AI image tools create pictures from a short text description. They can help with social posts, presentations and ideas, but they also come with rules you should know.

How they work

You type what you want to see, for example “a flat illustration of a laptop on a desk, blue and orange colours”. The tool makes several versions, and you choose or refine one.

A simple prompt formula

Subject + style + colours + mood + what to leave out. For example: “A friendly robot reading a book, flat vector style, navy and orange, calm mood, no text.”

Rules to follow

• Do not copy living artists’ styles or brand logos.
• Do not make images of real people without permission.
• Read the tool’s licence before using images commercially.
• Say when an image is AI-generated if a platform asks you to.

Many design tools, such as Canva, include built-in image features and free plans. Learn to spot generated images too, with our guide to spotting AI-generated images.