Have you ever wished you could instantly create unique visuals to spruce up your digital signage content? It’s now possible with AI image generators. AI image generators use machine learning algorithms called neural networks, trained on vast datasets containing image and text pairs. By analyzing these pairs the AI learns to recognize patterns and relationships between words and visuals. So, when you give the AI a text prompt, like "a cat wearing a hat," it can generate an image based on its understanding of those words and its knowledge of the training data.
There are a ton of AI image generators, so we’ve dug in to find you the most effective in creating digital signage content that stands out and demands attention. Before we get into the tools, let’s brush up on some basic rules for digital signage content.
Principles of Effective Image Usage in Digital Signage
Clarity and Visibility
- Images should be high-resolution to avoid pixelation on large displays.
- Use bold colors and simple layouts that are easily discernible from a distance.
- Avoid overly complicated or busy images that can be hard to process visually.
Branding Consistency
- Use images that align with your brand's color palette, style, and overall aesthetic.
- Incorporate your logo or other brand elements strategically within images.
- Maintain consistency in image quality and style across all your digital signage content.
Relevance and Purpose
- Every image should serve a clear goal – do you want to inform, advertise, inspire, or create a mood?
- Choose images that directly support the message you're conveying.
- Avoid generic or irrelevant images that simply act as space fillers.
Copyright Compliance
- Use images you own the rights to, have licensed, or fall under Creative Commons guidelines.
- Always credit the image creator when necessary.
- Avoid legal headaches by respecting copyright law.
Midjourney
Midjourney is known for its ability to create detailed, stylized, and often hauntingly beautiful images. It operates primarily through a Discord server so you’ll need a Discord account and join the official Midjourney Discord server.
Midjourney will generate four initial image variations based on your prompt. You have options to upscale a specific image for greater detail and resolution or create variations based on one of the generated images to refine it further. It also has a flexible image generation system:
Modes
- Relax Mode: your image generation jobs are placed in a queue. You can generate an unlimited number of images without using your Fast GPU time but there may be a wait depending on server demand.
- Fast Mode: your image generation requests are prioritized and the generation times are much faster.
Jobs
- Relaxed Jobs: These are image generation requests that you’ve specifically marked to be processed in Relax mode. This is useful if you don't need your images immediately and want to preserve your Fast GPU time for more urgent jobs.
- Fast Jobs: These are image generation requests that you have especially sent to be processed in Fast Mode. They provide faster results but use a portion of your allocated Fast GPU time.
Key Features
- Unique Style: Midjourney often produces images with a distinct artistic and dreamlike quality.
- Customization: Advanced prompts and commands offer a lot of control over image style, composition, and details.
- Community: The large Midjourney Discord server is a hub of creativity and inspiration, where you can see what others are making and share your creations.
Cost Options
Midjourney offers four subscription tiers:
- Basic: $10/month for 3.3 hours of Fast GPU time per month.
- Standard: $30/month for 15 hours of Fast GPU time per month.
- Pro: $60/month for 30 hours of Fast GPU time per month, 10 jobs waiting in queue, ability to use Stealth Mode
- Mega: $120/month for 60 hours of Fast GPU time per month, 12 Fast Jobs, 3 Relaxed Jobs, 10 jobs waiting in queue, ability to use Stealth mode.
Pro Tips for Efficient Use
Use the “--ar” parameter that allows you to directly specify the aspect ratio that fits your digital signage displays. This will prevent accidental cropping or stretching of your images so that they look their best on the display.
DALL-E 3
DALL-E 3 is an AI image generation tool from OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. It generates highly realistic and creative images, even from complex and detailed descriptions.
You only need to describe the image you want using natural language. DALL-E is great with detailed, creative requests, for instance, "A close-up oil painting of a robot chef preparing a colorful salad in a futuristic kitchen.” DALL-E processes your prompt and generates a set of images that attempt to match your description.
You can request variations on a particular image for alternate concepts or styles, use inpainting to replace sections of an image with newly generated content, or outpainting to expand existing images beyond their original frame.
Key Features
- Detail-Oriented: It can render fine details, handle complex relationships between objects, and incorporate different artistic styles effectively.
- Powerful Editing Tools: Features like inpainting and outpainting expand the possibilities for creative control.
Cost Options
- DALL-E 3 is available to all ChatGPT Plus users and costs $20/month.
- Pro Tips for Efficient Use:
Add layers to your prompt to combine multiple elements. For instance, try: “A serene blue and pink sky with birds flying in the northeast direction.”
Stable Diffusion
Stable Diffusion is an open-source text-to-image AI model. It can generate high-quality images that look like real photographs. The latest version is Stable Diffusion XL, which can generate even better quality images.
You provide a detailed text description of the image you want. Stable Diffusion uses its AI model to understand your prompt and generate images attempting to match your vision. Various settings and parameters within Stable Diffusion can be tweaked to adjust image style, detail level, and more.
Key Features
- Open-Source: The open-source nature of Stable Diffusion allows for a high degree of community development, customization, and integration into various projects.
- Runs Locally (Optionally): With sufficient hardware (a decent GPU), you can run Stable Diffusion on your computer and get more control and privacy.
- Image-to-Image: Generate new images based on an existing image and a modified prompt.
- Inpainting and Outpainting: Replace parts of an existing image with AI-generated content or expand an image beyond its borders.
Cost Options
- Basic plan: $27/month for 13,000 image generations and 3250 API calls.
- Standard plan: $47/month for 40,000 image generations and 10,000 API calls.
- Premium plan: $147/month and includes unlimited image generations and API calls.
- Pro Tips for Efficient Use
Use negative prompting to tell the AI what you don’t want included in the generated image. Be specific, use terms such as “blurry,” “weird hands,” etc. This will improve issues, such as extra fingers or distorted faces. The Stable Diffusion interface has a specific section for negative prompts, separate from the main text prompt field.
Adobe Firefly
Adobe Firefly is a generative AI toolset integrated into Adobe's Creative Cloud suite. It provides text-to-image generation, advanced image editing using AI, and creative text effects. You'll need an active Adobe Creative Cloud subscription that includes Photoshop to fully use Firefly's tools. Some of Firefly's features are directly integrated into the latest Photoshop versions.
Key Features
- Text-to-Image: Describe the image you want, and Firefly will generate variations based on your prompt. You can refine the results with adjustments to style, content, color, and more.
- Generative Fill: You can add or remove elements from existing images using AI. For example, add a flock of birds to the sky or remove distracting objects from a photo.
- Text Effects: Create stylish, customizable text effects with fonts, colors, and unique AI-generated styles inspired by your text prompts.
Cost options
- The free plan includes 25 monthly generative credits (these are used for creating images or making AI edits).
- Premium Plan: $4.99 monthly includes 100 monthly generative credits, access to Adobe Fonts Free, and no watermarks on your AI-generated images.
- Pro tips for efficient use
If you have the latest Photoshop version look for Firefly features integrated into the software. Adobe has helpful tutorials and guides on using these tools.
Craiyon
Craiyon (formerly known as DALL-E mini) is a free, web-based AI image generator. It creates unique images based on the text descriptions you provide. The more detailed, the better. Feel free to get creative and whimsical. Craiyon uses its own AI model to generate images, not the more powerful DALL-E 2 system used by paid alternatives.
Since Craiyon is a free tool, the results can sometimes be a bit unpredictable. Don't get discouraged if the first few images aren't perfect. There may be short wait times to generate pictures, especially during peak usage hours.
Key Features
- Simple Interface: The website is easy to use, with a prominent text box to enter your ideas.
- Creative Possibilities: Craiyon can handle a wide range of prompts from the realistic to the fantastical.
Cost Options
Craiyon is free to use, no subscription is required. Pro Tips For Efficient Use
Craiyon generally isn't great with human faces. Focus on landscapes, objects, animals, or abstract concepts instead.
NightCafe Studio
NightCafe Studio has a variety of AI-powered art creation tools. Its primary focus is on text-to-image generation, but it also offers style transfer and other creative options.
Key Features
- Multiple AI Art Styles: You can choose from several different AI models, each with its own distinct artistic style (e.g., neural style transfer, VQGAN+CLIP, Stable Diffusion).
- Text-to-Image: Describe the image you want, and NightCafe Studio's AI algorithms will generate variations based on your prompt.
- Customization: Control image resolution, number of iterations, and influence how closely the AI adheres to your prompt.
- Evolution: Take an existing image and have it evolve through multiple generations driven by your text prompts.
Cost Options
NightCafe Studio operates on a credit system. You get 5 free credits just for having an account and 100 credits for $5.99 and other options. Pro Tips for Efficient Use
Use the "evolve" feature on your creations and modify prompts to explore new variations of your initial ideas.
Choosing the Right Tool For You
With this overview of powerful AI image generators, you're well-equipped to elevate your digital signage content. The key is finding the right tool for your specific needs and creative vision. Consider your budget, desired image styles, and how much control you want over the generation process. And remember, even with these amazing tools at your disposal, the principles of effective image usage still apply.
