Use ChatGPT to create better DALL-E prompts
Get better images by leveraging ChatGPT
Maybe it's just me, but I often have a hard time getting DALL-E to create good images. (DALL-E is an image generating generative AI tool.) The quality of my results is pretty random, sometimes I get what I want right away, sometimes I struggle to the point of giving up. My guess is that my struggles are usually due to my inability to write a good prompt.
(I'll admit that I'm not a expert with image generators. Mostly, I just play around a bit. So, if you're a DALL-E guru, you might want to fast-forward to the next segment.)
One technique for getting better results from DALL-E is to ask ChatGPT to write the prompt. Just tell ChatGPT what you're trying to accomplish and ask it to write the prompt. ChatGPT understands natural language processing pretty well, so it can be good at translating my vague ideas into detailed prompts that DALL-E can better interpret.
Here's a recent example I tried.
[Prompt]
Please write a DALL-E prompt to create an image based on this description:
Create a disney style image of a very excited robot sitting in a college classroom. The robot should be approximately the same size as the students in the classroom. Make the human students diverse with respect to ethnicity and gender.
[Response]
"Create an image in a Disney-style illustration of a very excited, anthropomorphic robot with bright, expressive eyes and a gleaming smile, seated at a desk in a bustling college classroom. The robot should be proportionate in size to the surrounding human students, who are diverse in ethnicity and gender, engaged in various activities typical of a classroom setting. The atmosphere should be lively and the color palette vibrant, capturing the essence of an inclusive and dynamic learning environment."
I put this prompt verbatim into DALL-E. The results weren't bad.
The image is kind of Disney style ... kind of. For my purposes, the results were fine. Maybe I could have gotten better results if I provided more detail in my instructions to ChatGPT. The best part was that the whole process only took a couple of minutes. Not bad, not bad at all. (By the way, I didn’t develop this technique. I’d give attribution, but I can’t recall where I learned about it.)
One small issue with this method is that ChatGPT sometimes generates an image rather than the prompt. If this happens and the image is acceptable you can just use the image. If the image isn’t right, just tell ChatGPT that you only want the prompt. Then copy the prompt, start a new chat and paste the prompt into the chat window.
Here’s another example.
[Prompt]
Please write a DALL-E prompt that can be used to generate an image representative of information privacy. The image should be futuristic and be in a psychedelic, trippy style that evokes the early 1970s vibe.
The first response was an image, so I had to explain that I only wanted the prompt, which resulted in this prompt.
[Response]
"Create an image representing the concept of information privacy in a futuristic setting, with a psychedelic, trippy aesthetic reminiscent of the early 1970s. The scene features a human figure surrounded by swirling, vividly colored digital patterns and shapes, symbolizing the flow of information. The figure is interacting with advanced, holographic interfaces that display various forms of encrypted data, suggesting a high level of security and privacy. The background is a surreal landscape blending futuristic cityscapes with abstract, organic forms, all in a vibrant, kaleidoscopic color palette."
I entered that prompt into a new chat and produced this image, which I kind of like. I’m not sure it really illustrates privacy, but I like the trippiness (is that a word?) of the image. The entire process took about 2 minutes.
DALL-E and other image generators can be great for creating visuals that will make your presentations and other documents more engaging. But getting a good image can be a challenge. I hope this method will help you create better images more efficiently.
The next time you want to create an image using DALL-E (or some other image generator), consider asking ChatGPT to write the prompt for you. You might save some time and get better results.