Which tool to choose
The choice depends on what you need and on how much you want to get your hands on the description.
- To start right away, writing in plain language, the image generator built into ChatGPT or Gemini understands normal sentences and lets you correct in words ("make it darker", "remove the car in the background").
- For an artistic, polished result, Midjourney is the strongest on style, but it reasons better with descriptions in English and has a learning curve.
- For lettering and text inside the image (a poster with a phrase), you need the generators that are more precise on typography, because many get the letters wrong.
To get started, the generator built into an AI you already use is the quickest way: no new tool to learn.
How to do it
The image is born from the description, called a prompt. A vague description gives a generic result; a structured description hits the target.
Open the generator. In the services that integrate it, it's an "Images" function or a dedicated icon in the text box. From a computer or from a phone there's little difference: write the description and send.
Structure the description in four blocks: subject (what), context (where), style (how), technical details (light, framing). These four blocks turn "a dog" into a precise image.
Generate and read the result. Almost always several variants come out. Choose the one closest to what you wanted.
Correct in words. Don't start from scratch: ask for the change ("brighter", "wider framing", "watercolor style"). The AI iterates on the same image.
If you can't find the generator button because the interface has changed, write in the box: "Generate an image of..." and let the system activate the function on its own.
The working syntax, a structured prompt ready to adapt:
Subject: a ginger cat sitting on a windowsill.
Context: kitchen of a country house, early morning.
Style: realistic photography, warm tones.
Details: natural light from the window, focus on the cat, slightly blurred background.
Format: horizontal.
A concrete example
Sofia runs a small farmhouse holiday business and wants an image for the website: a table set outdoors. She writes in ChatGPT's generator: subject (wooden table set for breakfast), context (terrace among the olive trees, morning), style (realistic photo, golden light), details (view over the hills, checkered tablecloth). Four variants come out. She chooses one, then asks "make the sky clearer and add a coffee pot": the AI corrects it without starting over. In five minutes she has the image.
When it does NOT work (and how to fix it)
If the image doesn't resemble what you had in mind
Usually the description was too vague. Fix: add the four blocks (subject, context, style, details) and specify what you do NOT want ("no people", "no text"). The more constraints you give, the closer the result gets.
If the lettering in the image comes out garbled
Many generators get the letters wrong. Fix: for an image with text, use a tool specialized in typography, or generate the image without text and add the lettering afterward with a simple editor.
If hands, fingers or faces come out deformed
It's a classic flaw. Fix: regenerate (each attempt is different), ask for a framing that avoids the problematic detail, or choose the best variant and correct just that point with a retouching tool.
A tip from someone who actually uses it
Build yourself a base description that works and reuse it. Once you've found the right formula for your style (for example "realistic photo, natural light, blurred background"), set it aside and change only the subject. Stop reinventing the prompt every time: you refine it once and recycle it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to write the prompt in English?
It depends on the tool. The generators built into conversational AIs understand other languages well. Midjourney and some more technical tools perform better in English. When in doubt, write in your own language: if the result disappoints, have the AI itself translate the prompt and try again.
Are the images I generate mine, can I use them wherever I want?
It depends on the service's conditions, which vary and change over time. For personal use usually yes; for commercial use (a logo, a product for sale) check the terms of the specific tool, because some place limits on commercial use or on ownership.
To make good images do I need to be good at drawing?
It's the belief that stops many, and it's the opposite of the truth. The generator doesn't ask for drawing skill: it asks for the ability to describe. Those who write well what they want to see get better results than those who can draw but describe poorly. The skill that matters here is the word, not the pencil.