Describe the image you want in four parts

The tip

Image tools do best with a clear description. Cover four things:

1. Subject: what is in the picture. “A golden retriever puppy asleep on a stack of books.”
2. Setting: where it is and what is around it. “In a sunny library, late afternoon light through the window.”
3. Style: what it should look like. “Soft watercolour illustration, muted colours.”
4. Format: the shape and use. “Wide landscape, for a website banner, with space on the left for text.”

Create an image: a golden retriever puppy asleep on a stack of books, in a sunny library with late afternoon light through the window. Soft watercolour illustration with muted colours. Wide landscape format for a website banner, with empty space on the left for a headline.

Change one thing at a time

When the result is close but not right, ask for one change at a time. “Make the light warmer” or “move the puppy to the right” works better than rewriting the whole description, because the rest of the image is more likely to stay the same.