AI image generators do a pretty stunning job of whipping up graphics, drawings, and even super-realistic photos in a split second. The catch is that the quality of the picture you get depends heavily on the instructions you give the AI.
You can probably get away with a pretty vague request and still manage to get something that’s usable. But a well-written AI image prompt is what really gives the tool the direction it needs to create an image that comes close to what you want.
Whether you’re creating images for blog posts, social media, presentations, websites, or marketing materials, the ability to write better prompts is a real time-saver and gives you a lot more control over what you end up with.
What Is an AI Image Prompt?
An AI image prompt is a written description that tells an AI image generator what you want it to come up with.
A simple prompt might look something like this: A roofing contractor inspecting a house.
That gives the AI the basic subject, but that’s about it. What the contractor looks like, where they are standing, what kind of house it is, what the season is, and whether the image should look like a snap or a drawing is all left up to the tool.
A more detailed prompt might look like this:
A professional roofing contractor is inspecting asphalt shingles on a two-story house in a typical New England colonial style on a beautifully clear autumn day. The contractor is standing back on the roof, eyeing the shingles up close. I want a proper photograph, natural light, and the look of a pro but with a friendly face. And make it a horizontal composition with plenty of space on the left for text to go on our website.
Now the AI has considerably more information to work with.
It’s not about writing a long-winded prompt. It’s about giving AI the right information to clearly understand what you want.
Start With the Main Subject
Begin by clearly identifying what should be the focus of the image.
Instead of: A business owner
Try: A small business owner working at a desk in a bright home office.
Or instead of: An electrician
Try: A licensed residential electrician inspecting an electrical panel in the garage of a suburban home.
Specific subjects reduce the amount of guessing the AI has to do.
Describe the Setting
Next, tell the AI where the scene takes place.
The setting can completely change the feel of an image. Consider details such as:
- Indoors or outdoors
- Residential or commercial
- Office, home, job site, or storefront
- Urban, suburban, or rural
- Season or weather
- Time of day
For local businesses, setting can also help images feel more relevant to their customers.
A roofer serving Massachusetts homeowners, for example, may want a traditional New England home rather than a stucco house surrounded by palm trees.
Tell the AI What Style You Want
The style of image the AI creates is down to you, unless you don’t decide and then the tool makes a call. Either way, it’s a pretty important decision.
You can ask for styles like realistic photography, the kind of snaps you see in magazines, watercolor, hand-drawn illustration, 3D renderings, flat vector illustration, or infographic-style artwork.
Realistically, for most small businesses and blogs, a nice bit of real photography or clean illustrations is a safe bet.
For example, if you’re after some high-end images, just telling AI “Give me realistic photos, caught in the natural light, with all the details” can make a world of difference.
Describe the Composition
Composition tells AI how to lay out the elements in the image. This is especially handy when you’re using the images for marketing.
You might say things like:
Have the homeowner and the contractor standing on the right, leaving space on the left for a headline like the ones you see in mags.
Or if you’re using the image as a blog header, prompting with “wide horizontal shot” would work.
Other things to think about are close-up, wide angle, looking down on it, or standing eye to eye with the subject.
Often thinking ahead to where you are actually going to use the image before you create it can save you from having to crop or overhaul the whole thing.
Add Lighting and Mood
Lighting is one of the easiest ways to change how an AI-generated image feels.
Compare:
A contractor speaking with a homeowner.
With:
A contractor speaking with a homeowner outside their house in warm, natural morning light, in a friendly, professional atmosphere.
You can describe lighting as bright, natural, soft, dramatic, warm, or even overcast.
You can also describe the mood you want: professional, welcoming, trustworthy, energetic, sophisticated, or relaxed.
Include Important Details
If something needs to appear in the image, say so.
Suppose you’re creating an image for a blog post about upgrading an electrical panel. Your prompt might include:
Modern 200-amp residential electrical panel mounted on a clean garage wall, with the panel door open and realistic wiring and breakers visible, in a professional residential setting.
That prompt would get you the following image.
Details help keep the AI from making too many assumptions.
However, don’t overload your prompt with details that don’t matter. Focus on elements that affect the usefulness of the final image.
Tell the AI What You Don’t Want
Getting a better image from the AI often means being clear about what you don’t want as much as what you do.
Depending on the image generator, you can include specific instructions, such as no text, no logos, no watermarks, no over-the-top expressions, and no mess in the background.
This can be especially useful when you’re trying to get a good marketing image, especially when the AI’s attempt at text and a bunch of extra background junk gets in the way.
Use a Simple AI Image Prompt Formula
You don’t have to start from scratch every time you need an image. A basic formula can make the whole process a lot easier:
The subject of the picture + what’s happening + the setting + any key details + the style you’re going for + the lighting you want + how you want the composition + things you don’t want there
For example:
A residential electrician fixing a wall socket on a modern two-car garage, with an electric car parked nearby, that’s been photographed in a super realistic and professional way, with natural daylight, a clean and clutter-free background, a wide shot so it takes up the whole width of the picture, and with no text or logos anywhere.
This structure gives the image generator enough information to understand both what you want and how you want it presented.
Don’t Expect the First Image to Be Perfect
Writing a decent AI image prompt is all about trial and error and not giving up after the first try.
Generate an image and take a hard look at what worked and what didn’t. Then tweak your prompt.
You can tell the AI to try again with that house looking a bit more traditional, or maybe your subject just a bit farther away from the camera. Or maybe the clutter on the ground is just getting in the way and could use a bit of tidying up. More open space, some softer lighting, or just generally making it look less like a photo studio set.
Instead of rewriting your prompt all at once, try changing just one or two things at a time. This makes it easier to see which parts are having an impact on the result.
Watch for Common AI Image Problems
AI image generators have come a long way, but it still pays to give every image a good once over before you consider publishing it.
Don’t just take a quick look and hope everything will be fine. Really take a good look at things like hands, tools, machinery, building features, signs, and lettering. And also check whether the people in the picture are interacting with things in a way that looks realistic.
This is especially important when you’re creating visuals for industries where people will be scrutinizing them like roofing, electrical work, building sites, healthcare, or manufacturing. An image can look pretty convincing at first but still contain tiny details that’ll immediately make a specialist spot that it’s been faked.
The last thing you want is for your AI image to be undermining your credibility rather than boosting it.
Create Images for a Reason
It’s easy to get caught up in creating impressive-looking AI images, but in marketing, a pretty picture isn’t always the right one for the job. We want to end up with an image that actually serves a purpose.
So, what is the visual meant to do? Is it trying to get someone to understand a tricky concept? Back up a blog post? Grab someone’s attention on social media? Explain a service? Make a complicated subject easier to understand?
Once you know what you’re trying to achieve, you can build a prompt around it.
Better Prompts Lead to Better Visuals
You don’t need to be a pro at writing super-complicated prompts to create useful AI images. It’s really just about being clear and direct.
Tell the AI what the image is about, where it’s set, what it should look like, and what’s important. Take a look at what you get, refine your instructions, and have another go.
With a bit of practice writing these prompts, you’ll get better at turning the image in your head into a real picture that you can actually use.
And that’s when AI image generation stops being just a fun toy and starts to feel like a genuinely useful tool in your marketing toolkit.
