diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c0d3c20..40fc6bd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -76,9 +76,69 @@ jobs:
           path: ~/.bun/install/cache
           key: bun-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('bun.lock') }}
       - run: bun install --frozen-lockfile
-      - run: bun dev/screenshots.ts ${{ matrix.wallpaper }}
-      - if: failure()
+      # Compares fresh renders with the published ones on the assets branch. A changed scene only warns: its renders
+      # are uploaded for review, and the publish job below puts them on the assets branch once the change is on main.
+      - id: compare
+        continue-on-error: true
+        run: bun dev/screenshots.ts ${{ matrix.wallpaper }}
+      - if: steps.compare.outcome == 'failure'
+        run: echo "::warning title=Screenshots changed::${{ matrix.wallpaper }} renders differently from the README; they publish automatically once on main. See the fresh-screenshots-${{ matrix.wallpaper }} artifact."
+      - if: steps.compare.outcome == 'failure'
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: fresh-screenshots-${{ matrix.wallpaper }}
-          path: dev/out/${{ matrix.wallpaper }}-*-45s.png
+          path: dev/out/screenshots/
+
+  # Commits the changed screenshots to the assets branch, which the README's images point at.
+  publish:
+    needs: screenshots
+    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+        with:
+          ref: assets
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+        with:
+          pattern: fresh-screenshots-*
+          merge-multiple: true
+      - run: |
+          git add -A
+          git diff --cached --quiet && exit 0
+          git -c user.name="github-actions[bot]" -c user.email="41898273+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com" commit -m "Update screenshots for ${GITHUB_SHA::7}"
+          git push
+
+  # Updates the release branch that `opencode plugin add vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers#release` installs: the built plugin
+  # with a package.json that has no build scripts, so installing doesn't build it, and no sources, dev tools or images.
+  release:
+    needs: [build, check]
+    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+        with:
+          ref: release
+          path: release
+      - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
+        with:
+          bun-version: 1.3.14
+      - uses: actions/cache@v6
+        with:
+          path: ~/.bun/install/cache
+          key: bun-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('bun.lock') }}
+      - run: bun install --frozen-lockfile
+      - run: bun run build
+      - working-directory: release
+        run: |
+          git rm -rq --ignore-unmatch .
+          cp -R ../dist ../README.md ../LICENSE ../CHANGELOG.md .
+          jq 'del(.scripts, .devDependencies)' ../package.json > package.json
+          git add -A
+          git diff --cached --quiet && exit 0
+          git -c user.name="github-actions[bot]" -c user.email="41898273+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com" commit -m "Release ${GITHUB_SHA::7}"
+          git push
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 42ede1c..db0c3c4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 node_modules
 dev/out
 dist
+# The assets branch, checked out by dev/assets.ts
+screenshots/
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d3d8830..b13300e 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -347,9 +347,9 @@ bun dev/pixel-check.ts [id] [activity] [time]     # real-pixel mode against a mo
 bun dev/poke.ts <id> [activity] [time] <fx> <fy> [seconds...] # click at a point (fractions of the screen)
 bun dev/fade.ts <id>:day <id>:night 50            # a frame halfway through a crossfade, and its cost
 bun dev/gif.ts <id> [activity] [time]             # a looping GIF at 3x speed in dev/out
-bun run screenshots                               # fails if the README gallery is out of date
-bun run screenshots:update                        # re-renders it (teeming at 45 s)
-bun dev/gif.ts all                                # re-renders the README's GIFs
+bun run screenshots                               # fails if the README gallery differs from the published one
+bun run screenshots:update                        # re-renders it into screenshots/ (teeming at 45 s)
+bun dev/gif.ts all                                # re-renders the README's GIFs into screenshots/
 ```
 
 - `check.ts` runs the real engine on a mock 160x45 screen. "cells change per frame" is flicker: lower is calmer.
@@ -379,8 +379,34 @@ bun dev/gif.ts all                                # re-renders the README's GIFs
 1. Put it in `wallpapers/<id>.ts` as a named export, and add it to `wallpapers/index.ts`.
 2. Run `bun run typecheck` and `bun dev/check.ts <id>`, and look at `dev/snap.ts` and `dev/preview.ts` output at every
    time of day.
-3. Add it to the README's wallpaper list, gallery and GIF grid. Add its best-looking time of day to `BEST` in `dev/gif.ts`, then run `bun run screenshots:update` and
-   `bun dev/gif.ts all`.
+3. Add it to the README's wallpaper list, gallery and GIF grid. Add its best-looking time of day to `BEST` in
+   `dev/gif.ts`. CI publishes its screenshots once it's merged; a maintainer adds its GIF (see below).
+
+## README images
+
+The README's images live on the orphan `assets` branch and are linked by URL, so installing the plugin doesn't
+download them. Don't commit images to `main`. The dev tools check out that branch at `screenshots/` (a git worktree,
+ignored on `main`) the first time they need it.
+
+- **Screenshots** update themselves: CI renders every wallpaper, and when a pull request changes one it warns and
+  attaches the fresh renders as an artifact for review. Once the change is on `main`, CI commits them to `assets`.
+- **GIFs and the rest** (`hero.gif`, `menu.png`, the farm's seasons and rain) are updated by hand, by anyone who can
+  push to `assets`:
+
+  ```sh
+  git -C screenshots pull origin assets
+  bun dev/gif.ts all                                # or copy the new image into screenshots/
+  git -C screenshots commit -am "Update GIFs" && git -C screenshots push origin assets
+  ```
+
+  Push after the change they show is on `main`. A new file needs `git -C screenshots add` first.
+
+## Releases
+
+`opencode plugin add vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers#release` installs the `release` branch, which CI rebuilds from every
+push to `main` once the checks pass: `dist/`, the README, the license, the changelog and a `package.json` without
+scripts, so installing doesn't build anything. Users get it with `opencode plugin update`. To run your checkout in
+OpenCode instead, put its absolute path in `plugins` in `~/.config/opencode/cli.json`.
 
 ## Your own package
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4f8ce81..3a5dcf8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,25 +2,26 @@
 
 Animated wallpapers for the OpenCode terminal UI: slow, quiet scenes behind everything, kept readable behind text.
 
-![Beach, tundra, jungle, desert and space wallpapers in motion](screenshots/hero.gif)
+![Beach, tundra, jungle, desert and space wallpapers in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/hero.gif)
 
 > This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by OpenCode or its maintainers.
 
 ## Install
 
-Requires OpenCode 2. Clone into OpenCode's plugin directory and restart OpenCode:
+Requires OpenCode 2:
 
 ```sh
-git clone https://github.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers.git ~/.config/opencode/plugins/wallpapers
+opencode plugin add vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers#release
 ```
 
-Update with `git pull`.
+Update with `opencode plugin update`. Restart OpenCode after either. If you installed it with `git clone` before, delete
+`~/.config/opencode/plugins/wallpapers`.
 
 ## Use
 
-Type `/wallpaper` to open the menu. ↑/↓ picks a setting, Enter or ←/→ changes it, Escape closes it.
+Type `/wallpaper` to open the menu and pick a wallpaper; none shows until you do. ↑/↓ picks a setting, Enter or ←/→ changes it, Escape closes it.
 
-![The wallpaper menu](screenshots/menu.png)
+![The wallpaper menu](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/menu.png)
 
 - **Activity:** calm, lively or teeming: how much moves behind your work.
 - **Time:** day, sunset or night, or auto to follow your clock.
@@ -38,9 +39,9 @@ an error. With mouse support, clicking empty background nudges the scene, and ea
 
 | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
-| ![Farm in spring](screenshots/farm-spring.png) | ![Farm in summer](screenshots/farm-summer.png) | ![Farm in autumn](screenshots/farm-autumn.png) | ![Farm in winter](screenshots/farm-winter.png) |
+| ![Farm in spring](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm-spring.png) | ![Farm in summer](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm-summer.png) | ![Farm in autumn](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm-autumn.png) | ![Farm in winter](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm-winter.png) |
 
-![Farm in the rain](screenshots/farm-rain.png)
+![Farm in the rain](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm-rain.png)
 
 ## Terminals
 
@@ -64,32 +65,32 @@ At teeming, played back at 3x speed:
 
 | | |
 | --- | --- |
-| ![Ocean in motion](screenshots/ocean.gif) | ![Desert in motion](screenshots/desert.gif) |
-| ![Jungle in motion](screenshots/jungle.gif) | ![Space in motion](screenshots/space.gif) |
-| ![Farm in motion](screenshots/farm.gif) | ![Tundra in motion](screenshots/tundra.gif) |
-| ![Beach in motion](screenshots/beach.gif) | ![City in motion](screenshots/city.gif) |
-| ![Zen garden in motion](screenshots/zen.gif) | ![Prehistoric in motion](screenshots/prehistoric.gif) |
-| ![Rider in motion](screenshots/rider.gif) | ![Megacity in motion](screenshots/megacity.gif) |
-| ![Dome in motion](screenshots/dome.gif) | ![Haunted house in motion](screenshots/haunted-house.gif) |
-| ![Flower Box in motion](screenshots/flowerbox.gif) | |
+| ![Ocean in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/ocean.gif) | ![Desert in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/desert.gif) |
+| ![Jungle in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/jungle.gif) | ![Space in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/space.gif) |
+| ![Farm in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm.gif) | ![Tundra in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/tundra.gif) |
+| ![Beach in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/beach.gif) | ![City in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/city.gif) |
+| ![Zen garden in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/zen.gif) | ![Prehistoric in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/prehistoric.gif) |
+| ![Rider in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/rider.gif) | ![Megacity in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/megacity.gif) |
+| ![Dome in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/dome.gif) | ![Haunted house in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/haunted-house.gif) |
+| ![Flower Box in motion](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/flowerbox.gif) | |
 
 | | Day | Sunset | Night |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
-| Ocean | ![Ocean by day](screenshots/ocean.png) | ![Ocean at sunset](screenshots/ocean-sunset.png) | ![Ocean at night](screenshots/ocean-night.png) |
-| Desert | ![Desert by day](screenshots/desert.png) | ![Desert at sunset](screenshots/desert-sunset.png) | ![Desert at night](screenshots/desert-night.png) |
-| Jungle | ![Jungle by day](screenshots/jungle.png) | ![Jungle at sunset](screenshots/jungle-sunset.png) | ![Jungle at night](screenshots/jungle-night.png) |
-| Space | ![Space by day](screenshots/space.png) | ![Space at sunset](screenshots/space-sunset.png) | ![Space at night](screenshots/space-night.png) |
-| Farm | ![Farm by day](screenshots/farm.png) | ![Farm at sunset](screenshots/farm-sunset.png) | ![Farm at night](screenshots/farm-night.png) |
-| Tundra | ![Tundra by day](screenshots/tundra.png) | ![Tundra at sunset](screenshots/tundra-sunset.png) | ![Tundra at night](screenshots/tundra-night.png) |
-| Beach | ![Beach by day](screenshots/beach.png) | ![Beach at sunset](screenshots/beach-sunset.png) | ![Beach at night](screenshots/beach-night.png) |
-| City | ![City by day](screenshots/city.png) | ![City at sunset](screenshots/city-sunset.png) | ![City at night](screenshots/city-night.png) |
-| Zen garden | ![Zen garden by day](screenshots/zen.png) | ![Zen garden at sunset](screenshots/zen-sunset.png) | ![Zen garden at night](screenshots/zen-night.png) |
-| Prehistoric | ![Prehistoric by day](screenshots/prehistoric.png) | ![Prehistoric at sunset](screenshots/prehistoric-sunset.png) | ![Prehistoric at night](screenshots/prehistoric-night.png) |
-| Rider | ![Rider by day](screenshots/rider.png) | ![Rider at sunset](screenshots/rider-sunset.png) | ![Rider at night](screenshots/rider-night.png) |
-| Megacity | ![Megacity by day](screenshots/megacity.png) | ![Megacity at sunset](screenshots/megacity-sunset.png) | ![Megacity at night](screenshots/megacity-night.png) |
-| Dome | ![Dome by day](screenshots/dome.png) | ![Dome at sunset](screenshots/dome-sunset.png) | ![Dome at night](screenshots/dome-night.png) |
-| Haunted house | ![Haunted house by day](screenshots/haunted-house.png) | ![Haunted house at sunset](screenshots/haunted-house-sunset.png) | ![Haunted house at night](screenshots/haunted-house-night.png) |
-| Flower Box | ![Flower Box by day](screenshots/flowerbox.png) | ![Flower Box at sunset](screenshots/flowerbox-sunset.png) | ![Flower Box at night](screenshots/flowerbox-night.png) |
+| Ocean | ![Ocean by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/ocean.png) | ![Ocean at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/ocean-sunset.png) | ![Ocean at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/ocean-night.png) |
+| Desert | ![Desert by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/desert.png) | ![Desert at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/desert-sunset.png) | ![Desert at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/desert-night.png) |
+| Jungle | ![Jungle by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/jungle.png) | ![Jungle at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/jungle-sunset.png) | ![Jungle at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/jungle-night.png) |
+| Space | ![Space by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/space.png) | ![Space at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/space-sunset.png) | ![Space at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/space-night.png) |
+| Farm | ![Farm by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm.png) | ![Farm at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm-sunset.png) | ![Farm at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/farm-night.png) |
+| Tundra | ![Tundra by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/tundra.png) | ![Tundra at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/tundra-sunset.png) | ![Tundra at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/tundra-night.png) |
+| Beach | ![Beach by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/beach.png) | ![Beach at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/beach-sunset.png) | ![Beach at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/beach-night.png) |
+| City | ![City by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/city.png) | ![City at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/city-sunset.png) | ![City at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/city-night.png) |
+| Zen garden | ![Zen garden by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/zen.png) | ![Zen garden at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/zen-sunset.png) | ![Zen garden at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/zen-night.png) |
+| Prehistoric | ![Prehistoric by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/prehistoric.png) | ![Prehistoric at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/prehistoric-sunset.png) | ![Prehistoric at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/prehistoric-night.png) |
+| Rider | ![Rider by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/rider.png) | ![Rider at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/rider-sunset.png) | ![Rider at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/rider-night.png) |
+| Megacity | ![Megacity by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/megacity.png) | ![Megacity at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/megacity-sunset.png) | ![Megacity at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/megacity-night.png) |
+| Dome | ![Dome by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/dome.png) | ![Dome at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/dome-sunset.png) | ![Dome at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/dome-night.png) |
+| Haunted house | ![Haunted house by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/haunted-house.png) | ![Haunted house at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/haunted-house-sunset.png) | ![Haunted house at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/haunted-house-night.png) |
+| Flower Box | ![Flower Box by day](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/flowerbox.png) | ![Flower Box at sunset](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/flowerbox-sunset.png) | ![Flower Box at night](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vaprdev/opencode-wallpapers/assets/flowerbox-night.png) |
 
 ## License
 
diff --git a/dev/assets.ts b/dev/assets.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edcffae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/assets.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// The README's images live on the orphan assets branch, so installing the plugin doesn't download them. The dev tools
+// read and write them in screenshots/, a worktree of that branch, created here on first use.
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs"
+
+export function assets() {
+  if (existsSync("screenshots/.git")) return
+  if (existsSync("screenshots")) throw new Error("screenshots/ isn't a checkout of the assets branch: move it away and rerun")
+  if (Bun.spawnSync(["git", "rev-parse", "--verify", "--quiet", "refs/heads/assets"]).exitCode) git("fetch", "--depth=1", "origin", "assets:assets")
+  git("worktree", "add", "screenshots", "assets")
+}
+
+function git(...args: string[]) {
+  if (Bun.spawnSync(["git", ...args], { stdout: "ignore", stderr: "inherit" }).exitCode) throw new Error(`git ${args.join(" ")} failed`)
+}
diff --git a/dev/build.ts b/dev/build.ts
index 8e425c7..972f5c8 100644
--- a/dev/build.ts
+++ b/dev/build.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-// Compiles the plugin to dist/tui.js and the wallpaper API to dist/api.js with its type declarations, for the npm
-// package: bun dev/build.ts
+// Compiles the plugin to dist/tui.js and the wallpaper API to dist/api.js with its type declarations, for the release
+// branch that CI publishes (see CONTRIBUTING.md) and the npm package: bun dev/build.ts
 // OpenTUI's Solid JSX transform skips files under node_modules, so an installed package must ship compiled JSX.
 // A git clone loads tui.tsx directly and never needs this.
 import { rmSync } from "node:fs"
diff --git a/dev/gif.ts b/dev/gif.ts
index b2aac52..23c24a8 100644
--- a/dev/gif.ts
+++ b/dev/gif.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 // Renders a wallpaper's scene directly (no terminal conversion) to a looping animated GIF:
 // bun dev/gif.ts <wallpaper> [calm|lively|teeming] [day|sunset|night] [WxH] [seconds] → dev/out/<id>-<activity>-<time>.gif
-// bun dev/gif.ts all → screenshots/<id>.gif for every wallpaper, and screenshots/hero.gif
+// bun dev/gif.ts all → screenshots/<id>.gif for every wallpaper, and screenshots/hero.gif (the assets branch: see
+// dev/assets.ts)
 // Scenes are recorded from START seconds in, played back SPEED times faster than in the terminal, and loop by
 // crossfading the last FADE seconds into the first frames.
 import { mkdirSync } from "node:fs"
 import { ACTIVITIES, TIMES, type Settings, type Time, type Wallpaper } from "../src/engine"
 import { WALLPAPERS } from "../wallpapers"
+import { assets } from "./assets"
 import { wallpapers } from "./wallpapers"
 
 const SPEED = 3
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@ type Shot = { wallpaper: Wallpaper; settings: Settings; seconds: number }
 const args = process.argv.slice(2)
 mkdirSync("dev/out", { recursive: true })
 if (args[0] === "all") {
+  assets()
   for (const wallpaper of WALLPAPERS) {
     const settings = { activity: "teeming" as const, time: BEST[wallpaper.id] ?? "day" }
     await write(`screenshots/${wallpaper.id}.gif`, [{ wallpaper, settings, seconds: 8 }], 480, 268, FADE)
diff --git a/dev/screenshots.ts b/dev/screenshots.ts
index 3ff7d4e..cd377cf 100644
--- a/dev/screenshots.ts
+++ b/dev/screenshots.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 // Re-renders the README gallery (teeming at 45 s via dev/snap.ts) and fails if any screenshot differs from the
-// committed one beyond a tiny tolerance; --update writes the fresh renders instead. Naming wallpapers limits it to them:
-// bun dev/screenshots.ts [--update] [wallpaper...]
+// published one on the assets branch (see dev/assets.ts) beyond a tiny tolerance, copying the stale ones' fresh renders
+// to dev/out/screenshots/; --update writes the fresh renders into screenshots/ instead. Naming wallpapers limits it to
+// them: bun dev/screenshots.ts [--update] [wallpaper...]
 import { availableParallelism } from "node:os"
 import { TIMES } from "../src/engine"
 import { WALLPAPERS } from "../wallpapers"
+import { assets } from "./assets"
 import { decodePng } from "./png"
 
 const update = process.argv.includes("--update")
@@ -11,6 +13,7 @@ const ids = process.argv.slice(2).filter((arg) => !arg.startsWith("--"))
 const unknown = ids.filter((id) => !WALLPAPERS.some((w) => w.id === id))
 if (unknown.length) throw new Error(`unknown wallpaper ${unknown.join(", ")}`)
 const shots = (ids.length ? WALLPAPERS.filter((w) => ids.includes(w.id)) : WALLPAPERS).flatMap((w) => TIMES.map((time) => ({ id: w.id, time, file: `screenshots/${w.id}${time === "day" ? "" : `-${time}`}.png` })))
+assets()
 const queue = [...shots]
 const stale: string[] = []
 await Promise.all(
@@ -23,24 +26,11 @@ await Promise.all(
         await Bun.write(shot.file, fresh)
         continue
       }
-      const committed = Bun.file(shot.file)
-      if (!(await committed.exists())) {
-        stale.push(`${shot.file}: missing`)
-        continue
-      }
-      const a = decodePng(fresh)
-      const b = decodePng(await committed.bytes())
-      if (a.width !== b.width || a.height !== b.height) {
-        stale.push(`${shot.file}: ${b.width}x${b.height}, expected ${a.width}x${a.height}`)
-        continue
+      const reason = await staleness(fresh, Bun.file(shot.file))
+      if (reason) {
+        stale.push(`${shot.file}: ${reason}`)
+        await Bun.write(`dev/out/${shot.file}`, fresh)
       }
-      // Math functions round slightly differently across CPUs, which can flip a threshold here and there: city at night
-      // drew 92 pixels differently on GitHub's Linux x64 than on macOS arm64. Real scene changes touch far more.
-      let differ = 0
-      for (let p = 0; p < a.rgba.length; p += 4) {
-        if (Math.max(Math.abs(a.rgba[p] - b.rgba[p]), Math.abs(a.rgba[p + 1] - b.rgba[p + 1]), Math.abs(a.rgba[p + 2] - b.rgba[p + 2])) > 2) differ++
-      }
-      if (differ > a.width * a.height * 0.0005) stale.push(`${shot.file}: ${differ} pixels differ`)
     }
   }),
 )
@@ -52,5 +42,19 @@ if (!stale.length) {
   console.log(`${shots.length} screenshots up to date`)
   process.exit(0)
 }
-console.log(`${stale.sort().join("\n")}\nstale screenshots: run bun dev/screenshots.ts --update and commit the result (fresh renders are in dev/out)`)
+console.log(`${stale.sort().join("\n")}\nstale screenshots (fresh renders are in dev/out/screenshots): CI publishes them to the assets branch once this reaches main; see "README images" in CONTRIBUTING.md`)
 process.exit(1)
+
+async function staleness(fresh: Uint8Array, published: Bun.BunFile) {
+  if (!(await published.exists())) return "missing"
+  const a = decodePng(fresh)
+  const b = decodePng(await published.bytes())
+  if (a.width !== b.width || a.height !== b.height) return `${b.width}x${b.height}, expected ${a.width}x${a.height}`
+  // Math functions round slightly differently across CPUs, which can flip a threshold here and there: city at night
+  // drew 92 pixels differently on GitHub's Linux x64 than on macOS arm64. Real scene changes touch far more.
+  let differ = 0
+  for (let p = 0; p < a.rgba.length; p += 4) {
+    if (Math.max(Math.abs(a.rgba[p] - b.rgba[p]), Math.abs(a.rgba[p + 1] - b.rgba[p + 1]), Math.abs(a.rgba[p + 2] - b.rgba[p + 2])) > 2) differ++
+  }
+  if (differ > a.width * a.height * 0.0005) return `${differ} pixels differ`
+}
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