AI Image Generation in 2026: Complete Beginner's Guide
How AI Image Generation Works (Simply)
You type a description ("a golden retriever wearing a tiny business suit, photorealistic, soft lighting"), the AI generates an image matching your description. The quality varies dramatically between tools.
The Tools, Ranked
Best Quality: Midjourney ($10/mo)
Midjourney produces the most visually stunning results. Its distinctive style — somewhere between photorealism and illustration — is recognizable and beautiful. No free tier, but the quality justifies the cost.
Best for Professionals: Adobe Firefly (free tier)
Adobe Firefly is the only commercially safe option — trained entirely on licensed content. If you're creating images for business use, this eliminates legal risk.
Best Free: Leonardo AI & ChatGPT
Leonardo AI gives you 150 free tokens daily. ChatGPT includes DALL-E 3 on the free tier with limited generations.
Best for Non-Designers: Canva AI
Canva AI wraps image generation into a full design toolkit. Generate an image, then add text, layouts, and branding — all in one place.
Prompting Tips for Better Images
- Be specific: "golden hour lighting, shallow depth of field" beats "nice lighting"
- Reference styles: "in the style of Studio Ghibli" or "photojournalistic"
- Specify what you DON'T want: "no text, no watermarks, no deformed hands"
- Include composition details: "close-up portrait," "wide establishing shot," "flat lay"
Full comparison: Midjourney vs DALL-E 3 | Midjourney vs Leonardo