AI Tools for Images and Design
AI image tools turn a text description into a picture, and help you edit photos and designs in seconds.
Types of AI Image Tools
| Type | What it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Image generators | Create a new image from a text prompt | Image features in ChatGPT and Gemini, Midjourney, Adobe Firefly |
| Photo editing | Remove backgrounds, erase objects, extend or fix a photo | Photoshop Generative Fill, Canva, phone gallery apps |
| Design assistants | Suggest layouts, resize designs, write text for posts | Canva's AI features, Adobe Express |
| Upscalers | Make a small image sharper and larger | Built into many editors |
Writing an Image Prompt
A good image prompt describes the picture like you are briefing a photographer or designer. Include:
- Subject: what is in the image
- Setting: where it is
- Style: photo, flat illustration, 3D, watercolour, etc.
- Lighting and colours
- Composition: close-up, wide shot, top view, empty space for text
- Format: square for Instagram, wide for a banner, tall for a story
Here is a vague prompt and a clear one:
Example
Tea shop picture.Example
A cosy roadside chai stall in Karachi at sunset, a steaming cup of
doodh patti in a glass on a wooden counter in the front, warm golden
light, realistic photo style, shallow depth of field, empty space
on the left for text. Square format.The second prompt tells the tool exactly what you need. It also leaves space for the shop's name, which you add later in a design app.
Add your text and logo in a design tool such as Canva instead of asking the AI to draw it. Image generators have improved at writing words, but they still make spelling mistakes, and you cannot edit text inside a picture easily.
Editing and Improving Images
Often you do not need a new image, just a better one. Common edits:
- Remove background: for product photos on a white background
- Erase objects: remove a person or a wire from a photo
- Generative fill / expand: add more sky or floor so a photo fits a banner
- Change one part: "make the shirt blue", keeping the rest the same
When editing with a chat tool, give one clear change at a time:
Example
Keep everything in this product photo the same, but replace the
messy background with a plain light-grey background and add a soft
shadow under the shoes.Using AI for Design Ideas
AI chat assistants are also useful before you open a design tool. Ask them for ideas and text:
Example
I am designing a Facebook post for a computer course starting
next month in Orangi Town. Suggest 3 headline options under 8 words
and a colour scheme that looks professional.Headlines: 1. Learn Computer Skills That Get You Hired 2. New Computer Course Starting Next Month 3. Your IT Career Starts Here Colour scheme: dark navy background, white text, and one bright accent colour (orange or teal) for the button.
Then you build the design yourself, choosing the best idea.
What AI Images Are Bad At
| Weakness | What to do |
|---|---|
| Small text and logos | Add text and logos yourself in a design app |
| Exact real products | Use a real photo of the product, then edit it |
| The same character in many images | Use the tool's reference image feature, and check each image |
| Correct details (hands, signs, maps) | Zoom in and check before using |
Rules for Using AI Images
- Commercial use: each tool has its own terms. Check that your plan allows client and business use.
- Do not copy brands, logos or famous characters. You can get a copyright or trademark complaint.
- Real people: never make fake images of real people, especially in embarrassing or misleading situations. It can be illegal and seriously harm them.
- Be honest: if a product photo is AI-made, it must not show something the product does not really look like.
- Labels: many platforms ask you to mark realistic AI-generated images. Follow their rules.
Exercise
Exercise
You need an Instagram post with your bakery's name on it. What is the best approach?