Generate the artwork
Describe the mood, colors and style, and generate 20 or more variations before you pick one. If you want the title inside the image, use a tool that's good at text. A chat assistant like Claude or ChatGPT can help you brainstorm prompts.
| Tool | Evidence | Plan | Good for | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ideogram | Strong Why?
| Freemium Weekly slow credits | Best when the title is part of the art | ~20 min |
| Midjourney | Strong Why?
| Paid | Most artistic, painterly results | ~20 min |
| Adobe Firefly | Moderate Why? | Freemium Free daily generations | Free daily generations | ~20 min |
| Leonardo | Moderate Why?
| Freemium 150 tokens a day; creations are public | Wide range of art styles | ~20 min |
Add the title and lay it out
Place the artwork on a square canvas, add the artist name and title, and export a 3000 x 3000 px JPG or PNG in RGB.
| Tool | Evidence | Plan | Good for | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canva | Strong Why?
| Freemium 5 GB storage, 20 AI uses | Easiest for non-designers | ~15 min |
| Figma | Moderate Why?
| Freemium Unlimited drafts, 150 AI credits a day | More control over type and layout | ~25 min |
Upscale for release
If your image is smaller than 3000 x 3000 px, upscale it and zoom in to check that faces and text still look sharp.
| Tool | Evidence | Plan | Good for | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upscayl | Strong Why?
| Free Free, open-source desktop app | Free, open-source desktop app | ~5 min |
| Krea | Strong Why?
| Freemium 100 compute units a day | Free daily allowance in the browser | ~5 min |
| Topaz Gigapixel | Strong Why?
| Paid | Best detail recovery | ~5 min |
We build workflows from published reviews, guides and tool documentation, not hands-on testing. Plans change often, so confirm the current details on each tool's site.