As the number of people who want to make AI pictures grows, many are looking for simple methods, like how to use DALL-E 2 to make AI images on your computer. Yes, DALL-E was named after both WALL-E and Salvador Dali. Its follow-up, DALL-E 2, brought its brand of AI picture generation to the internet. It was made by OpenAI, the company that made ChatGPT, but the software has been challenging to get to.
That changed when a limited public beta was released in the summer of 2022. A few months later, the full beta version was released, and now everyone can try it. You can even try it out as a free part of Microsoft’s Bing Image Creator. It works with Bing Chat in every way.
How to use DALL-E 2
Step 1: Go to OpenAI and log in. If this is your first time, you’ll need to make a free account in order to sign in. If you’d instead save time, you can also sign in through Google or Microsoft. OpenAI will need two-factor registration, so make sure you have your phone with you when you start.
Step 2: Open AI will show you DALL-E 2. Pick out and start working with the AI again. Then OpenAI will talk about its credit system, which is another way of saying how you can use DALL-E 2 over time.
When you sign up for OpenAI for the first month, you get 50 free points to try out. After that, you’ll get an extra 15 points every month to use. That tells you how many chances you’ll have to get it right. Each credit is like a single DALL-E 2 request, like making a picture. You can always buy more credits through OpenAI’s store. For $15, you’ll get 115 credits to use.
Step 3: The home screen of DALL-E 2 will show you a number of ways to begin. You can type in your description, upload an image that you want the AI to change based on your directions, or click “Surprise me,” which will make a description for you that works well with the AI. Keep in mind that you have a limited number of points, so be smart about how you use them. Let us imagine for now that you want to get a particular result when you type in a description.
Step 4: Write your summary. Take your time and be clear with the 400 lines you have. Do not be bashful about requesting digital art, stained glass, paintings, or any other kind of art you desire in order to play DALL-E 2. Press the Generate button when you are ready.
Step 5: DALL-E 2 will make several pictures for each request so you can choose the one you like best. You can either “favorite” a picture to look at it later or “download” it right away when you find one you like.
Step 6: If the picture you chose isn’t quite right, you can choose Variations to make a new selection based on that image. You could also change your phrase again to see if that makes a difference.
Step 7: Sometimes, just a few word changes or explaining a different medium can make a big difference. If you need to, think about how you want the picture to look and try something different. It’s half the fun when the results are different from what you expect.
Tips for using DALL-E 2
Learn how to use DALL-E 2 successfully before using it for a school or creative project. You’ll save credits. Fortunately, Guy Parsons’ 2022 Gallery Gallery blog has fantastic instructions for new users. Though lengthy at over 80 slides, it will teach you the essentials to create AI graphics. Here are crucial tips:
Short prompts—a few words—are OK. They can also be emojis, which DALL-E 2 will strive to grasp as accurately as possible (for example, your eggplant emoji will be a genuine eggplant).
When we mentioned that DALL-E 2 likes art, we meant it had been seen a lot. So, some approaches can produce fascinating effects. DALL-E 2 can draw inspiration from “surrealism.” Other examples include dieselpunk, post-apocalyptic, and cyberpunk. You may also include “the 1950s” in your description to specify a period.
DALL-E 2 also understands images. Photographers should include precise views, angles, distances, lighting, photography processes, and lenses to test DALL-E 2.
Uploading and using a prompt picture you don’t own violates DALL-E 2. If you name the painter, photographer, etc., in the description, DALL-E 2 can create a piece that appears to be influenced by them. That includes proper phrases like famous movies and cartoons.
AI designers struggle with faces without explicit instructions. The face in your photo may be too odd. Try again and describe the face more precisely, including what feeling you want, where it’s gazing, etc.
When sharing a picture, you can cut and paste to move a subject or remove unnecessary elements and create a new one.
Hi, I’m Amelia John — a Canadian writer with a background in English and Professional Writing. For the past four years, I’ve helped brands craft content that connects, from blog posts to web copy.
