DALL-E 2: How to turn your ideas into
AI-generated art
Introduction:
DALL·E 2 started the whole craze for generating images with AI when it came out last
year. It's
still one of the best AI image creators around, even though it hasn't had an update
since August
2022. This tool allows you to input a text prompt like, 'create an oil painting of a
monkey in a
spacesuit on the moon,' and then it generates an image based on your description.
It's a lot of fun
to play with, but sometimes the results can be a bit unpredictable. However, there's
a new model in
the works, tested earlier this year, and it looks promising with significant
improvements expected.
I've been writing about AI image generators for almost a decade now (yes, they've
been around that
long!). I can tell you that DALL·E 2, created by OpenAI, won't replace
photographers, Photoshop, or
other artists - probably never will. But it's an impressive tool, and it's essential
to understand
what generative AIs can and cannot do. Here's how to get started.
How to use DALL·E 2: Getting started with DALL·E 2 is easy. Here's a quick overview:
- Go to DALL·E 2's website and sign up for an account.
- Click on the three dots in the top-right corner, then select 'Buy Credits.' You
can get 115
credits for $15.
- Type your prompt on the home page and click 'Generate.'
- Wait a few seconds, and you'll have four AI-generated images to choose from.
- Click on any of them to download, save to a collection, share publicly, edit, or
create more
variations.
Now, let's dive a bit deeper.
When you sign up for a free OpenAI account, you'll need to verify your phone number.
This added
security is necessary to prevent abuse by spammers and scammers.
DALL·E 2 operates using a credit system. One credit covers one prompt and four image
variations. If
you registered before April 6, 2023, you received 50 image generation credits and an
extra 15 free
credits each month. Unfortunately, OpenAI has stopped this free trial, so now you'll
need to
purchase credits. However, at $15 for 115 prompts, each with four image variations,
it's roughly
around $0.13 per prompt or $0.035 per image.
Once you're set up and loaded with credits, you'll see DALL·E 2's simple homepage.
It features a
gallery of art created with DALL·E 2 and a text field where you input your prompt.
To generate your first image, type a prompt and click 'Generate.' If you're short on
ideas, you can
click 'Surprise me' or try one of the provided prompts.
To make the most out of DALL·E 2, you need to learn how to write effective prompts.
Here are some
tips:
- Be specific and detailed in your prompts for better results.
- Experiment with different descriptors and styles to see what works best.
- Don't expect perfect results on your first try; you might need to tweak your
prompts.
- Avoid overly complicated prompts; they can confuse the AI.
If you want more ideas, you can check out the free DALL·E 2 prompt eBook, which
offers various
suggested prompts and their effects on image generation. It's a handy resource for
brainstorming and
figuring out how to get the results you want.
DALL·E 2's advanced features: inpainting and outpainting
In addition to generating images using AI, DALL·E 2 can edit them. There are two
main techniques:
- Inpaintingis where you erase some aspect of an existing image and use AI to fill
in the gap with
whatever you want.
- Outpaintingis where you use AI to expand the borders of an existing image.
You can combine both techniques to fine-tune your images, and there are a few
ways to get
started
editing.
How to edit images with DALL·E 2
To edit a photograph or other image you have saved on your computer:
- Go to the DALL·E 2 homepage, click Upload an image, and select the one you want.
- You'll be prompted to crop it into a square, though you can skip this step.
- Next, click Generate variations, if you want DALL·E 2 to use your image as a
prompt, or Edit
image if you want to edit it with some advanced techniques.
Alternatively, you can select any image you've made using DALL·E 2, and click Edit.
How to inpaint with DALL·E 2
With an image open in the editor, select the Eraser tool (the keyboard shortcut is
E).
Paint over the area of your image you want to replace, and then use the pop-up
prompt bar to
describe what you want the whole image to look like, including what fills in the
gap. Then click
Generate.
As always, you'll get four options, so hopefully one of those will match what you
want. If not,
create some more variations, try a new prompt, or try inpainting again.
How to outpaint with DALL·E 2
With an image open in the editor, select Add generation frame (the keyboard shortcut
is F). Position
it so it expands your image in the direction you want.
Next, use the prompt bar to describe what you want, and then click Generate. I want
to give my
wolfhound a companion, so I've gone with "a painting in the style of Vermeer of a
small short-haired
Irish terrier facing left enjoying a pint of dark beer in a traditional pub."
Once again, you'll have four options to choose from. Click through the arrows to see
them. If you
don't like any, click Cancel. Otherwise, click Accept. Then you can either add more
generation
frames or click the download button to save your creation.
While image editing is still in beta, the full image won't get saved. Instead, any
additional
generation frames you create will be saved as their own independent images. If you
don't download
your edited images as you make them, you'll need to recombine the original image and
any generation
frames using an app like Photoshop.
Going further with DALL·E 2
At the moment, DALL·E 2 is still one of the most important AI image generators, but
its model has
fallen behind Stable Diffusion and Midjourney in terms of quality. With that said,
it's due for a
major update some day very soon, which should make its results a lot more accurate
and realistic.
And DALL·E 2 still has a lot going for it. In particular, it connects to Bot
Writing, so you can
create AI-generated images as part of your business workflows. Do things like
automatically create
images from Google Forms or HubSpot responses—or any other apps you use. You can
even make an image
generation playground in Discord with Bot Writing.
Create images with DALL.E based on Slack messages and send as a channel message
Try it
Slack, OpenAI (GPT-3, DALL-E, Whisper)
Slack + OpenAI (GPT-3, DALL-E, Whisper)
Generate OpenAI (DALL.E) images from new Airtable records and send as an email
Airtable, OpenAI (GPT-3, DALL-E, Whisper), Gmail
Airtable + OpenAI (GPT-3, DALL-E, Whisper) + Gmail
Generate images based on Google Form responses and save them in Google Sheets
Google Forms, OpenAI (GPT-3, DALL-E, Whisper), Google Sheets
Google Forms + OpenAI (GPT-3, DALL-E, Whisper) + Google Sheets