The internet is crowded with image-generating AIs like Midjourney and OpenAI’s Dall-E 2, however, Ideogram AI has emerged as a startup to watch.

What is Ideogram AI?

Founded by ex-Google Brain researchers and launching with a hefty $16.5 million in seed funding from powerhouse investors like a16z and Index Ventures, Ideogram AI brings something new to the table: reliable text generation within images.

Our founding team consists of world-renowned AI experts, who have previously led transformative AI projects at Google Brain, UC Berkeley, CMU, and the University of Toronto. Our fundamental work in AI includes: Denoising Diffusion Models, Imagen: Google’s text-to-image system, Imagen Video for video synthesis, WaveGrad for speech synthesis, neural speech recognition, neural machine translation, contrastive learning for learning visual representations, and generative adversarial imitation learning.

-Ideogram

The challenge of accurately incorporating text into generated images—think lettering on signs or company logos—has been a long-standing issue for many AI platforms. Ideogram AI seems to have cracked this code. The web-based application, available for beta signup, offers a “typography” preset among its style options. This enables users to create images with text elements, rendered in varying colors, fonts, sizes, and styles. From 3D renderings to fashion and conceptual art, the platform allows users to select and combine multiple styles seamlessly.

Examples are already cropping up on Ideogram AI’s Discord server and web app, showcasing generated images that integrate text. While not always flawless, the text rendering appears notably more accurate than other currently available solutions.

That said, Ideogram AI is not without its limitations. Our testing revealed inconsistencies in output quality. Moreover, the platform lacks some features available in competing image generators, such as zoom out/outpainting functionalities. Interestingly, Ideogram AI even struggled to accurately render its own name, performing better with more generic text.

Despite these drawbacks, Ideogram AI offers a specialized service that addresses a gap in the current landscape of AI-generated imaging, making it a significant newcomer in this fast-evolving sector.

Coinciding with its launch and beta release, Ideogram AI chose a unique way to put its mission statement, “help people become more creative,” into action: the statement itself was generated using its own typographic tool and showcased on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. The innovative display immediately caught the attention of key industry figures like David Ha, founder of Sakana AI, and Margaret Mitchell, both former Google employees, earning the startup valuable endorsements.

Ideogram’s focus on typographic generation is a strategic choice, setting it apart in a crowded field. This feature could be especially appealing to graphic designers or to those who would typically need to employ such professionals for specialized text-based image creations.

Meanwhile, competition isn’t standing still. Midjourney, another player in the AI image generation arena, just rolled out its new “vary region” feature, which allows users to add, remove, or adjust specific parts of generated images. The dynamism of this sector continues to evolve, but Ideogram AI’s specialized offering could give it an edge, particularly among those who seek high-quality text rendering in their digital artwork.

How to use Ideogram AI?

Navigating Ideogram AI for the first time? The interface is designed to be user-friendly. Start by visiting Ideogram AI’s official website and click on the ‘Signup with Google’ button to create your account. You’ll then be prompted to choose a unique handle that will be associated with your profile URL.

Once you’re on the main dashboard, you’ll notice a text box designed for inputting prompts.

For example, during our test run, we entered the prompt “Text ‘DATA SCIENCE’, vibrant colors, 8k, 3d render, vibrant, typography.” This feature allows you to specify the kind of output you desire, right down to resolution and style.

The platform also provides options to select an aspect ratio, giving you choices like “10:16,” “1:1,” and “16:10.” This is particularly useful if you’re generating images for specific platforms that require particular dimensions.

Additionally, Ideogram AI offers preset keywords to enrich your creative process. You can add tags such as “cinematic” or “3d render” to fine-tune your generated images.

After configuring your settings, hit the ‘Generate’ button and wait. The system will process your request and eventually display four different versions of your generated image for you to choose from.

Our experience showed that the output quality is generally quite respectable, living up to the platform’s promise of enabling more creative text-based image generation. But the tool still needs a little bit of time to operate properly.

• Example 1:

• Example 2:

Potential versatile applications of Ideogram AI

As we’ve discussed, Ideogram AI offers unique capabilities, particularly in text-based image generation, that could make it a standout choice among competitors like Midjourney. But how does this translate to real-world applications across various industries?

Design acceleration

Ideogram AI provides a streamlined method for rapid prototyping. Whether you’re drafting preliminary concepts for logos or conjuring up various scene illustrations, the platform allows you to produce visuals directly from text prompts. This speeds up the brainstorming phase, facilitating a more efficient flow from idea to tangible design.

Ad customization

For professionals in marketing and advertising, Ideogram AI serves as a tool for agile concept testing. You can swiftly produce custom ads, posters, or infographics aimed at different consumer segments. Given the speed at which Ideogram AI operates, A/B testing becomes more efficient, enabling marketers to refine campaigns in real-time.

Creative catalyst

Both traditional and digital artists can leverage Ideogram AI to elevate their creative process. Instead of spending hours sketching preliminary drafts, you can type a simple prompt to visualize characters or scenes. This doesn’t just save time—it could also serve as a new wellspring for creative inspiration, a starting point for your next masterpiece.

Content enhancement

Content creators like authors and bloggers can also benefit from Ideogram AI’s text-to-image capabilities. If you’re looking to augment your written pieces with custom images but lack the graphic design skill set, Ideogram AI provides an easy solution. It can generate bespoke visuals that echo the themes or subject matter of your written content, adding another layer of engagement for your readers.

Imagery for all

Lastly, let’s not forget casual users and hobbyists. Ideogram AI also appeals to those who just want to explore the boundaries of their imagination without needing advanced design skills. The prompt-driven interface allows anyone to transform a fleeting thought, dream, or abstract concept into a visual form, which makes it accessible and fun for non-artists as well.

The versatility of Ideogram AI’s platform suggests a wide array of applications, from professional use-cases to personal projects. Its unique focus on text-based image generation could position it as an invaluable asset across multiple sectors.

Featured image credit: Kerem Gülen/Ideogram

Prompt used when generating the featured image: Design a minimalist and modern logo for the brand “Ideogram,” featuring a simple silhouette of a brain shape.