Getting Started with DALL-E for AI Image Generation

What is DALL-E?

Have you ever found yourself in need of creating pictures based on a description alone? Perhaps you’ve had a collection of image sketches and wished to merge them into a single artwork. Meet DALL-E, a remarkable AI creation developed by OpenAI. It is equipped to generate images from both text and visual prompts.

DALL-E excels at producing highly realistic images, especially when tasked with merging multiple images into a single composition. In this article, we’ll delve into the capabilities of DALL-E and make a comparative analysis with other AI image generation tools.

What makes DALL-E unique in image generation

Sure, DALL-E is an AI image-generation tool. But, what makes this tool unique? Let’s analyze some of the pros and cons of using DALL-E. Then we can use DALL-E to create a unique image!

Advantages of DALL-E

First, let’s explore some of the advantages of DALL-E:

• User-friendly interface: DALL-E is easy to use, with a simple, intuitive design.
• Flexible input options: Generate images by typing a description or uploading an existing image.
• Creative control: Modify specific parts of the generated image for personalized results.
• Standalone functionality: Unlike many tools, DALL-E doesn’t require integration with third-party software.

Limitations of DALL-E

• Simplistic Outputs: Images generated may focus on one or two primary elements and might lack depth and complexity in backgrounds.
• Accuracy Issues: The output may not always perfectly match straightforward prompts, highlighting the importance of crafting precise instructions.
• Image Format: DALL-E generates square images, which might be limiting for certain uses.

How to write effective prompts for DALL-E

To generate images using DALL-E, we need to provide it with carefully crafted prompts. DALL-E 3 is the latest iteration of OpenAI’s image generation models, known for its enhanced ability to understand and execute complex prompts with greater accuracy and creativity. Let’s visit the DALL-E 3 Website.

As we can see, it says “Try in ChatGPT”, DALL-E 3, the latest from OpenAI, is now built into ChatGPT, allowing users to generate images directly through text prompts. This integration enhances the user experience by enabling more detailed and accurate image creation within the ChatGPT interface. Available to ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users, this feature makes advanced image generation more accessible.

Click on “Try in ChatGPT” button. Let us use ChatGPT to assist in creating the prompts and then modify them as needed. First, let’s use ChatGPT to create a new prompt for DALL-E to generate an image of a cat sitting on a fence in the moonlight. Let’s start with giving some prompts:

Prompt:

I'd like to create a prompt for DALL-E. 

Response:

Sure! Please provide some details about what you'd like the image to depict, such as the scene, style, colors, characters, or any other specific elements you want to include. The more detailed, the better!

Now, let us describe the type of image we need:

Prompt:

I want a cat to be sitting on a fence with the moon behind it.

Response:

Here's a prompt for DALL-E: 

"A cat sitting gracefully on a wooden fence, silhouetted against a large, glowing full moon. The night sky is clear with twinkling stars scattered across it. The cat's fur is sleek and black, with its tail curled around its paws. The fence is weathered, with a rustic look, and the moonlight casts soft shadows, creating a serene and mystical atmosphere. The scene captures the quiet beauty of a calm, moonlit night."

Would you like me to generate the image?

Instruct it with a prompt “Yes”.

Yes 

Response:

DALL-E generated a unique image of a cat perched on a fence, with the moon at the back. These images vary in their realism, cat orientation, and fence colors. In the image, the cat appears to be positioned at an offset relative to the fence. Let’s fix this. We’ll modify the prompt to factor in cat posture. Let’s add a final sentence to the prompt:

Create an image of a cat sitting on a wooden fence with a full moon in the background. The cat should be depicted in a relaxed, contemplative pose, looking towards the moon. The moonlight should cast a soft, silvery glow, creating a serene and mystical atmosphere. The cat should look natural perched on the fence. The cat should look natural perched on the fence.  

Here is what DALL-E generated:

DALL-E generated an image of a cat sitting on a fence modified to look more realistic compared to the first image where the cat was slightly offset to the fence

DALL-E is an incredible tool, characterized by its user-friendliness. Its simple interface allows us to generate visual content using both text and image inputs. Let’s now take a look at how this AI tool stacks up against its competition.

DALL-E Vs. Midjourney Vs. Stable Diffusion

We’ve already seen DALL-E’s potential individually. Let’s consider some statistics to see how it compares to its competitors. We will take a look at Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and of course, DALL-E.

	DALL-E	Midjourney	Stable Diffusion
Training Data	~400M Images	~330K Images	~5B Images
Type of Imagery	Drawings, Paintings, or Photos	Painterly, Aesthetically-Pleasing Images	Photorealistic Images or Digital Illustrations
Images	Prompt: An astronaut riding a horse in a photorealistic style. Image:	Prompt: /imagine prompt angry cat Image:	Prompt: astronaut looking at a nebula, digital art, trending on artstation, hyperdetailed, matte painting, CGSociety Image:
Accuracy	Accuracy decreases as prompt complexity increases	Generally accurate for all images	Increased accuracy due to Negative Prompts
Customizability	Able to customize specific portions of the image on each iteration of image generation	Extensive customizable options	Extensive customizable options
Uniqueness	You can combine multiple images together to create a unique image	You can create a prompt by providing an image and then use that prompt to create new imagery	The Negative Prompt feature allows you to specify what you do NOT want to achieve your goal

Conclusion

DALL-E is a unique AI image-generation tool capable of text- and multi-image-based prompts to create distinct images. DALL-E is an excellent image-generation tool that is continuously being improved upon.

DALL-E isn’t the only AI image generator available; Midjourney and Stable Diffusion are also capable of generating images for us. Each of them has unique capabilities, making them useful in their own way. DALL-E is the simplest of the three, as it generates realistic imagery through the combination of multiple images.

If you are interested in reading more about how Generative AI can be applied in your daily life, please check out our AI Catalog of articles!

If you are interested in using DALL-E to create various forms of marketing assets, please check out our Creating Marketing Assets with Generative AI Case Study!