diff --git a/invokeai/app/invocations/controlnet_image_processors.py b/invokeai/app/invocations/controlnet_image_processors.py
index c72d064f11..5e8ad06bc2 100644
--- a/invokeai/app/invocations/controlnet_image_processors.py
+++ b/invokeai/app/invocations/controlnet_image_processors.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ class ControlField(BaseModel):
 
 
 class ControlOutput(BaseInvocationOutput):
-    """Base class for invocations that output ControlNet info"""
+    """node output for ControlNet info"""
 
     # fmt: off
     type: Literal["control_output"] = "control_output"
@@ -38,52 +38,74 @@ class ControlOutput(BaseInvocationOutput):
     # image: ImageField = Field(default=None, description="outputs just them image info (which is also included in control output)")
     # fmt: on
 
+class PreprocessedControlInvocation(BaseInvocation, PILInvocationConfig):
+     """Base class for invocations that preprocess images for ControlNet"""
 
-class CannyControlInvocation(BaseInvocation, PILInvocationConfig):
+     # fmt: off
+     type: Literal["preprocessed_control"] = "preprocessed_control"
+
+     # Inputs
+     image: ImageField = Field(default=None, description="image to process")
+     control_model: str = Field(default=None, description="control model to use")
+     control_weight: float = Field(default=0.5, ge=0, le=1, description="control weight")
+     # begin_step_percent: float = Field(default=0, ge=0, le=1,
+     #                                    description="% of total steps at which controlnet is first applied")
+     # end_step_percent: float = Field(default=1, ge=0, le=1,
+     #                                  description="% of total steps at which controlnet is last applied")
+     # guess_mode: bool = Field(default=False, description="use guess mode (controlnet ignores prompt)")
+     # fmt: on
+
+     # This super class handles invoke() call, which in turn calls run_processor(image)
+     # subclasses override run_processor instead of implementing their own invoke()
+     def run_processor(self, image):
+         # super class pass through of image
+         return image
+
+     def invoke(self, context: InvocationContext) -> ControlOutput:
+         image = context.services.images.get(
+             self.image.image_type, self.image.image_name
+         )
+         # image type should be PIL.PngImagePlugin.PngImageFile ?
+         processed_image = self.run_processor(image)
+         image_type = ImageType.INTERMEDIATE
+         image_name = context.services.images.create_name(
+             context.graph_execution_state_id, self.id
+         )
+         metadata = context.services.metadata.build_metadata(
+             session_id=context.graph_execution_state_id, node=self
+         )
+         context.services.images.save(image_type, image_name, processed_image, metadata)
+
+         """Builds an ImageOutput and its ImageField"""
+         image_field = ImageField(
+             image_name=image_name,
+             image_type=image_type,
+         )
+         return ControlOutput(
+             control=ControlField(
+                 image=image_field,
+                 control_model=self.control_model,
+                 control_weight=self.control_weight,
+             )
+         )
+
+
+class CannyControlInvocation(PreprocessedControlInvocation, PILInvocationConfig):
     """Canny edge detection for ControlNet"""
 
     # fmt: off
     type: Literal["cannycontrol"] = "cannycontrol"
-
     # Inputs
-    image: ImageField = Field(default=None, description="image to process")
-    control_model: str = Field(default=None, description="control model to use")
-    control_weight: float = Field(default=0.5, ge=0, le=1, description="control weight")
-    # begin_step_percent: float = Field(default=0, ge=0, le=1,
-    #                                    description="% of total steps at which controlnet is first applied")
-    # end_step_percent: float = Field(default=1, ge=0, le=1,
-    #                                  description="% of total steps at which controlnet is last applied")
-    # guess_mode: bool = Field(default=False, description="use guess mode (controlnet ignores prompt)")
-
     low_threshold: float = Field(default=100, ge=0, description="low threshold of Canny pixel gradient")
     high_threshold: float = Field(default=200, ge=0, description="high threshold of Canny pixel gradient")
     # fmt: on
 
-    def invoke(self, context: InvocationContext) -> ControlOutput:
-        image = context.services.images.get(
-            self.image.image_type, self.image.image_name
-        )
+    def run_processor(self, image):
+        print("**** running Canny processor ****")
+        print("image type: ", type(image))
         canny_processor = CannyDetector()
         processed_image = canny_processor(image, self.low_threshold, self.high_threshold)
-        image_type = ImageType.INTERMEDIATE
-        image_name = context.services.images.create_name(
-            context.graph_execution_state_id, self.id
-        )
-        metadata = context.services.metadata.build_metadata(
-            session_id=context.graph_execution_state_id, node=self
-        )
-        context.services.images.save(image_type, image_name, processed_image, metadata)
+        print("processed image type: ", type(image))
+        return processed_image
 
-        """Builds an ImageOutput and its ImageField"""
-        image_field = ImageField(
-            image_name=image_name,
-            image_type=image_type,
-        )
-        return ControlOutput(
-            control=ControlField(
-                image=image_field,
-                control_model=self.control_model,
-                control_weight=self.control_weight,
-            )
-        )