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AI Image Generation

How to Generate AI Images: Prompts, Tools and Rights

Write image prompts that work, pick the right generator, edit results and understand commercial-use rules.

By AI Resource Hub Editorial TeamUpdated 2 min read
On this page
  1. Step 1: Choose a tool for your purpose
  2. Step 2: Describe the image in layers
  3. Step 3: Generate several options, then refine
  4. Step 4: Fix common problems
  5. Step 5: Edit and finish
  6. Step 6: Check rights and responsibilities
  7. Next steps

AI image generators turn written descriptions into pictures. They're useful for blog headers, social posts, mood boards and product concepts. This guide covers how to describe what you want, which tool to use, and what to check before you publish.

Step 1: Choose a tool for your purpose

  • Quick images inside an assistant: ChatGPT and Gemini can create images in conversation, which makes iterating easy.
  • Artistic, high-impact visuals: Midjourney is known for striking aesthetics.
  • Photo editing and commercial design: Adobe Firefly, built into Photoshop and Adobe Express.
  • Templates plus AI: Canva, if you need the image inside a finished design.
  • Lots of creative control or offline use: Leonardo.Ai or Stable Diffusion.

Browse our AI image generators for details on each.

Step 2: Describe the image in layers

Good image prompts describe several elements:

  1. Subject: who or what, doing what.
  2. Setting: where, and what's around them.
  3. Style: photo, watercolour, 3D render, flat vector illustration.
  4. Composition: close-up, wide shot, top-down, centred, rule of thirds.
  5. Lighting and colour: soft morning light, high contrast, pastel palette.
  6. Mood: calm, energetic, professional.
  7. Format: aspect ratio, such as 16:9 for a header or 4:5 for Instagram.

Example: "Flat vector illustration of a young man studying at a desk with a laptop and textbooks, evening, warm lamp light, calm mood, simple shapes, navy and orange palette, 16:9."

Try our image prompt generator to build prompts like this.

Step 3: Generate several options, then refine

Generate a few variations and pick the closest. Then change one thing at a time: "Same image, but make the background plain white" or "Show the person from the side." Changing many things at once makes it hard to see what worked.

Step 4: Fix common problems

  • Garbled text in images: many models struggle with lettering. Leave text out and add it afterwards in a design tool.
  • Odd hands or faces: regenerate, use an edit/inpaint tool on that area, or choose a composition where they're less prominent.
  • Too generic: add specific details – materials, location, time of day, cultural context.
  • Inconsistent characters: use reference image features where the tool supports them.

Step 5: Edit and finish

Use editing features (inpainting, expand, background removal) to adjust the image, then place it into your design. Crop to the right size for each platform and compress the file for fast loading on websites.

Step 6: Check rights and responsibilities

  • Read the tool's terms. Commercial-use rights often depend on your plan.
  • Avoid real people's likenesses and copyrighted characters, logos or artworks.
  • Label AI images where appropriate. Some platforms and laws require disclosure, especially for realistic images and political or news content.
  • Don't create misleading images – for example, fake product results or fake events.

Next steps

Compare two popular tools in Midjourney vs DALL·E, and find ready-made prompts in our image generation prompts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sell AI-generated images?

It depends on the tool's terms and your plan, and on the laws in your country. Copyright protection for purely AI-generated images is limited in some countries.

Why does text look wrong in AI images?

Many image models struggle to render letters accurately. Add text afterwards in a design tool.

AI Resource Hub Editorial Team

Our editors research AI tools using official documentation and reliable reporting, and update guides when products change. Read our editorial policy to see how we work. Editorial policy.

Tools in this guide

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