Can ChatGPT Generate Images? How to Create and Edit Them

If you've seen a friend's poster, product mock-up or cartoon portrait and wondered whether ChatGPT really made it, the answer is yes. It can create pictures from a written description, and it can change pictures you already have. For a small business that means a quick social graphic, a menu mock-up or a draft logo idea without opening a design tool.

What trips people up isn't whether it works. It's knowing where the buttons are, how to ask so you get what you pictured, and what to watch for before you post anything. I've pulled it together here from OpenAI's own help page, so the steps match what you'll see on screen.

Can ChatGPT generate images?

Yes. OpenAI calls the feature ChatGPT Images, and it lets you create new images and edit existing ones inside ChatGPT. It's available on every plan, including the free one, and works on the web, on iPhone and on Android. A more advanced mode called Images with thinking is limited to the Plus, Pro and Business plans.

It can also add text to an image, add detail inside it, or give it a see-through background. And it can take a picture you upload and change it the way you describe.

How do I create an image in ChatGPT?

There are two ways in, and they give the same result:

1. Ask in a normal chat. Type what you want, for example, "Create an image of a tidy flat-lay of a candle, a notebook and a pen on a wooden desk."
2. Use the Images section. Open the sidebar and choose Images, or choose More and then Images, then type your prompt.

Then wait. OpenAI says generation can take a few minutes depending on how complex the request is, and you can keep using ChatGPT while it works. If you're on a phone, you can leave the chat and come back.

How do I write a prompt that gets the picture I imagined?

OpenAI's advice is simple: be specific about the details that matter. A vague prompt gets a generic picture. A prompt that says who it's for, what must appear in it and what to leave out gets something you can use.

I use the same short checklist every time: the subject, the setting, the style, any words that must appear, and the shape of the image. Here's a prompt you can copy and fill in.

Copy this prompt

Create an image for [what it's for, for example an Instagram post for my bakery].
Subject: [what is in the picture].
Setting and mood: [where it's set, the light, the feeling].
Style: [photo, flat illustration, watercolour, clean and minimal].
Text to include, spelled exactly: [your words, or write none].
Shape: [square, tall, wide].
Leave out: [anything you don't want, such as people or logos].

If you want a bigger library of starting points, my guide to writing better AI image prompts goes through what changes the result most.

Can ChatGPT change a picture I upload?

Yes, and this is where a lot of the value is for a small business. Upload a photo, then describe the change you want: a cleaner background, a different colour for the product, text across the top.

There are two ways to edit. You can use the selection tool to highlight part of the picture and then describe the change in chat. Or you can skip the tool and describe the edit directly. If you want the change to apply to one area, say which area in your prompt.

One honest warning from OpenAI's own page: highlights aren't always precise, and edits can spill beyond the area you selected. So always compare the new version with the original, especially around faces, hands, packaging and any writing.

Copy and paste this prompt

I've uploaded a photo of [product or place].
Keep the [product, shape and colours] exactly as they are.
Change only [the background / the lighting / the surface it sits on] to [what you want].
Don't add any text or logos.

What are templates and sketches in ChatGPT Images?

Templates are a starting point for things like posters and logos. In the sidebar, choose Images, then Templates, pick a category and a template, add your details and send it. ChatGPT may ask follow-up questions, such as the visual style you'd like, and sometimes lets you add a reference image.

On the mobile app you can also draw a rough sketch. In the message box, type @ and choose Sketch, draw what you have in mind, confirm it and add instructions. OpenAI's example is sketching a house and asking for a watercolour of a red house surrounded by trees. If you're not confident at drawing, a simple stick-man layout is plenty.

Can I add words or a transparent background?

Yes to both. ChatGPT Images can follow instructions to add text and to make the background transparent. For text, put the exact words in your prompt and ask for them to be spelled exactly, then read every letter of the result before you use it. For a see-through background, say so in the prompt, which helps when you want to drop the image on top of something else.

You can also choose the shape of the image. Use the aspect ratio picker, or just include the shape in your prompt, for example, "tall, for a story".

Where do my images go, and can I delete them?

Every image you create is saved automatically under Images, so you can browse, reopen and reuse them on the web and in the mobile app. From an image you can copy it, save it to your device or share it to another app.

To delete one, you delete the conversation it was made in. On the web, hover over the conversation title, choose the three dots and then Delete. On iPhone and Android, press and hold the title and choose Delete. If a client's photo is in there, that's worth knowing.

What happened to DALL-E in ChatGPT?

OpenAI has retired the official DALL-E GPT. To keep creating or editing images, you use ChatGPT Images. If you build your own GPTs, those with Image Generation switched on under Capabilities can create pictures with the current image model too.

Is it safe to use the images in my business?

OpenAI reminds you that ChatGPT can make mistakes, and that applies to pictures too. Before you publish, I check four things: spelling in any text, hands and faces, product details that need to be accurate, and anything that looks like someone else's brand. For anything that shows your real product, use your own photo and let the AI change only the background.

It's also worth reading what ChatGPT keeps from your chats before you upload photos of customers or staff.

Tools that work with ChatGPT Images

Most business owners finish the job somewhere else. Canva and Adobe Express are handy for adding your logo and fonts, Figma for layouts, and a simple photo editor on your phone for a final crop. If you'd like to compare image tools, I've written about using an AI image generator for marketing.

If you want help working out where images fit in your content plan, this is how I work with business owners.

Related guides live in the ChatGPT Prompts and Limits: 30 Guides to Fun Prompts, Photo Edits and Daily Caps.

Frequently asked questions

Can ChatGPT generate images for free?

Yes. OpenAI says ChatGPT Images is available on all plans. The more advanced Images with thinking mode is limited to Plus, Pro and Business plans.

How do I make ChatGPT create an image?

Ask in a chat, or open the sidebar and choose Images, then describe what you want. Include the subject, setting, style, any exact text and the shape of the image.

Can ChatGPT edit my photos?

Yes. Upload a photo and describe the change, or use the selection tool to highlight an area first. OpenAI warns that edits can spill beyond the area you selected, so check the result against the original.

Where are my ChatGPT images saved?

Every image is saved automatically under Images, on the web and in the mobile app. To delete an image, delete the conversation it was created in.

Can ChatGPT make a logo or poster?

It can. The Templates section in Images has starting points for things like posters and logos. Add your details, send it, and refine it through follow-up messages.