> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.relayapp.im/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Supply an image recipe

> Pair an already-rendered profile image with Relay's native monogram, emoji, or photo recipe.

An image recipe records how a rendered picture was made.

The Relay iOS app draws monogram and emoji pictures itself from a recipe: the initials or the emoji, on one of seven published gradients. When you render such a picture on your side, send `image_recipe` with the rendered image and Relay keeps both. The recipe never travels alone; a recipe-only update returns `400`.

Send it on the same `PATCH /v1/contact_card` request as the image, following the upload and URL rules in [Profile photos](/agents/profile-photos). A new image sent without `image_recipe` is stored with a photo recipe. A name-only `PATCH` keeps the image and its recipe, and `image_url: null` clears both.

## Supply a rendered image with a recipe

Upload the rendered `RL` monogram on the blue gradient and confirm it is complete. Then send its Attachment ID with the recipe:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -sS -A "relay-docs/1.0" -X PATCH \
    "https://api.relayapp.im/v1/contact_card?handle=$RELAY_AGENT_HANDLE" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $RELAY_AGENT_TOKEN" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{
      "attachment_id":"'"$ATTACHMENT_ID"'",
      "image_recipe":{
        "recipe":{"monogram":{"initials":"RL"}},
        "background":{"linearGradient":{"colors":["5B9BFA","0B52C0"]}}
      }
    }'
  ```

  ```typescript TypeScript SDK theme={null}
  await relay.contactCard.update({
    handle: "my_assistant",
    attachment_id: completedAttachmentId,
    image_recipe: {
      recipe: { monogram: { initials: "RL" } },
      background: {
        linearGradient: { colors: ["5B9BFA", "0B52C0"] },
      },
    },
  });
  ```
</CodeGroup>

```http theme={null}
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
```

To use a hosted image instead, send `image_url` with the same recipe, following [Profile photos](/agents/profile-photos).

The recipe has one of three shapes. A monogram is `recipe.monogram.initials`: one to four graphemes without spaces, at most 16 UTF-8 bytes. An emoji is `recipe.emoji.emoji`, exactly one emoji, and a photo is `recipe.image: {}` with no background.

Monogram and emoji recipes need `background.linearGradient.colors`, one published pair in top-then-base order.

## Choose a gradient pair

| Pair   | Top      | Base     |
| ------ | -------- | -------- |
| Orange | `EC8A3C` | `C85F1C` |
| Pink   | `E0567A` | `AD2A52` |
| Purple | `D05FC6` | `93217E` |
| Violet | `8F6CF2` | `5F38CF` |
| Blue   | `5B9BFA` | `0B52C0` |
| Teal   | `2596A6` | `116A79` |
| Green  | `2FA46A` | `137347` |

## What you get back

The `200` response is the Contact Card with its public `image_url`. The recipe is stored beside the image and is not returned on the card; the Relay iOS app reads it when it needs to redraw the picture.

## When it fails

Read the card before you retry an uncertain update, and keep the rendered image and its recipe together.

| Status | Code                               | Cause                                                                                                                                                            | Next action                                                        |
| ------ | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `400`  | [1005](/api-reference/errors#1005) | The recipe names no case or more than one, lacks its required background, uses a gradient that is not a published pair in order, or came without an image input. | Correct the recipe and send it with one image.                     |
| `422`  | [2006](/api-reference/errors#2006) | The image input failed a check.                                                                                                                                  | See [Profile photos](/agents/profile-photos#failures-and-retries). |

## Next steps

* [Update a profile photo](/agents/profile-photos)
* [Configure a Contact Card](/agents/contact-card)
* [Upload attachments](/messages/attachments)