With the popularity of ChatGPT and other AI graphics editing options surging, we’re asking, should you use it to create graphics for your business? We’re focusing on ChatGPT and looking at what you might create and how you might use it.
How good is ChatGPT at making graphics?
For our examples, we’re asking ChatGPT to make graphics for a fictitious cat café named “Coffee and Cat Outlet.” First, we need a logo for our cat café. I’m using the prompt “Please make me a logo for a whimsical cat café with the name ‘Coffee and Cat Outlet.’”
Here is what it created for me:
It’s cute, it has the café name, and it has a touch of whimsey. But, it’s only a 1024×1024 png, which won’t meet all of our graphics needs to use it on our website or social media.
Challenging ChatGPT
Let’s see if ChatGPT can give us what we need to use this for our business. The first challenge is can it create a vector image…
New prompt: “Can you make that image into a vector image, please?”
Uh oh! Looks like ChatGPT thought it could help me, but can’t.
The response reads: “I can convert the image into a vector format for you. Let me process the image now.
“It looks like there was an issue converting the image to a vector format. I’ll refine the process and try again.
“It looks like I don’t have access to the necessary module for proper vector tracing. However, you can use tools like Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape (free), or online services like Vectorizer.io to convert your image to a vector format. Let me know if you need guidance on using these tools!”
Having used some of those tools to try this before, none of them do a very good job of converting text, but they might be okay with just the image of the cat.
For the second challenge, let’s see if Chat GPT will tell us what font it used in the image.
New prompt: “Okay, can you tell me what font is used in the image, please?”
Uh oh! ChatGPT can’t tell me what font it used either!
The response reads: “I can’t directly analyze fonts from images, but you can use tools like WhatTheFont (by MyFonts) or Font Squirrel Matcherator to identify the font from your image. Just upload the image to these tools, and they will suggest the closest matches.
“If you want, you can also describe the font style to me (e.g., playful, handwritten, serif, sans-serif), and I can suggest similar fonts you can use!”
We could use those tools and probably find a similar looking font, but it won’t be exactly the same as the font that ChatGPT generated in the image.
So, will using ChatGPT replace my graphic designer?
In short, no. Using ChatGPT will not give you the information and assets you need to build out your business. You’ll have to recreate the image in a version you can resize and recolor and choose new fonts that might be close but not the same. These are all things that a good graphic designer can help you with.
Then what can I use ChatGPT for?
One thing that you could use ChatGPT for is to create a concept or a few examples of what you have in mind before you talk to your graphic designer. If you show them 1 or 2 images you like from ChatGPT, they might have a much easier time delivering you a brand guide that gives you exactly what you want, with all the images, fonts, and information you need to really build out your brand.
New prompt: “Can you give me 3 examples of a logo for a whimsical cat café with the name ‘Coffee and Cat Outlet.’”
ChatGPT gave me 3 similar but different images that I might use as an idea.
So, let’s ask it to modify them to see if we can make one closer to what we want.
New prompt: “Can you take the image with the calico cat and make the cat laying down around the cup and change the cup to cream colored with a saucer, please.”
So, it kind of lost the calico coloring, but the cat is in a different position and the cup and saucer changed. And this is a perfectly good example to give to my graphic designer as inspiration for my business!
Conclusion
Don’t get too attached to any images or designs you get from ChatGPT, because sooner or later, you (or better yet, your graphic designer) will have to recreate them for you to use on your website, social media, business cards, etc., etc.
It’s better to think about it like an inspiration board, with ideas and layout you like, but understanding that lots of little things may change on your way to a brand guide that will help your business grow and be recognizable and consistent.
Need help with graphic design? You can find members who offer graphic design here.
