OpenAI, acclaimed for the groundbreaking AI service, ChatGPT, which is becoming a global sensation and being integrated into an array of online services, applications, and websites, has also developed an innovative artificial intelligence powered image creator known as DALL-E. This system is a game-changer, capable of producing realistic images and artworks from descriptions given in natural language.
Harnessing the power of DALL-E is simple. All users need to do is type in a descriptive statement of what they envision, and within seconds, the system brings their vision to life. The flexibility of this tool is outstanding – whether you want to visualize a koala bear playing basketball or a polar bear strumming a bass guitar, DALL E delivers.
DALL E’s name is a creative fusion of the renowned artist Salvador Dalí and Pixar’s beloved character WALL-E. Introduced in January 2021, DALL E symbolizes a significant leap in AI’s capacity to understand, interpret language and transform it into visual content. Its potential applications span a broad range of fields, from art and design to advertising and entertainment.
The application of DALL-E extends beyond simply creating images. It’s capable of making realistic and context-aware modifications, including adding, removing, or retouching specific sections of an image, all from a natural language description. It can even generate novel and creative variations of a given image used as reference, drawing inspiration from the original. To master DALL E, watch the tutorials video below, or head over to the official website to sign up and get started with this user-friendly AI image creator.
How to use the DALL-E 2
DALL-E’s successor, DALL-E 2, comes with enhanced features. It is equipped to create original, realistic images and art from a text description, blend concepts, attributes, and styles, and expand images beyond their original canvas, resulting in new, expansive compositions. It can also carry out realistic modifications to existing images based on a natural language caption, adding and removing elements while taking factors like shadows, reflections, and textures into account. Additionally, it has the power to generate varied interpretations of a given image, all inspired by the original.
Using reference images in the AI art generation process
Reference images are a powerful tool that artists can utilize when working with Dall-E 2, an advanced AI art software. The process begins with uploading the desired reference image into the software, which can be found conveniently located under the “Image” tab in the menu bar. This straightforward functionality provides a straightforward way to incorporate external sources into your artistic workflow.
Following the upload, users can navigate to the “Edit” tab where they can discover a “Reference Image” sub-menu. Selecting this option will prompt a window displaying the uploaded image, making it an accessible, digital palette. From here, the eyedropper tool becomes a valuable asset. With this, users can meticulously sample specific colors from the reference image, thereby allowing them to replicate the color scheme in their art piece with an exceptional level of accuracy.
Moreover, Dall-E 2 gives users the opportunity to fine-tune the visibility of the reference image in conjunction with their artwork. This is facilitated by an adjustable layer mask, which modifies the image’s opacity, a key feature in enhancing the user’s ability to draw visual connections between the reference image and their creation.
By employing these advanced tools, users are granted the potential to create art that is a strikingly accurate representation of their reference images. It streamlines the artistic process and provides an added level of precision, making Dall-E 2 an essential tool for artists seeking to bring their creative visions to life.
DALL-E editor
The DALL·E editor interface is a tool designed to enhance the creative possibilities with AI-generated imagery. It allows users to modify images through a process known as inpainting and outpainting, offering increased control over the final outcome. It’s important to note, however, that as of its recent launch, the DALL·E editor interface is in beta and only available on desktop, with features for smaller screens slated for future release.
Some considerations while using the beta editor interface include the lack of automatic saving for expanded images, meaning users should regularly download their work to prevent loss of progress. Also, expanded images cannot currently be saved to a collection or viewed in full in the user’s history, although these features are planned for the future. Additionally, due to potential lag with very large images, frequent downloading is recommended to avoid browser freezes.
Accessing the DALL·E editor is straightforward once you’re logged in on a desktop device. There are two primary ways to engage with the editor: starting with an existing image from the DALL·E website or starting with a blank canvas using a bookmarked URL. Despite the lack of advanced editing features on mobile devices, users can still modify images by tapping the “Edit” button on an image they’ve already generated or uploaded.
As with other DALL·E services, each prompt submitted in the editor deducts a credit from your account. Additional credits can always be purchased via the user dropdown at the top right of the application.
For effective usage of the editor, it’s recommended to ensure the Generation frame includes ample context for the area you’re expanding into. Erasing parts of your image and uploading existing images to be resized and placed within the canvas are some powerful features that allow you to refine and enhance your work. Frequent downloading of the artwork as a .png file is recommended to maintain snapshots of your progress.
The editor also supports a range of keyboard shortcuts for tasks like zooming, switching tools, and undo/redo actions. Other tips for using the DALL·E editor include starting with the character before the landscape for images involving characters, maintaining enough of the original image in the frame to prevent style drift, asking DALL·E for a muted color palette to avoid oversaturation, and carefully considering the direction of image expansion in relation to the story you’re trying to tell.
For more information on the DALL-E editor jump over to the official OpenAI documentation.
DALL-E Pricing
DALL-E operates on a credit-based system known as DALL·E credits. Each credit represents a single request to generate an image. Interestingly, credits are only consumed when the system successfully generates an image, meaning that if a content policy warning or system error occurs, the credit is not deducted from the user’s balance.
115 credits costs $15 and you combine additional increments up to 11,500 credits for a cost of $1500
API costs
1024×1024 $0.020 / image
512×512 $0.018 / image
256×256 $0.016 / image
To encourage early adoption, OpenAI used to offer free credits to users who signed up for the service before April 6, 2023. These credits, unlike the regular ones, expire after one month and are replenished on a monthly basis. For example, if a user was granted free credits on August 3rd, their account would be topped up again on September 3rd. For users who joined towards the end of the month, their credits refill on the 28th of each subsequent month.
If a user exhausts their free credits or needs more than the monthly allocation, they have the option to purchase DALL·E credits. These credits can be bought directly from their account page or from the dropdown menu in the profile photo.
In the case of a multi-person organization account, the credit system works slightly differently. Both free and paid credits are shared among all the members of the organization. However, only the account owners have the authority to purchase additional credits for the organization.
Finally, it’s important to note that there are some differences between free and paid credits. While free credits expire one month after being granted, paid credits have a longer validity of 12 months from the purchase date. Despite these differences, the rights granted to the user remain the same, regardless of whether an image was generated using a free or paid credit, including the right to commercial use of the generated image. For more pricing about DALL-E pricing and the latest costs jump over to the official OpenAI pricing page.
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