Best practices for crafting AI image prompts

Creating effective AI image prompts is essential for generating high-quality, visually appealing, and accurate images. A well-crafted prompt ensures the AI understands your expectations and produces the desired output. This guide outlines best practices for crafting detailed and specific AI image prompts.

Structure of a strong AI image prompt

A strong AI image generation prompt should follow four key components in this order:

1. Image type: Specify the kind of image you want (e.g., photo, product shot, illustration)
2. Main Subject: Clearly describe the central focus of the image (e.g., product, person, animal, object)
3. Background scene: Provide context by describing the setting (e.g., studio, canyon, city street)
4. Composition style: Add modifiers to describe mood, lighting, and aesthetic (e.g., natural lighting, warm tones, ultrarealistic)

You can also define the orientation (landscape, portrait, square) and style (realistic, cinematic, vintage, cyberpunk, etc.).

Example Prompts:

1. Basic: "A product shot of a car on a road."
2. Improved: "A product shot of a luxury car parked on the side of a road, next to a canyon with a flowing river, in elegant, natural lighting."
3. Basic: "A photo of a plant on a table."
4. Improved: "A photo of a succulent in a ceramic pot, placed on a wooden table in a minimalist room with soft natural lighting and warm tones."

Why specificity matters

Detailed prompts are more likely to yield images that match your expectations. Vague prompts often result in generic or irrelevant outputs.

Key details to include:

1. Mood: Stunning, radiant, delicate, striking, glamorous
2. Lighting: Warm lighting, natural lighting, cold lighting, dark aesthetic
3. Position: Centered, off to the side, on the left, on the right
4. Detail: Highly detailed, intricate, ultrarealistic
5. Angle/Viewpoint: Close-up, headshot, 3/4 shot, wide shot, low angle shot, high angle shot

Tips for prioritizing details

AI gives greater emphasis to the earlier parts of a prompt. To ensure the most important elements are prioritized:

1. Start with the image type and main subject

2. Follow with the background scene and composition style

3. Add extra modifiers at the end to refine the output

Example:

"A photo of a golden retriever playing in a sunny park, surrounded by blooming flowers, with vibrant colors and natural lighting."

Using iterative prompting

AI image generation is an iterative process. Start with a basic prompt and refine it gradually to achieve the desired output. Add or adjust modifiers to tweak mood, lighting, or composition, and generate multiple outputs to select the best.

Steps for iterative prompting:

1. Start simple

Example: "A photo of a cat on a sofa."

2. Add more details

Example: "A photo of a white Persian cat lounging on a plush gray sofa in a modern living room, surrounded by indoor plants, with soft natural lighting."

3. Refine further

Example: "A photo of a white Persian cat lounging on a plush gray sofa in a modern living room, surrounded by indoor plants, with soft natural lighting and warm tones."

Prompt starters

Unsure where to start? Here are a few sample prompts to get you going!

Realistic photo sample prompt

"A product shot of [product] on a [surface type] in a [studio setting], [composition style]."

"A photo of a [main subject] surrounded by [natural background], [composition style]."

Illustrative artwork sample prompt

"A flat illustrative artwork of [main subject] in [background], [composition style]."

Interior design sample prompt

"A photo of [object] in a [specific room], surrounded by [furniture and decor], [composition style]."

Conclusion

Crafting a strong AI image prompt is crucial for generating high-quality visuals. By following the structure outlined here and iterating on your prompts, you can produce AI-generated images that align with your vision. Start with a basic idea, refine it iteratively, and let creativity guide your process.

Common issues and solutions

Below are suggestions for how to improve the most common issues our users face when generating images and avatars.

Mismatch between prompt and output

Ensure prompts are detailed and structured. Avoid vague language and include specific modifiers.

Low-quality images

Add terms like "high resolution," "sharp focus," or "ultrarealistic" to emphasize clarity.

Artifacts or distortions

Use terms like "clean rendering" or "artifact-free." Refine iteratively to reduce distortions.

Inconsistent style

Clearly state the desired style (e.g., realistic, cinematic, vintage) and avoid mixing multiple styles.

Lighting issues

Add lighting details like "natural lighting" or "warm tones" for better results.

Missing details

Include "highly detailed" or "intricate" to ensure key elements are included and accurate.

Incorrect details

Be specific about every element in your prompt and refine it iteratively if the output includes errors.

Unrealistic objects

Use terms like "realistic" or "lifelike" to guide the AI toward plausible renderings.

Bad cropping

Include framing instructions such as "wide shot," "mid-range" or "close-up" to control how the subject is positioned in the frame.

Unnatural poses or expressions

Specify "natural pose" or "authentic emotion" to improve realism.

Recap

For more tips and advanced features, visit:

1. Generate Looks: change your avatar's outfits and surroundings using only photos and text
2. Generate avatars from text prompts
3. Product Placement: create avatars including products

Ready to elevate your prompt? Let’s make your personalized content stand out!