Text in AI Images: Which Tool for What Job

Readable text used to be the weak spot of AI images. Several tools now handle it well, but they differ in how much text, how precise the layout, and how editable the result is.

The tools at a glance

Models update often, and typography is one of the areas that improves fastest. Retest your favourite after each release.

How to prompt for clean text

• Put the exact words in quotation marks, for example the title "NIGHT MARKET".
• Keep it short. One headline beats a paragraph. Add small print later in a design tool.
• Say where it goes and how it looks: "bold sans-serif title at the top, centred".
• Use capitals for short titles; they often render more reliably.
• Ask for plain backgrounds behind text if legibility matters.

Check before you use it

1. Read every letter at 100%. Near-misses ("MARKFT") are common.
2. Fix small errors with an edit rather than regenerating everything: most tools can repaint a selected area.
3. For brand work, set final text in a design tool. Generated lettering is fine for concepts, but logos and legal text should be typeset.
4. Keep the prompt that worked, so the next poster in the series matches.

Text on products and packaging

For product mock-ups, generate the scene first and add the label text with an edit, or composite a real label. See AI product photography: which tool for what.

Try it

Minimal poster, the title "NIGHT MARKET" in bold white sans-serif capitals at the top, centred, a neon-lit street food stall below, deep blue background, plenty of empty space around the title

Swap the title and scene for your own. If the lettering comes out wrong, shorten the title or ask for a plainer background behind it before trying another tool.