How to Write AI Image Prompts That Actually Work

The difference between a mediocre AI-generated image and a stunning one almost always comes down to the prompt. A vague prompt like "marketing image" gives the AI nothing to work with, while a specific, well-structured prompt produces results that rival professional photography and graphic design. Here is everything you need to know about writing AI image prompts that deliver professional marketing visuals.

The Anatomy of a Great Prompt

Every effective AI image prompt has four components:

1. Subject: What is in the image
2. Style: How it should look
3. Composition: How elements are arranged
4. Context: The mood, lighting, and setting

Weak prompt: "Coffee shop ad"

Strong prompt: "A cozy artisan coffee shop interior with warm Edison bulb lighting, a steaming latte with intricate foam art on a rustic wooden table, morning sunlight streaming through large windows, photorealistic style, shallow depth of field, inviting atmosphere"

The strong prompt gives the AI specific visual details to work with. The result is an image that looks intentional and professional rather than random and generic.

Rule #1: Be Specific About Visual Details

The more specific you are, the better the result. Instead of general adjectives, use concrete visual descriptions.

Instead of...	Write...
"Nice restaurant"	"Upscale Italian restaurant, dim ambient lighting, white tablecloths, candle centerpieces"
"Good looking house"	"Modern farmhouse exterior, black metal roof, white siding, wraparound porch, landscaped garden"
"Professional service"	"Clean office reception area, marble desk, fresh flowers, natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows"

Rule #2: Specify the Style

AI image generators can produce dramatically different results depending on the style you request. For marketing images, these styles work best:

• "Professional photography style" — Best for product shots, real estate, food
• "Editorial photography" — Best for lifestyle and aspirational content
• "Flat design illustration" — Best for tech companies and modern brands
• "Bold graphic design" — Best for sale promotions and attention-grabbing ads
• "Minimalist, ample white space" — Best for premium and luxury brands

When using The Image Generator, you can select from six pre-built style presets (Photorealistic, Illustrated, Flat/Modern, Bold/Graphic, Minimalist, Vintage/Retro) that automatically inject the right style language into your prompt.

Rule #3: Describe Lighting and Mood

Lighting transforms an image. Professional photographers spend hours setting up lighting — you can achieve the same effect with a few words.

Lighting keywords that work:

• "Golden hour sunlight" — warm, flattering, aspirational
• "Soft diffused studio lighting" — clean, professional, product-focused
• "Dramatic side lighting" — bold, moody, high-contrast
• "Bright natural window light" — fresh, approachable, modern
• "Neon accent lighting" — edgy, nightlife, tech-forward

Rule #4: Avoid Asking for Text

This is the single most important rule for AI image generation: do not ask the AI to include text, words, or letters in the image. Current AI models (including DALL-E 3) struggle with text rendering. The results are almost always misspelled, distorted, or illegible.

Instead, generate a clean visual and add text overlays afterward using your favorite editing tool. The Image Generator's built-in editor supports this workflow — generate the image, then crop and adjust it to leave space for text overlay.

Rule #5: Use the Template Context

Different marketing formats require different compositions. A Facebook ad needs a clear focal point that works at small sizes. An Instagram Story needs vertical composition with safe zones for the UI. A YouTube thumbnail needs bold, recognizable elements.

When you select a template in The Image Generator, the AI automatically adjusts its prompt engineering for that format. But if you are writing prompts from scratch, include the format context: "designed as a Facebook advertisement with a clear central focal point and high visual contrast."

Prompt Templates for Common Marketing Needs

Product promotion: "[Product] displayed on [surface], [lighting type], [style], [one key mood word], marketing-ready composition"

Service promotion: "Professional [service] in action, [setting details], [lighting], [style], trustworthy and approachable atmosphere"

Seasonal campaign: "[Season] themed [business type] promotion, [seasonal elements], [color palette], [style], celebratory and inviting mood"

Brand lifestyle: "[Target customer persona] enjoying [activity related to brand], [setting], [lighting], aspirational and authentic feel"

The Secret Shortcut

You do not actually need to master prompt engineering to get great results from The Image Generator. The platform uses Claude AI to automatically transform your simple description into an optimized prompt before sending it to DALL-E 3. Type "summer BBQ restaurant special" and Claude expands it into a detailed, professional prompt behind the scenes.

Think of it as having an expert prompt engineer on staff — you provide the creative direction, and AI handles the technical prompt optimization. This is why The Image Generator consistently produces better results than typing the same description directly into DALL-E or Midjourney.

Practice Makes Perfect

Start experimenting with five free generations on The Image Generator. Try the same concept with different style presets. Adjust your descriptions and see how the results change. Within a few generations, you will develop an intuition for what works — and you will never go back to generic stock photos again.