How to Use Dall-E 2 to Create Beautiful Art from Text
Art has always allowed humans to express their creativity, emotions, and visions. As an introvert, I’ve always found a lot of joy in letting my imagination run free and experimenting with different mediums. But sometimes, you want the thrill of making something new without spending hours making it from scratch.
I was thrilled to hear about Dall-E 2, a revolutionary AI-powered tool that transforms text descriptions into stunning digital art using artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) models. It’s a whole lot more advanced than the original Dall-e that was released in January 2021, offering more realistic and accurate images that have a resolution that’s four times better!
In this guide, we will explore how you can use Dall-E 2 to unleash your artistic potential and create beautiful art from text. I’ll start by explaining what Dall-e 2 is, followed by how to use it, how to edit your generations using inpainting and outpainting, and offer some tips on how to write the most effective AI art prompts to get the best results possible.
My goal with this article is that by the end, you will have a clear understanding of how to use Dall-e 2 and its capabilities. I’ve done my best to do so by breaking things down as clearly as possible. Let’s see what Dall-e 2 is capable of!
What is Dall-E 2?
Popular artificial intelligence models like Dall-E 2 have revolutionized how we create art, providing new ways for artists, designers, and creatives to bring their ideas to life. But what exactly is Dall-E 2, and how does it work?
Dall-E 2, developed by OpenAI, is an AI art generator based on machine learning and is known for its innovative language models. It combines natural language processing (NLP) and image generation capabilities, allowing you to transform text prompts into visually stunning images.
In other words, give Dall-e 2 an AI art text prompt, and after a few seconds, poof! Dall-e brings your words to life in the form of beautiful artwork. The model has been trained on a large dataset of billions of images (a diffusion model), generating results that showcase artistic style, creativity, and attention to detail.
Dall-E 2 offers endless potential for creative professionals, providing them with an AI tool to bring their artistic visions to life. Artists, designers, and creators can leverage Dall-E 2 to generate visual content, illustrations, graphics, and more, all based on text prompts.
With Dall-E 2, you can save time and effort by generating new images, eliminating the need for manual image creation or spending hours finding the perfect stock photo. This model opens up new artistic possibilities, allowing you to explore new ways of expressing your creativity!
How to Use Dall-E 2: Step-by-Step
Now that we understand the potential of Dall-E 2 let’s dive into how you can get started with this powerful tool. I will guide you step-by-step with screenshots of my journey of creating an account and using Dall-e 2 so you can follow along easily.
Start by visiting the Dall-e 2 AI art generator and signing up with your email address.
From here, you will be taken directly to the AI art generator, where you can insert a text prompt of what you want Dall-e to create. But before getting ahead of yourself, you need to buy some credits!
If you made any account before April 6th, 2023, you would’ve gotten 50 free credits and an additional 15 monthly. Unfortunately, for new users today, that is no longer the case.
Credits on Dall-e 2 start at $15 USD for 115 credits. Each credit can be used for one text prompt with four image variations. Therefore, if you have 115 credits, you can generate 115 prompts.
It’s essential to keep in mind that your Dall-e credits will expire 12 months from the date of purchase, so make sure to use all your credits before they expire.
When you’re ready, click the “Buy Credits” button.
Select how many credits you want to buy by clicking the “-” and “+” buttons. Click “Continue” when you’re ready.
Congratulations! You can now generate images by typing a prompt in the text box and hitting “Generate.”
I wasn’t sure what to make, so I let Dall-e 2 choose for me by selecting “Surprise Me.” It came up with “abstract pencil and watercolor art of a lonely robot holding a balloon.” Feel free to hit it multiple times to get different results. I went ahead with this text prompt and hit “Generate.”
When inserting your text prompts, it’s a good idea to skim through the content policy for examples of images you cannot generate using Dall-e 2.
In nearly no time, it generated four variations of my text prompt.
The process was quick and seamless, and I appreciate how clean and simple the interface is. On the other hand, it would’ve been nice if I could choose the aspect ratio before generating.
I was happy to see that the drawings were accurate, but I was disappointed that the balloon was cut off in all the images. But you can’t expect pictures to look perfect the first time, and you can always regenerate the photos if needed!
When hovering over the images, a small menu icon appeared with the following options:
- Open the image in a new tab.
- Edit the image.
- Generate variations of the image.
- Download the photo (it downloads as a PNG at 1080 x 1080 pixels).
- Report the image (in case it generates inappropriate or offensive content).
I was curious about the editing options available and the variations it would generate, so let’s look deeper into what it’s capable of!
How to Edit Images
Here is what editing with Dall-e 2 looks like. The Dall-e 2 image editor is straightforward, clean, and user-friendly, so anyone can make basic edits to their generation without knowing complicated image editing software.
On the perimeters of the screen, you’ll have a couple of tools to edit your image with shortkeys to make them easier to access:
- Select (V)
- Pan (P)
- Erase part of the image to edit (E)
- Add generation frame to extend the image (F)
- Upload photo (U)
- Zoom in/out (toggle on the right)
On the top right, you can download the image and even access a beneficial Dall-e Editor Guide to help with editing!
Outpainting using Generation Frame
Adding a generation frame will allow you to “outpaint,” AKA expand the image beyond its original boundaries. This is an excellent feature to create a larger canvas or add more elements to your image.
I added a generation frame by hitting “F” on my keyboard and placing the frame above my image. Once placed, I wanted to add more balloons that the robot was holding, so my text prompt ended up being “abstract pencil and watercolor art of a lonely robot holding colorful balloons.” I hit “Generate.”
It generated four image variations I could choose from.
For the most part, this worked. The style matches the original generation, with the new balloons seamlessly integrated into the image.
Your edits won’t be saved, so once you’re happy, download it.
Inpainting
When editing your image, another thing you can do is inpainting. Inpainting fills in missing or corrupted parts of an image. It allows you to remove unwanted elements or fill in gaps seamlessly.
To inpaint, I selected the “E” key on my keyboard to start using the Eraser.
I erased the area that I wanted to inpaint. In the pop-up prompt bar, I described the entire image I wanted to generate, including what I wanted replaced in the area that I erased.
The prompt bar will automatically have the prompt you used to create the original image. Tweak the wording a bit to get the results you’re looking for.
For example, I erased the head of the robot. My original prompt was “abstract pencil and watercolor art of a lonely robot holding a balloon,” so I added “abstract pencil and watercolor art of a lonely robot with a human head holding a balloon.”
Here’s how they came out:
The variations of the robot’s head still look like a robot, but they have more human-like features. Regardless, this is an excellent tool for replacing elements in your image you may not be happy with.
Tips for Effective Text Prompts
Creating compelling text prompts is key to unlocking Dall-E 2’s artistic potential. Let’s explore some tips for crafting impactful prompts.
- Incorporate adjectives: Adding adjectives to your text prompts can enhance the visual details of the generated images, allowing you to create images that are more vivid and impactful. In other words, don’t just give it a noun like “a balloon.” Instead, try something like “a vibrant bouquet of colorful balloons” to provide more descriptive flair.
- Experiment with prompt lengths: Varying the length of your text prompt can result in different image generation outcomes. Exploring different prompt lengths can help you get more interesting results.
- Use specific nouns and verbs: By using specific nouns and verbs, you can guide Dall-E 2’s image generation process, allowing you to create images that align with your artistic vision.
- Craft interesting prompts: To prompt interesting, out-of-the-box image creations, think outside the box when crafting your text prompts. Consider using unconventional combinations of words or exploring different artistic styles and themes.
- Consider different artistic styles: Dall-E 2 can generate images in different styles. When creating prompts, consider different artistic styles, such as abstract, impressionism, or surrealism, to explore new creative possibilities. You can even ask it to generate an image in the style of famous artists like Salvador Dali or Pablo Picasso.
- Don’t complicate things: Keep your prompts clear and concise. Avoid complicating things, as complex prompts may lead to unpredictable results. Instead, focus on using simple, descriptive language that allows Dall-E 2 to understand your artistic vision clearly.
How to Use Dall-e 2: My Experience
My experience with Dall-e 2 has been nothing short of impressive. This innovative AI-powered image generation tool has opened up a world of creative possibilities for me as a creative. With Dall-e, I can bring my imagination to life without spending hours on it.
From the start, what I loved was its simple interface. It’s so simple that anyone can start using it without technical know-how. Plus, the results are detailed and accurate, and Dall-e will always give you four variations per credit to choose from for the result that is most accurate to your vision.
Inpainting and outpainting took things to a whole new level. Inpainting allowed me to fill in or replace parts of an image (in my case, replacing the robot head with a human one) and seamlessly blend them with the existing content.
On the other hand, outpainting expands the canvas beyond the original image, adding extra details or extending the scene. In my case, having the robot not just hold one balloon but multiple colorful ones.
Hopefully, you have a clear understanding of how to use Dall-e 2. Why not start exploring its artistic possibilities today?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use Dall-E 2 now?
Here is a breakdown of how to use Dall-e 2:
- Create an account by signing up.
- Buy credits (they start at $15 USD for 115 credits).
- Insert a descriptive text prompt of what you want to generate, and hit “Generate” when ready.
- Download the image, or hover over the image you want to edit and go to “Edit Image.”
Does it cost money to use Dall-E 2?
Yes, Dall-e 2 costs money. To generate images, you must buy at least 115 credits for $15 USD. Each credit can be used for one text prompt with four image variations., so use them wisely.
Does Dall-E 2 have an app?
Yes, Dall-e 2 has a mobile app available for Android devices. With it, you can turn your images into art, explore millions of styles, edit artwork using text, create anime avatars, and share your art online.
Feel free to use Dall-e 2 on your web browser or as an app on your Android device.
