How to Use DALLE 2 to Make Beautiful AI Art

DALL·E 2

Do you know how to utilize DALLE 2? One of the most well-known AI art generators is OpenAI, which lets anyone make images of almost anything by writing a text description. Learning to utilize DALLE 2 efficiently requires some trial and error – or a few pointers.

Like many AI art generators, the tool is contentious due to concerns about potential misuse and a dubious approach to copyright on the billions of images used to train the model. Nonetheless, many artists and designers are experimenting with DALLE 2 in their workflows.

Because of its straightforward, intuitive design and ease of use, DALLE 2 ranks high on our list of the finest AI art generators. You go to the website, create an account, and then type out a text prompt to generate images of whatever you can think. However, there are several things to bear in mind. In the following sections, we’ll go through how to get to DALLE 2, how to utilize DALLE 2, and some tips on making DALLE 2 images look better.

For more information on using DALL-E 2 and other text-to-image generators, see our pick of the finest AI art tutorials. See our guide to the finest graphic design tools if you like to create your original work more conventionally.

How to use DALL·E 2

DALLE 2 is a tool that runs on a browser (it also offers an API that developers can utilize in their apps). To use it online, you must first create an account. This is a simple procedure, and once you’ve validated your email or phone number, you may get started immediately. To experiment with how the tool works, all users are given 50 free credits, to begin with. You’ll get another 15 free credits each month, but if you use the device frequently, you’ll need to buy more (more on the price below).

You’ll find it quite simple when you access DALL-E 2 through the website. In the text box, enter a report of what you desire, such as “an astronaut riding a horse in an impressionist style.” DALLE will create four 1024×1024 images depending on what you wrote when you click “generate.”

You can change your prompt until you obtain the desired result, then click on the one you want. On the following screen, click the arrow in the top right corner of the image to download it. You can also edit the picture (click ‘edit’ to receive tools like an eraser and the option to upload an image to add to the AI creation or add more squares to expand the image). You can also make ‘variations’ of the image; DALL-E 2 will generate four versions of the image you created.

The prompt box in DALL-E 2

How to write prompts for DALL-E 2You can change your prompt until you obtain the desired result, then click on the one you want. On the following screen, click the arrow in the top right corner of the image to download it. You can also edit the picture (click ‘edit’ to receive tools like an eraser and the option to upload an image to add to the AI creation or add more squares to expand the image). You can also make ‘variations’ of the image; DALL-E 2 will generate four versions of the image you created.

A screenshot showing how to use DALL-E 2

 DALL·E 2

To add more detail, you’ll frequently need to modify your prompt. The marmot appears kind of afraid in the first batch of images of the marmot skiing above. Perhaps I want him to appear to be having fun, so I’d need to change that by adding smiling, for example. He seemed to be happier now… Sort of. Each new generation will incur a credit cost.

How to use DALL·E 2’s other features

A screenshot showing how to use DALL-E 2

Another option is to upload an image from your phone or computer. Below the prompt field, you’ll find the option. The image will be square-cropped. You can either have DALL-E 2 create its variations of the image or edit it. In the preceding example, I uploaded an image of a girl cycling past a woman holding an umbrella. DALL-E 2 generated intriguing variations with no more input, including ones that blended the two themes to portray someone riding a bike while holding an umbrella.

How to use DALL·E 2 outpainting

Outpainting in DALL-E 2 allows you to expand an image beyond its original limits. This can be used with images created in DALL-E 2 or you’ve uploaded – people have used it to expand favorite works of art, such as the Mona Lisa, by adding more background to the picture.

 

A screenshot showing how to use DALL-E 2
You can use DALL-E 2 outpainting to expand beyond the borders of an image (Image credit: Joseph Foley)

To accomplish this, generate or upload an image as described above in the editor, and then move the image’s corner to lower its size in the generation frame. Create a prompt (this time, be more comprehensive because DALL-E 2 will try to match the type of the existing image – in the example below, I wrote’mountainous landscape’). DALL-E 2 will then fill the rest of the frame with something that, ideally, corresponds to your image.

How to improve DALL·E 2 images

It’s unlikely that DALLE 2 will produce the desired results the first time. You may need to edit images by writing new prompts for specific components inside them. And there are a few things that may be impossible to fix with DALLE 2.

There may be undesirable artifacts in images, and DALLE 2 can struggle with human features and bodies, like all AI art generators. To improve images created with DALLE 2, you may need to export and edit them in more conventional image editing tools such as Photoshop. You can, for example, use Photoshop’s Neural Filters to correct crooked eyes.

DALLE 2 also has a resolution limit, which means you won’t create images large enough to print at enormous proportions. However, you might be able to upscale your photo in another application. More frequently asked questions regarding DALLE 2 can be found here.

 

How can I make my DALL·E 2 images better?

You should bear a few things in mind if your DALL-E 2 images aren’t turning out as you’d want. Make your prompt as descriptive as possible, adding background information if applicable. If you’re aiming for an artistic style, explain the type of art you desire, or specify camera angles, lighting characteristics, focal distance, and even the exact camera if you’re aiming for a photographic technique.

DALL-E 2 issues with requests for images of multiple subjects, so confine it to one if feasible. This can be restrictive; however, if you want to create images with several issues, you could try creating separate photos and editing them together. Remember that you can edit pictures in Dall-E 2 or export them to the most awesome photo editing tools.

DALL·E 2 prompt book

Guy Parsons created a DALLE 2 prompt book as a visual resource to help generate DALLE 2 prompts. It was published on the AI art website the GALLERY GALLERY and offered some essential pointers on how to get the most out of the AI art generator.

The 82-slide guide covers techniques for eliciting the desired results from DALLE 2. DALLE 2 covers aesthetics and vibes, suggested adjectives to use to achieve the desired feel or composition, and tips on everything from photography to painterly portraits and landscapes, film and illustration styles, and 3D art. It gives examples of many styles, materials, and textures for illustration. It also demonstrates how to use styles from art history in prompts to produce intriguing results.

A page from the DALL·E 2 prompt book
Tips on editing images in DALL·E 2 (Image credit: The DALL·Ery GALL·Ery)

According to the handbook, even the creators of DALLE 2 must be made aware of what the tool knows and does not know. Instead, users must determine what it can do and how to make it do what they want. One advice is to be specific – specify if you wish to use a close-up image or a particular angle. Remember that an adjective without more description might be construed in various ways, including influencing the overall appearance of an image or something as specific as the subject’s dress style.

What is DALL·E 2?

DALLE 2 is a machine learning-based text-to-image AI art generator that has elicited both terror and awe online (see our pick of the scariest AI art created by DALLE 2). It’s a generative tool developed by the artificial intelligence startup Open AI, which means it can make art from fresh as well as changes or variations on current work. It doesn’t ‘know’ what it’s creating, but it draws inferences based on the vast database of 650 million image and caption varieties that it’s already been fed.

The name combines ‘Dali’ (as in Salvador) and ‘WALL-E’ from Pixar. As the name implies, this is the tool’s second version, and it appears to be a significant improvement over the original, which produced blurry images and took a long time.

It’s not just generative AI art creators who work with text prompts. Artbreeder has released Artbreeder-collages, a creative method that combines text prompts with a collage-like design process. Midjourney and Stable Diffusion are also popular. The results for some image styles, particularly more photorealistic images, appear to potentially put DALLE 2 apart (see how the greatest AI art producers compare).

DALL-E 2 can be used to generate original art or to create edits or variations of pieces uploaded to the platform (Image credit: OpenAI)

Is DALL·E 2 available to the public?

DALL-E 2 access was limited for the first five months following the tool’s debut in April, with a significant waiting list. However, in September 2022, access was allowed so anybody could join up for DALL-E 2.

According to OpenAI, “responsibly scaling a system as powerful and complex as DALL-E – while learning about all the creative methods it can be used and misused – has required an iterative deployment approach.” It claims it has now strengthened its safeguards sufficiently to allow everyone access.

What’s the catch? DALLE 2 is no longer available for free. Users will instead be given a limited number of monthly credits, with the option to top them up for a fee (see below).

How do I sign up for DALL-E 2

YYou can finish DALL-E 2 registration by creating an account on the Open AI website. You’ll be encouraged to enter your email address and a security code and create an eight-digit password. You will then obtain an email with a link you must click to validate your identification and a text code through SMS that you must enter to prove your identity. You can also create an account using Google or Microsoft. Click ‘continue’ to accept the terms and conditions, and you’re ready to start using DALL-E
The DALL-E 2 signup screen (Image credit: Open AI)

How much does it cost to use DALL·E 2?

Is DALL-E 2 available for free? Not any longer. OpenAI was free until July 2022 (for those with access), but it currently operates on a credit-based approach. New DALLE 2 users receive 50 free credits to go toward producing, editing, or creating a variation of an image (new image generation returns four 1024 X 1024-pixel images for the cost of one credit).

Following that, users will receive 15 free DALL-E 2 credits each month. You must buy 115 credits (enough to make 460 1024 X 1024-pixel images) for $15 to obtain more. To apply for subsidized access, OpenAI has invited artists needing financial aid.

Is there a DALLE 2 free alternative? There are several free AI art generators accessible. Along with the previously stated (now in beta) Art Breeder-Collages, there’s DALL-E mini – now dubbed Craiyon (albeit it creates some disturbing results), and open-source Stable Diffusion.

An example of how DALL·E 1 vs DALL·E 2 compare for the prompt “a painting of a fox sitting in a field at sunrise in the style of Claude Monet” (Image credit: OpenAI)

Can I use DALL·E 2 for commercial use?

Previously, OpenAI disallowed the commercial use of images made by DALLE 2. However, the beta version now grants “full usage rights” for images created with the platform. This includes the right to sell, reprint, and utilize images of goods. The first instance of someone copyrighting AI work has already occurred.

However, there are concerns regarding the ramifications of training an AI model using existing images regarding copyright. Getty Images has prohibited using AI content in its stock image library due to copyright concerns, and some politicians have called for specific legislation to clarify the situation.

Are there restrictions on DALL·E 2?

According to OpenAI, it can now expand access due to modifications in its policies and advances in eliminating “bias and toxicity” in images generated by the platform. According to the business, a change was made this week that will force DALLE 2 to generate images of people that “more accurately reflect the variety of the world’s population” if race or gender is not selected in the text prompt.

It also claims to have taken steps to ensure that the platform rejects image submissions, including realistic-looking human faces or the likeness of public sculptures such as politicians and celebrities. According to OpenAI, DALLE 2 cannot be used to create images that could cause harm, such as images depicting self-harm, hostile symbols, or unlawful conduct. It emphasized that it has both automated and human monitoring methods in place to avoid this and prevent DALLE 2 from memorizing faces that frequently show online. However, it acknowledges that there is still work to be done in this area.

 DALL·E 2

(Image credit: OpenAI)

How can you tell if an image was created by DALL·E 2 AI?

If an image was created with DALLE 2, it would have a signature that appears like a row of colored squares at the bottom right of the image (assuming the image hasn’t been cropped, as shown in the example above).

Can you remove the DALL-E 2 watermark?

When you download an image created in DALL-E 2, it will have the color swath watermark in the bottom right corner, although this can be removed according to DALL-E 2 rules – which in many situations may be required for commercial work.

Removing the watermark in any app with an object removal, clone stamp, or content-aware fill tool, such as Photoshop, should be fairly simple. There is also a way to directly download the image without the watermark. On the desktop, right-click the image, choose ‘Inspect,’ and then look for the windows.net URL. Copy this image link; you should find it doesn’t contain the watermark. On mobile, tap and hold the image on the generation page and click.

Why is DALL-E 2 controversial?

There are concerns that AI image generators will be misused because people will pass off images created with them as real, leading to fake news; they may also be used to create violent images or non-consensual porn. OpenAI says it has taken precautions to avoid this and will continue to learn from real-world use while the program is still in beta.

Some people are also concerned about what AI image generators mean for the future of creative professions. For now, we believe that the tool should not put any artists out of work but that creatives can make it work for them.

How do I use the DALL-E 2 API?

Developers can integrate DALLE directly into their apps and products using the API. For example, Microsoft, an OpenAI investor, uses DALLE 2 for a new graphic design app, Designer, which aims to cover social media design, invitations, digital postcards, and more. Microsoft is also integrating DALLE 2 into Bing and Microsoft Edge with Image Creator, allowing users to create images if search results don’t come up with what they’re looking for.

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