Beginner

ImageFX: AI Image Generation

Master Google's AI image generation tool powered by Imagen. Learn to write effective prompts, control styles, and use advanced techniques for stunning results.

What is ImageFX?

ImageFX is Google's AI-powered image generation experiment on Labs.Google. It uses Google DeepMind's Imagen model to create high-quality images from text descriptions (prompts). Whether you need illustrations, concept art, photorealistic scenes, or abstract designs, ImageFX can generate them in seconds.

ImageFX stands out for its image quality, prompt adherence, and built-in responsible AI features like SynthID watermarking.

Writing Effective Prompts

The quality of your generated images depends heavily on the quality of your prompts. A good ImageFX prompt includes several key elements:

Element Description Example
Subject What is in the image A golden retriever puppy
Action/Pose What the subject is doing sitting in a garden
Style Artistic style or medium oil painting, watercolor, digital art
Lighting How the scene is lit golden hour, dramatic shadows, soft diffused light
Composition Camera angle and framing close-up, bird's eye view, wide angle
Mood Emotional tone of the image serene, dramatic, whimsical, mysterious
Basic Prompt 
A cat sitting on a windowsill
Enhanced Prompt 
A fluffy orange tabby cat sitting on a windowsill,
looking out at a rainy city street, warm interior
lighting contrasting with cool blue rain outside,
photorealistic style, shallow depth of field,
cozy and contemplative mood
✅
Tip: Be specific but not overly prescriptive. Give ImageFX enough detail to understand your vision while leaving room for creative interpretation. Overly long prompts can sometimes produce muddled results.

Style Controls

ImageFX supports a wide range of artistic styles. You can specify styles directly in your prompt or use the style controls in the interface:

Photography Styles

Photorealistic, portrait photography, macro photography, street photography, aerial photography, long exposure, HDR.

Traditional Art

Oil painting, watercolor, charcoal sketch, pencil drawing, ink illustration, pastel, gouache, fresco.

Digital Art

Digital painting, 3D render, vector art, pixel art, concept art, matte painting, isometric design.

Artistic Movements

Impressionist, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Surrealist, Minimalist, Pop Art, Bauhaus, Cyberpunk, Steampunk.

Aspect Ratios

ImageFX allows you to choose from several aspect ratios to match your intended use:

Aspect Ratio Best For
1:1 (Square) Social media profile pictures, Instagram posts, icons
16:9 (Landscape) Desktop wallpapers, presentations, YouTube thumbnails
9:16 (Portrait) Phone wallpapers, Instagram stories, TikTok content
4:3 (Standard) Traditional photography, prints, documents
3:4 (Tall) Portrait photography, posters, book covers

Editing Generated Images

After generating images, ImageFX provides several editing capabilities:

  • Regenerate: Generate new variations using the same prompt.
  • Refine prompt: Modify your prompt and regenerate with adjustments.
  • Seed locking: Lock the composition seed to maintain consistency while changing style or details.
  • Inpainting: Select specific areas of the image to regenerate while keeping the rest intact.
  • Expand: Extend the image boundaries using outpainting to create a larger scene.

SynthID Watermarking

All images generated by ImageFX include SynthID, an invisible digital watermark developed by Google DeepMind. This watermark:

  • Is imperceptible to the human eye and does not affect image quality.
  • Persists through common image modifications like cropping, resizing, and compression.
  • Can be detected by specialized tools to identify AI-generated content.
  • Helps maintain transparency about AI-generated imagery in the broader ecosystem.
💡
Good to know: SynthID is part of Google's broader commitment to responsible AI. The watermark helps combat misinformation by making it possible to identify AI-generated images, even when they are shared out of context.

Content Policies

ImageFX enforces content safety policies to prevent misuse. The following types of content are restricted:

  • Photorealistic images of identifiable real people.
  • Violent, graphic, or harmful imagery.
  • Sexually explicit content.
  • Content that could be used for misinformation or deception.
  • Copyrighted characters or trademarked content.

If your prompt triggers content filters, ImageFX will notify you and suggest modifications. These policies help ensure the tool is used responsibly.

Advanced Techniques

Once you are comfortable with basic prompting, try these advanced techniques to improve your results:

Style References

Reference well-known artistic styles or movements to guide the visual output:

Style Reference Prompt 
A bustling Tokyo street market at night, neon
signs reflecting on wet pavement, in the style
of a Japanese woodblock print with modern
cyberpunk elements, vibrant colors

Negative Prompts

Specify what you do not want in the image to refine results. While ImageFX does not have a dedicated negative prompt field like some tools, you can incorporate exclusions into your prompt:

Using Exclusions 
A clean, minimalist workspace with a laptop and
coffee cup, natural lighting, no people, no clutter,
no text overlays, photorealistic

Seed Images and Consistency

To create consistent series of images (like illustrations for a story or brand assets):

  • Use the seed locking feature to maintain the same base composition.
  • Keep consistent style descriptors across all prompts.
  • Establish a set of recurring keywords (e.g., specific color palettes, lighting conditions).
  • Save prompts that produce results you like as templates for future generations.

Prompt Formula

A reliable formula for consistent, high-quality results:

Prompt Formula 
[Subject] + [Action/Scene] + [Environment] +
[Artistic Style] + [Lighting] + [Mood] +
[Technical Details]

Example:
A medieval knight [subject] standing at the edge
of a cliff [action/scene] overlooking a vast
misty valley [environment], digital concept art
[style], dramatic backlit sunset [lighting],
epic and contemplative [mood], highly detailed
armor, cinematic composition [technical]
✅
Pro tip: Generate multiple variations and iterate. The best results often come from refining your prompt over several generations. Save your favorite prompts and build a personal library of effective prompt templates.