ChatGPT image prompts: a simple formula and 30 examples you can copy

What ChatGPT can do with images

According to OpenAI's Help Center, image creation in ChatGPT is available on all plans, including Free, with separate usage limits; ChatGPT tells you when you reach the limit and when it resets. You can describe a new image, upload a photo and ask for changes, or select one area of an image and describe an edit to just that part.

Image models are much better at text inside images than they were a few years ago, but they still make mistakes with small text, hands, and exact logos. Always zoom in and check before you publish.

The prompt formula

Write the prompt as a short brief to a designer. Cover these parts, in roughly this order, and skip any that do not matter:

• Subject: who or what, doing what. "A young woman studying at a desk with a laptop and notebooks."
• Setting: where and when. "In a small bedroom at night, a window with city lights behind her."
• Style: photo, flat illustration, 3D render, watercolour, pixel art, minimal line icon.
• Composition: close-up, wide shot, top-down, subject on the left third, plenty of empty space at the top for text.
• Light and colour: soft window light, warm desk lamp, bright pastel palette, high contrast.
• Exact text: put the words in quotation marks and keep them short. "The headline reads 'Study Smarter' in bold white letters."
• Format: say the shape you need, such as wide 16:9 for a YouTube thumbnail, square for a post, or tall vertical for a story.

30 prompts to copy and adapt

Replace the parts in square brackets. Each prompt follows the formula above.

• YouTube thumbnail: "Wide 16:9 thumbnail, close-up of a surprised [person/creator type] on the right, bright yellow background, a large red arrow pointing to [object] on the left, bold white text '[3-word title]', high contrast."
• Thumbnail, tech: "16:9 thumbnail, a laptop showing a glowing chart, dark blue background, neon accents, text '[topic] in 2026' at the top left, clean and modern."
• Thumbnail, before/after: "16:9 split image, left side a messy [room/desk/garden] labelled 'Before', right side the same space tidy and bright labelled 'After'."
• Instagram post: "Square flat illustration of [topic] with three simple icons and the headline '[short headline]', soft pastel colours, lots of white space."
• Quote card: "Square image, minimal beige background, elegant serif text '[quote]' centred, small leaf illustration in the corner."
• Carousel cover: "Square slide, bold sans-serif headline '[5 tips for X]', a simple 3D illustration of [object] below, brand colours [colour 1] and [colour 2]."
• Story background: "Tall vertical 9:16 abstract gradient from [colour] to [colour], soft grain, empty centre for text."
• Product photo: "Studio product photo of [product] on a marble surface, soft shadow, white background, top-left soft light, e-commerce style."
• Lifestyle product shot: "[Product] on a wooden café table next to a coffee cup, morning sunlight, shallow depth of field, natural colours."
• Packaging mock-up: "A cardboard box mock-up for a brand called '[name]', minimal logo in the centre, [colour] tape, photographed on a light grey background."
• Logo ideas: "Five simple flat logo concepts for a [business type] called '[name]', each on a white square, one or two colours, no gradients."
• App icon: "Rounded-square app icon for a [app type], a single bold symbol of [object], [colour] background, flat style."
• Website hero image: "Wide 16:9 illustration of a friendly team working on laptops around a table, isometric style, blue and orange palette, space on the left for a headline."
• Blog header: "Wide header image about [topic], flat vector style, three objects that represent [topic], muted colours, no text."
• Infographic: "Vertical infographic titled '[title]' with four numbered steps: '[step 1]', '[step 2]', '[step 3]', '[step 4]', simple icons, clean layout, large readable text."
• Diagram for study: "Clear labelled diagram of [the water cycle / a plant cell / the heart], textbook style, white background, labels in English."
• Flashcard: "Simple flashcard illustration of [word or concept] with the word '[word]' underneath, child-friendly cartoon style."
• History scene: "Realistic illustration of [historical event or place] in [year], wide shot, natural colours, historically accurate clothing."
• Children's story: "Watercolour storybook illustration of [character] [doing action] in [place], soft colours, gentle and friendly."
• Comic panel: "Four-panel comic strip about [situation], simple cartoon style, speech bubbles with the text: '[line 1]', '[line 2]', '[line 3]', '[line 4]'."
• Character sheet: "Character design sheet of [character description], front, side, and back views, flat colours, white background."
• Wallpaper: "Phone wallpaper, tall 9:16, minimal mountain landscape at sunset, flat layered shapes in [colour palette]."
• Event poster: "Vertical poster for '[event name]' on [date] at [place], bold headline at the top, illustration of [theme], details at the bottom in clear text."
• Menu or price list: "Clean vertical price list for '[business name]' with these items and prices: [list], simple icons, easy-to-read layout."
• Interior idea: "Photorealistic [room type] in [style] style with [colour] walls, [furniture], natural daylight, wide-angle view."
• Recipe card: "Top-down photo of [dish] on a rustic table, ingredients around the plate, warm light, space at the top for the recipe name."
• Pattern: "Seamless repeating pattern of small [objects], [colour palette], flat style, suitable for fabric or wrapping paper."
• Edit your own photo, background: "Replace the background of this photo with a plain light grey studio background. Keep my face, hair, and clothes exactly the same."
• Edit your own photo, style: "Turn this photo into a hand-drawn illustration in [style], keeping the same pose and composition."
• Edit an image, one change: "Keep everything the same, but change the colour of the jacket to dark green."

How to fix a result you do not like

• Change one thing per message: "Same image, but make the text larger" works better than rewriting the whole prompt.
• Say what to keep, not only what to change: "Keep the layout and colours; only change the headline to '...'".
• For a specific area, use the select tool on the image (where available) and describe the edit for that part only.
• If text keeps coming out wrong, shorten it, or leave space and add the text yourself in Canva or another editor.
• Ask ChatGPT to write a better prompt first: "Write a detailed image prompt for [goal]", then edit that prompt.

Rules and good practice

OpenAI's Terms of Use say that, as between you and OpenAI and to the extent permitted by law, you own the output you create. You are still responsible for how you use it. Read the current Terms and Usage Policies before commercial use.

• Do not make images that impersonate or mislead people about a real person, or that copy someone else's logo or trademark.
• Only upload photos of other people when you have their permission.
• Tell your audience or client when an image is AI-generated if the context calls for it, and follow each platform's labelling rules.
• Check small details (hands, text, logos, numbers) before you publish.

Tools mentioned

ChatGPT. Features and availability can change; check each provider's official information before choosing a tool.

Frequently asked questions

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