How to create AI images: from prompt to useful visual

A blog cover needs to explain a topic at a small size. A portrait needs to preserve identity. A product image needs to represent what you sell accurately. Although generative tools can work on all three, they should not receive the same brief.

Write one sentence defining the goal: “I need a cover about organising customer requests, with room for a title on the left.” That gives you a way to judge the output. “Make something spectacular” can produce striking pictures without a useful selection criterion.

Decide the output format too. If the picture goes into a horizontal card, test that crop early. Leave room around the subject and keep essential information away from the edges. For longer text, adding typography afterwards in a design tool often gives you more control.

As one example, Gemini’s documentation describes creating images from instructions and editing uploaded or generated images. To try it, open Gemini, find the image option available to your account and enter your description. Requirements, capabilities and limits vary; consult the provider’s help if the option is missing.

This guide does not include a benchmark of generators or a promise of free attempts. The following method is a proposed editorial workflow to adapt to the tool you can access. Evaluate the actual result rather than relying on a model name.

Use this structure: “Create [image type] for [purpose]. Subject: [main element]. Scene: [setting and action]. Composition: [position and empty space]. Light and colour: [direction]. Format: [aspect ratio]. Preserve [features]. Avoid [unwanted elements].” You do not need every field; use those that determine whether the picture works.

Cover example: “Create a horizontal editorial illustration for an article about sorting requests with AI. On the right, three message cards enter three separate trays. Dark blue background, violet accents and simple shapes. Keep the left half clear. No lettering, numbers, brands or interfaces resembling real screenshots.”

Portrait example: “Using my reference photograph, change only the background to a plain wall and improve the lighting naturally. Preserve my facial features and proportions. Do not change my apparent age, expression, clothing or hairstyle.” Inspect the output manually: instructions do not guarantee compliance.

Product example: “Use this authorised photograph of a mug as reference. Place it on a pale table with soft side lighting. Preserve its shape, handle, colour and decoration. Do not add accessories included with the purchase.” If a commercially important detail changes, correct it or use the actual product photograph.

Save an initial version before editing. State what must remain unchanged, followed by one specific adjustment. For example: “Keep the object, camera and background. Only reduce the shadow on the right.” Comparing two versions is more useful than requesting many vague improvements at once.

Identify the type of failure. If the title has no room, change the composition. If the subject disappears into the background, adjust contrast. If extra objects appear, reduce the scene’s elements. If the face or product changes, check the reference again and reject versions you cannot correct.

Set an attempt or spending limit before a long session. After repeated edits without progress, simplify the brief or change your approach. Your own photograph, a vector diagram or a manual composition may suit the purpose better. Not every website image needs generation.

Open the full file, then view it at a small screen size. Look for problems in hands, reflections, perspective, lettering and edges. Also consider less obvious issues: invented uniforms, altered products or a scene that could be mistaken for a real testimonial.

If the image accompanies news, do not present it as a photograph of the event. Identify synthetic illustration when readers might mistake it for documentation. To demonstrate actual software use, prefer a genuine screenshot; a drawn interface should be identified as a diagram.

Use your own references or material with sufficient permission for the intended use. Check the provider’s terms and the source material’s conditions. Adding a watermark does not make someone else’s image yours or prove that a person took part in an experience.

For a consistent visual identity, define a few stable choices: colours, text space, signature placement and card dimensions. Vary the subject of each article. Brand consistency does not require using the same photograph throughout your publications.

Export a version suited to its display size. As an editorial starting point, a horizontal cover 1,200 pixels wide and a separate 480-pixel thumbnail serve different uses. These are example dimensions rather than universal requirements: check sharpness and file size in your design.

Try a compressed format supported by your site, such as WebP, and compare the export visually with the original. A thumbnail should not automatically download the huge source file you retained for editing. Keep that source separately and publish the variants the page actually needs.

Write alternative text describing what is visible and relevant. “Three request cards sorted into trays” is more useful than a string of keywords. If an image only decorates and adds no information, consider empty alternative text according to its accessibility context.

Add a caption when provenance needs explaining or an illustration could be confused with a real photo. Keep the source, permissions and review date alongside the asset. That makes future updates possible without reconstructing where every image came from.