Image Creator was one of the first generative AI tools to capture people's imaginations.
Since then, the market has rapidly matured and AI image generators have evolved from impressive technological curiosities to truly useful and powerful applications.
Many established industry-standard art and design platforms are now embracing this revolution by integrating generation capabilities. From fantastical landscapes to complex 3D models, we can now visualize just about anything we can imagine. But their real value lies in augmenting human creativity rather than replacing it.
My favorite generative AI art and design tools
So here is an overview of what I think are the best tools artists, illustrators, and designers can use to start their creative process or overcome the challenges posed by a blank canvas. All have their pros and cons, and there is currently no one-size-fits-all solution. So, if you want to understand how it can help you create more impressive images and streamline your design workflow, keep reading.
Darui
Dall-E is one of the most powerful and flexible image generation models generally available. It was developed by OpenAI, which is also the creator of ChatGPT, and the latest version, Dall-E 3, is accessible to anyone with a ChatGPT Plus subscription.
This model is very good at interpreting and creating images from very detailed prompts, giving the user a high degree of flexibility in what the finished image will look like. You can also create new variations of existing images and get results very close to the photo.
Dall-E uses OpenAI's language model GPT-3 to handle users' natural language prompts, and is also integrated by Microsoft (a major investor in OpenAI) into the Bing, Co-Pilot, and Designer tools. It can also be accessed through a proprietary API available through OpenAI Playground, allowing developers to easily incorporate image generation into their own applications.
stable diffusion
Stable Diffusion was one of the first image models to gain public attention and shows just how powerful the latest generation of AI image generators are becoming. Developed by researchers at Munich's Ludwig-Maximilians-University in collaboration with US company Runway ML, the tool can create many iterations of an image from a single prompt. You can also modify or add to existing images.
However, what really sets it apart from other models like Midjourney and Dall-E is that it's open source. This means anyone can create a custom version to suit their requirements and even run it locally on their own hardware. Because of this, it has become widely used to generate images used in movies, music videos, and television shows. However, its flexibility means it may require a little more technical know-how to get the best results. If you don't want to set up your own server, you can access Stable Diffusion through a web interface such as DreamStudio or Stable Diffusion Web.
The middle of a journey
Midjourney is an image generation model aimed more at artists than designers, and as a result its output is highly evocative, detailed and imaginative, often with a fantastical quality.
Midjourney is a little different from other models in that it is operated via Discord using the messaging platform's bot commands, rather than being accessed through a web interface, app, or API. Images have also been used to create illustrations and cartoons, as well as on the cover of The Economist magazine. It also caused controversy when it was used to create the infamous deepfake image of the Pope in a Puffer Jacket.
Also accessible via Discord, a strong community has built around Midjourney, where users frequently collaborate to create and share innovative prompts and use cases. However, its output may be less photographic and more stylized than some of the tools listed here, allowing a greater degree of artistic license in how it interprets the prompts. is notable for appearing to do so, and in some cases can lead to more unpredictable results.
adobe firefly
Firefly is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud suite of design and productivity tools, but is available in a more limited format without a subscription. It brings generation capabilities to market-leading applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Express. Images and designs created with Firefly can be seamlessly integrated into professional design workflows.
An interesting element of Firefly is its commitment to transparency and ethical AI. To achieve this goal, Adobe fully trained its model using images from its own stock image database, as well as public domain material. Its purpose is to give creators peace of mind that they are safe from claims that their work infringes someone else's copyright. Adobe even goes so far as to indemnify you against any such legal claims that may arise in the future.
Canva magic design
Canva is a very popular cloud-based design platform often used to create marketing materials, email templates, and social media assets. Since the beginning of this year, we have incorporated generative design features. A custom version of Stable Diffusion allows users to generate images and design features such as logos, graphics, and templates. These can be automatically adjusted with elements such as color palettes and fonts to match your brand guidelines. It also uses generative AI to make suggestions for incorporating Canva's vast library of image and template assets into your projects.
Overall, Canva's generation features are focused on providing a streamlined and versatile experience for marketing content creation, accessible through both free and paid services.
Other great generative AI art and design tools
Art, design, and graphics are one field where there is no shortage of amazing generative AI tools. Here are the best of the rest.
autodesk fusion
This industry-standard design platform offers generative tools aimed at improving users' skills and increasing their creativity.
crayon
Craiyon is a free and easy-to-use image generator perfect for creating quick and simple images.
Da Vinci
Generate unique artwork from simple text prompts using multiple image generation models.
freepic
Generate simple, no-frills AI images from text prompts for free.
Getty Images AI
AI image generation from the authoritative Getty image repository, powered by Nvidia technology.
imagen
Imagen is an image generation model created by Google's Deep Brain AI team. It scores particularly well on benchmarks that measure how well the image output matches the user's text prompts. It can be accessed via Google's Gemini Pro chatbot in most regions, but not yet in Europe.
image fx
Another Google tool that allows you to access Imagen models. It is designed to generate images quickly and easily.
jasper
Originally released as an AI writing tool, Jasper now also provides image generation models available to users of the paid service.
Let's strengthen it
This tool has always been popular among designers for its ability to scale up and enhance existing images, and now it has added generative AI capabilities.
night cafe
This is a community-based generative AI portal where users can access models such as Dall-E 2 and Stable Diffusion.
Shutterstock AI
The long-established stock image service now has tools that allow users to create their own images if they can't find one in their library that fits their needs.
wombo dream
This AI image generator, available as an iOS app from Apple's App Store, is fine-tuned to create dreamy, surreal, and whimsical images.