7 min reading · Practice at your pace
How to write AI image prompts
Turn a rough idea into a clear image prompt. Use subject, style, composition and light, then compare a focused revision.
Enlarge preview
From a mug concept to a new setting
A practical image-prompt formula
Use subject + style + composition + light + important constraints. Each part gives the model direction and gives you something to check in the result. Add details because they serve the image you need; a longer prompt is not automatically better.
- Subject: a blue ceramic mug.
- Style: a realistic product photograph.
- Composition: centered, with the entire handle visible.
- Light: soft window light from the left.
- Constraints: a simple background, no added text or objects.
Image prompt examples: from a vague idea to a clear brief
“Make a mug picture” leaves the style, setting and framing open. The fuller prompt gives you specific details to look for in the first image.
Improve the request
A starting point
Make a mug picture.
The model must choose the style, setting and framing.
A more useful request
A blue ceramic mug centered on a pale wooden table, realistic product photograph, soft window light from the left, simple cream background. Show the entire handle. No added text or other objects.
You can check the mug, table, light, background and handle against the brief.
A blue ceramic mug centered on a pale wooden table, realistic product photograph, soft window light from the left, simple cream background. Show the entire handle. No added text or other objects.
Enlarge image
1. Generate a product concept
Enlarge image
2. Give it a different setting
Product concept and reference-image edit · Created with ChatGPT.
Place this mug on a light stone counter beside a window. Keep its blue color, handle shape, proportions and any existing label unchanged. Do not add text or objects.Review the result against your brief
After you run the prompt, inspect the whole image before generating another version. Does it show the right subject? Is the handle complete? Do the shadows agree with the light? Look for warped edges, repeated objects and unwanted lettering. Decide which one problem matters most.
Try a wider-framing prompt
If your image needs more breathing room, try the prompt below. Keep the subject, table and light, then compare the framing and handle in your new result.
A blue ceramic mug centered on a pale wooden table, realistic product photograph, soft window light from the left, simple cream background. Use a wider view with space around the mug and the entire handle visible. No added text or other objects.Choose a style that fits the job
For a photorealistic image prompt, describe camera framing, material texture and natural light. For an illustration, name a treatment such as watercolor, flat color or pixel art.
Photorealistic product concept
A blue ceramic mug, close-up product photograph, soft window light, visible glaze texture, simple cream background.
Watercolor newsletter illustration
Neighbors planting seedlings in a community garden, soft watercolor, spring morning, quiet space on the left for a headline to add later.
Write prompts for a consistent character
Keep a reference
When using Image Editor, upload the same reference with a compatible model. In a text-only prompt, repeat a concise description of the character’s face, hair, clothing and distinguishing features.
Change the scene, not the character
Keep those identifying details and the visual style in the next prompt. Change one setting, pose or lighting instruction so you can see what affected the result.
Compare before continuing
Check facial features, proportions, clothing and small details against the reference. Revise changes you did not request; repeating a prompt does not guarantee an identical character.
Match the image shape to its destination
Describe framing in the prompt and choose the frame shape in Options. For a newsletter banner, try landscape; for a portrait post, use a taller shape. Use the options offered by your selected model.
Put your image prompt to work
Adapt the draft in the practice panel, generate a first image and inspect it. Try the wider-framing variation, then compare both versions against the same brief.
Questions about image prompts
Do longer image prompts always work better?
No. Include details that matter to the image you need, and remove conflicting or irrelevant instructions. Check whether a specific change improves your result.
How can I fix text in a generated image?
Inspect the spelling and letter shapes. Try a simpler request or add exact text in an editor. Another generation can still contain errors, so review every version.
Can I keep the same object across edits?
A reference-image workflow can help communicate the object you want, but it does not guarantee unchanged geometry, colors or labels. Compare each output with the source.
Guides and resources
Find more detail and choose your next step.
Your turn
Give a product image room to breathe.
Create a blue-mug product concept for a newsletter. Try a wider view with space around the mug, then compare the handle, framing and empty space.
See an example
A blue ceramic mug centered on a pale wooden table, realistic product photograph, soft window light from the left, simple cream background. Show the entire handle. No added text or other objects.
Write a draft and review the checklist.
Your draft saves in this browser. You can leave and come back.
Review an example brief · 2 min
Does the image brief fit the layout?
You need a landscape watercolor for a garden newsletter. People and garden beds should sit on the right, with quiet space on the left for a headline added later.
Example image brief
Create a square watercolor packed with gardeners across the frame. Put the words “Garden Together” in large letters across the center.
Make your first image
Copy your prompt, open Image Generator and paste it into the prompt field. Choose your model and options, review the estimate and generate when ready. Opening the tool does not carry over or submit your draft.
Open Image Generator