake, Distracted Boyfriend, This is Fine
Custom Text	Top and bottom text on any template	/drake/top_text/bottom_text.jpg
URL-Based	Generate via URL, no API key needed	https://api.memegen.link/images/drake/...
Multiple Formats	JPG, PNG, GIF outputs	Append .jpg, .png, or .gif
Custom Fonts	Size, color, font options	Query parameters for styling

URL Format

Base: https://api.memegen.link/images/{template}/{top}/{bottom}.{format}

Encoding Rules:
  Spaces → _ (underscore)
  Question Mark → ~q
  Ampersand → ~a
  Hash → ~h
  Slash → ~s
  Blank Line → _
  New Line → ~n

Example:
  Template: drake
  Top: "Writing tests"
  Bottom: "Testing in production"
  URL: https://api.memegen.link/images/drake/Writing_tests/Testing_in_production.jpg

Popular Templates

Template ID	Name	Format
drake	Drake Approving	Two-panel preference
doge	Doge	Image with scattered text
change-my-mind	Change My Mind	Steven Crowder debate
distracted-boyfriend	Distracted Boyfriend	Three-person jealousy
fine	This is Fine	Dog in fire
batman-slapping	Batman Slapping Robin	Two-panel correction
expanding-brain	Expanding Brain	Multi-level escalation
always-has-been	Always Has Been	Astronaut realization

Configuration

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
format	string	"jpg"	Output format: jpg, png, gif
font	string	"impact"	Font: impact, notosans, titilliumweb
max_font_size	number	50	Maximum font size in pixels
text_color	string	"white"	Text color hex code
output	string	"url"	Output type: url, download, markdown

Best Practices

1. Keep text short — Meme text should be punchy and immediate. If your top or bottom text is longer than 8 words, it's too long. The best memes communicate in 3-5 words per section.

2. Match the template to the joke structure — Drake format is for "bad thing vs. good thing." Distracted Boyfriend is for "ignoring the right choice for the wrong one." Use the template that naturally fits your joke's structure.

3. Use programming humor sparingly — One well-placed meme in a README or PR description adds personality. Ten memes in every commit message gets old fast. Quality over quantity.

4. URL-encode properly — Special characters in meme text need proper encoding. Spaces become underscores, question marks become ~q. The skill handles this automatically, but be aware when constructing URLs manually.

5. Check the template exists — Call the API's template list endpoint to verify a template ID is valid before generating. Invalid template IDs return error images instead of failing gracefully.

Common Issues

Text overflows the meme — Your text is too long. Shorten it. If you absolutely need longer text, increase the image size or reduce the font size with the max_font_size parameter. But really, just shorten the text.

Image quality is low — The default size is optimized for web. For presentations or print, append size parameters to the URL: ?width=800&height=600. Larger sizes produce sharper images.

Template not found — Template IDs are lowercase with hyphens. "Distracted Boyfriend" is distracted-boyfriend, not distractedBoyfriend. Use the /templates endpoint to get the exact IDs.