diff --git a/nous-branding/SKILL.md b/nous-branding/SKILL.md
index b19cf60..19399c0 100644
--- a/nous-branding/SKILL.md
+++ b/nous-branding/SKILL.md
@@ -184,6 +184,93 @@ The brand defines five key textures that should be applied to all visuals. Refer
 
 ---
 
+## Style Lanes
+
+Choose the lane that matches your output's purpose. Each lane encodes a distinct composition grammar, palette discipline, and print technology.
+
+| Lane | Palette | Best For |
+|------|---------|----------|
+| **Xerox Poster** | Pale cyan paper, black/dark teal ink, optional red accent | Release announcements, stark social images |
+| **Manual / Letterpress Cover** | Aged tan paper, dark teal-black ink, red rule | Specs, manuals, technical announcements |
+| **Industrial Duotone** | Cobalt blue, acid yellow, black | Product shots, system graphics, infrastructure |
+| **Minimal Stipple Field** | Cream paper, navy stipple, turquoise border | Quiet editorial covers, abstract banners |
+| **Blue Registration Character** | Deep blue, orange registration marks | Agent identity, symbolic personas |
+| **Legacy PNW / Celestial** | Electric blue, purple, amber, off-white | Classic luminous Hermes/PNW requests |
+
+### Lane 1 — Xerox Poster
+For stark announcements and punchy social images. High-contrast xerox-style poster on colored paper stock.
+
+Prompt cues: high-contrast xerox poster, pale cyan paper stock, black/dark teal ink, dense horizontal scanlines, harsh bitmap thresholding, bold block `NOUS` wordmark near top, centered anonymous subject, worn border/crop marks.
+
+```text
+High-contrast xerox-style poster release announcement on pale cyan paper. [Subject description]. Black ink with dense horizontal scanlines, rough halftone breakup. Bold block `NOUS` wordmark near top. Centered poster composition with worn border and crop marks. --ar 16:9
+```
+
+### Lane 2 — Manual / Letterpress Cover
+For specs, manuals, and technical documentation covers. Distressed letterpress on aged stock.
+
+Prompt cues: distressed letterpress technical manual cover, aged tan paper stock, thick dark teal-black border, compact all-caps condensed typography, red horizontal rule accent, scuffed ink, worn paper corners, `NOUS` as leading stamped brand word.
+
+```text
+Distressed letterpress technical manual cover for [project]. Aged tan paper stock, thick dark teal-black border, compact all-caps condensed typography, red horizontal rule accent, scuffed ink and worn paper corners. `NOUS` as leading stamped brand word. --ar 4:5
+```
+
+### Lane 3 — Industrial Duotone Grid
+For product shots, system graphics, and infrastructure visuals. Edge-to-edge duotone with repeated artifacts.
+
+Prompt cues: edge-to-edge industrial duotone print, repeated rounded branded artifacts, saturated cobalt blue and acid yellow, blown-out ink highlights, dense halftone dots, small embedded `NOUS` marks.
+
+```text
+Edge-to-edge industrial duotone print for [product/release]. Repeated branded components in cobalt blue and acid yellow against black. Dense halftone dots, blown-out ink highlights, small embedded `NOUS` marks on artifacts. --ar 16:9
+```
+
+### Lane 4 — Minimal Stipple Field
+For quiet, refined, abstract graphics with generous negative space.
+
+Prompt cues: abstract risograph/screenprint poster, cream paper base, navy stipple field fading downward, thin turquoise double border, small centered `NOUS` capsule mark, lots of negative space.
+
+```text
+Abstract risograph poster on cream paper. Navy stipple field fading downward, thin turquoise double border, small centered `NOUS` capsule mark. Generous negative space. Restrained, editorial. --ar 4:5
+```
+
+### Lane 5 — Blue Registration Character
+For agent identity and symbolic character posters. Moody blue screenprint with technical registration marks.
+
+Prompt cues: moody blue screenprint poster, anonymous illustrated character, electric-blue posterized lighting, dark cyan-black field, orange registration marks, thin frame lines, scratches, analog grain.
+
+```text
+Moody blue screenprint poster for [project/agent]. Anonymous character subject with electric-blue posterized lighting against dark cyan-black field. Orange registration marks, thin frame lines, scratches, analog grain. --ar 4:5
+```
+
+### Legacy Lane — PNW / Celestial
+For classic Nous/Hermes luminous imagery. Used when the request explicitly asks for the misty, glowing, portal-driven aesthetic.
+
+Prompt cues: dark navy background, misty atmospheric depth, portal/orb/beam light source, electric blue and purple accents, sacred geometry, lone figure.
+
+```text
+Dark atmospheric scene with [subject description]. Misty PNW atmosphere, luminous portal/orb light source, electric blue accent, soft bloom, geometric framing. Match the classic luminous Hermes visual style. --ar 16:9
+```
+
+---
+
+## Reference Catalog
+
+Each asset in `assets/` maps to specific style lanes. Use this table to find the right reference image for your generation:
+
+| Asset | Lanes | Best Used For |
+|-------|-------|---------------|
+| `assets/nous-girl-official-badge.png` | All lanes (mascot subject) | Primary Nous Girl reference — badge portrait, white headphones, 3/4 profile |
+| `assets/nous-girl-sketch-sheet.png` | All lanes (mascot subject) | Character pose reference — all 4 canonical poses |
+| `assets/nous-girl-philosophy.png` | Legacy PNW / Celestial | Brand philosophy visual context |
+| `assets/nous-girl-official.webp` | All lanes (mascot subject) | Web-resolution mascot from nousresearch.com |
+| `assets/palette-typography-reference.png` | All lanes (palette/style) | Color palette and typography specimen reference — use with any lane |
+| `assets/brand-collage-reference.png` | Legacy PNW / Celestial, Blue Registration | Cyber-classical HUD collage reference |
+| `assets/nous-girl-style-reference.png` | All lanes (headphone variant) | Stylized mascot with headphones and electric blue accents |
+
+**Rule of thumb:** Load the reference image that matches your lane's visual grammar. For Xerox Poster lanes, the palette-typography card is more useful than the mascot badge. For character-focused outputs, the sketch sheet is the primary reference.
+
+---
+
 ## Image Prompt Templates
 
 ### Method 1: Full Brand Portrait