7 Professional Tips for Better Images from AI Generators

If you have ever tried artificial intelligence (AI) image generators, you know how amazing—and frustrating—they can be. The first version looks almost perfect, but then one small adjustment ruins everything. I asked several experts in content, design, and marketing how they achieve great results. They shared tips for both beginners and advanced users and even mentioned tools I had never heard of. Here is everything they said so you can try it for yourself. Let’s go through it step by step, as if we were creating an image together—carefully and without unnecessary gimmicks.

1. Use style codes for consistency

One of the major benefits of AI image generators is that they help maintain a consistent look across a team. But the outputs often seem random, even when you use the same prompt. Anna Yang, a freelance fintech writer who writes for her blog and Substack, has a solution. "I use Midjourney for images on my blog and Substack," she said. "In Midjourney, I use style codes, which are numerical codes that can be added to a prompt to control the output."

These codes are officially called Style Reference (SREF) codes. They allow you to add a predefined visual style without having to upload an image or link to an external file. "There are thousands of style codes, so I browsed examples until I found one I liked," Anna added. "Thanks to the style code, my images have a consistent aesthetic without my having to write complex instructions every time." Anna uses these images to decorate her Substack called "Work. Better." Other generators have similar features, but their names vary—check your tool or try Midjourney.

2. Brainstorm image ideas first

Geoff Meakin, a healthcare SEO consultant, uses ChatGPT to create fun images for his LinkedIn posts. His style is caricature-like, taking advantage of AI’s naturally cartoonish quality—without pretending it is a real photograph. "I start by giving ChatGPT the post text," he explained. "Then I ask it to brainstorm a list of possible images. This gives you a chance to choose the best and most relevant one instead of relying on its 'best guess.' Then I tell it which image sounds best and ask it to generate it."

Geoff emphasizes that the way you write the prompt is crucial. "I often ask it to include 'me, Geoff the Healthcare SEO Meakin' and describe myself (male, 40 years old, white, beard, slim build, blue shirt). Being specific really helps a lot." He adds details such as "make it in the style of a children’s animated 3D movie," which makes it fun and draws attention away from imperfections. He also recommends checking text in images for errors—you can edit or remove it. And a tip for avoiding copyright issues: Instead of saying "in the style of Star Wars," have AI describe the visual aesthetic of Star Wars and use that in the prompt.

3. Treat AI generators like a sketchbook

For complex, artistic images, Melissa Diago, an AI artist and creative director at Freepik, recommends changing the way you think about AI. "As a photographer and artist, I try not to see AI merely as a shortcut, but as a visual sketchbook," she said. "This is where I can test poetic or surreal ideas that would otherwise be too expensive or physically impossible."

Her tips for cleaner, more creative images: Start with a clear emotion or visual feeling, not just a subject—for example, "surreal creative image/portrait." Describe materials and atmosphere, such as textures (silk, cracked glass, mist), light quality (soft cinematic backlighting, chiaroscuro), and style (inspired by analog film, surreal fashion editorials). A structured prompt: "Surreal portrait of a young model surrounded by floating feathers and ceramic fragments, soft skin tone, calm expression, pale background, fashion editorial lighting, in the style of poetic surrealism."

Melissa uses Freepik’s AI Image Generator and models such as Seedream for static images or Veo 3 for video. For advanced users: Work in series of 4–6 variations, focus on gesture and composition first, and use modifiers for style, composition, lighting, and color.

4. Use AI to create prompts for AI

The hardest part is writing the perfect prompt. Farah Ahmed, a content marketing strategist at ZillionDesigns, has a trick: She lets AI write the prompts. "I use LeapAI and actually get prompts from ChatGPT, then keep refining them," she said. "For example, for a social media image, I have AI describe all the details, such as the colors, background, main element, and supporting elements."

LeapAI works with less refined prompts, but if it does not, she switches to Ideagram for five variations or edits the image in Canva. This approach makes it easier to get started—why start from scratch when AI can suggest how to talk to AI?

5. Try multiple AI platforms

Travis Irby, founder of wepaint.ai, recommends experimenting with different models because each one works differently. "Go beyond ChatGPT and explore models on a platform like replicate.com," he said. "Each model has its strengths—for example, flux-context-pro is great for image editing, recraft-v3-svg creates vector images, and clarity-upscaler enlarges images. There are hundreds of models to experiment with!"

Replicate.com offers hundreds of open-source models with examples and descriptions. Sign in through GitHub and add a payment method—prices are low, often a fraction of a cent per run.

6. Use AI to explore ideas

Jacqueline Ervin, a graphic designer at Gannett, sees AI as a tool for quickly testing ideas. "A big part of good design is spending time developing concepts and working through many ideas to select the best one," she said. "AI helps explore lots of ideas quickly and set the right direction."

For example, she used Microsoft Copilot for an omnichannel marketing graphic. It produced a poor version, but that inspired a better final result. "The biggest tip is to set clear expectations—it is still up to the designer to provide professional polish." AI is more of an assistant than a replacement.

7. Create custom Gems in Gemini Pro

Reggie Powell, a freelance tech and HR writer, uses Gemini Pro 2.5 for Substack images. He loves Custom Gems—custom AI agents you create without coding that remember instructions. "I use Custom Gems to maintain a consistent style by giving them thorough instructions, guidelines, and examples," he said.

Create a Gem in Gemini through "Explore Gems." Include: a style guide (colors, fonts, characters), a best-practices report (using "Deep Research"), a brand kit, and at least five example images. The process: Write a prompt in the Gem, refine the revisions, add instructions for the future, and download.

Now it’s your turn! Try these tips with free tools, experiment, and see how your images improve. AI is evolving quickly, so explore other resources as well, such as tips on AI tools for productivity or marketing. What do you think—which tip will you try first?

Source: https://www.wordstream.com/