Guides · ImagesTypography guide

How to put readable text in AI images

Image models draw letters as shapes, so text fails when the prompt leaves the words, their order, or their place in the layout to chance. Quote the exact copy, keep it short, and give it a clear position and style.

Capabilities reviewed 2026-09-26

Open Ideogram AI Image Generator All guides
Method

Step by step

  1. Write the exact words in quotation marks

    Put every word that must appear inside quotes, spelled and capitalized the way you want it: the headline "Open Late", the label "Cold Brew No. 4". Quoted copy tells the model these are literal characters, not a description of the mood.

  2. Cut the copy down to what fits

    Short lines render far more reliably than paragraphs. Aim for a headline of a few words and at most one supporting line. Long body text, legal copy, and dense lists belong in a design tool after generation.

  3. Set the hierarchy and reading order

    Say which line is the headline and which is secondary, and in what order they read: headline at the top, date line underneath, small tagline at the bottom. Without that, models often shuffle or merge lines.

  4. Place the text in the composition

    Give each line a location and leave room for it: "centered across the upper third on clear sky" or "on the can label, below the logo mark". Text placed over a busy texture is harder to read and more likely to come back distorted.

  5. Describe the lettering style, not a font file

    Describe the type rather than naming a licensed font: bold condensed sans-serif, hand-lettered chalk script, embossed serif capitals. Vizify does not load font files, so a named typeface is treated as a style hint at best.

  6. Pick a model suited to typography

    For posters, covers, and signage, start with Ideogram V3, Recraft V4.1, or GPT Image 2.5 Flare. For long prompts with dense text, and for Chinese or other non-Latin copy, start with Qwen Image 3.0. GPT Image 2, the default image model, also works for simpler text.

  7. Proofread at full size, then regenerate

    Zoom in and read every character. If one word is wrong, regenerate with that word spelled out again and the rest unchanged, rather than rewriting the whole prompt.

Copy and adapt

Prompt examples

Event poster

Vintage screen-printed travel poster of a coastal railway at sunset. Headline "NORTHERN LINE" in bold condensed sans-serif capitals across the top third on clear sky. Secondary line "Summer Timetable 2026" smaller, centered below the headline. Limited palette of teal, orange, and cream. Portrait orientation.

Why it works: Both lines are quoted, ordered, sized relative to each other, and placed on a plain area of the image, which is exactly the information the model needs to lay them out.

Product label mockup

Studio photo of a matte black aluminum can on a light gray background. The label reads "COLD BREW" in white bold sans-serif, with "No. 4" underneath in a thin weight. Nothing else is written on the can. Soft top light, subtle reflection.

Why it works: "Nothing else is written" stops the model filling the label with invented small print, which is where garbled text usually appears.

Chalkboard sign

Cafe chalkboard on a brick wall, warm evening interior behind it. Hand-lettered chalk script reads "Open Late" on the first line and "Fridays until midnight" on the second, both centered. Slight chalk dust texture, no other writing on the board.

Why it works: A handwritten style suits a model's looser letterforms, and two short centered lines are easy to verify.

Social quote card

Square social media card with a flat warm beige background and a thin border. Centered serif text in two lines: "Make it clear" then "before you make it clever". Small sans-serif credit "— Studio Notes" at the bottom right. Generous margins, no imagery.

Why it works: With no competing imagery, all of the model's attention goes to the letters, and the margins keep the text away from the crop edges.

Bilingual shop sign

Street-facing shop sign in a quiet Taipei alley at dusk. Large vertical Traditional Chinese characters "山海茶行" on a wooden board, with the English line "Mountain & Sea Tea House" in small serif capitals underneath. Warm lantern light, shallow depth of field.

Why it works: Mixed-script signage is a case where a multilingual model such as Qwen Image 3.0 is worth selecting, and each script gets its own quoted line.

Models mentioned

Check the current parameters

Each model page lists what Vizify exposes today. Parameters are model-specific; confirm them before relying on a number in this guide.

Ideogram V3

Ideogram V3

Model details

Recraft V4.1

Recraft V4.1

Model details

Qwen Image 3.0

Qwen Image

Model details

GPT Image 2

GPT Image 2

Model details
Before you start

Current limitations

  • Generated lettering can still contain misspelled or malformed characters. Proofread every word before you use the image.
  • Vizify does not render named font files, vector text, or print-ready typography. For exact brand fonts, add the copy in a design tool afterward.
  • Long paragraphs, fine print, QR codes, and small labels are unreliable in generated images and should be added outside the model.
  • Accounts without Pro or a credit pack get two image generations in total, shared with image edits; after that, generation needs Pro or a credit pack.
  • To add text to a photo you already have, use an editing tool instead. Semantic edits can also alter pixels near the text.

What actually goes wrong with AI text

Most garbled text comes from one of three prompt problems. The words were described instead of quoted (“a sign saying we are open late”), so the model paraphrased them. There was too much copy, so the model ran out of room and invented letterforms. Or the layout was left open, so the model scattered or merged lines. Quoting, trimming, and placing the copy solves the majority of cases before you change models at all.

Choosing where to run the prompt

Vizify’s image capability routes typography-led work differently from general illustration. Posters, covers, labels, and signage start on a graphic-design model: Ideogram V3, Recraft V4.1, or GPT Image 2.5 Flare, which has its own GPT Image 2.5 Generator. Recraft V4.1 is text-only, so it cannot take a reference image. Qwen Image 3.0 is the starting point for long prompts with dense text and for Chinese and other multilingual copy, with Qwen Image 3.0 Pro available for denser layouts. GPT Image 2, the default image model, is a reasonable choice for a short line inside a broader scene. None of these makes a spelling check unnecessary.

When to stop prompting and use a design tool

Some text jobs are not a good fit for generation at all: long body copy, legal disclaimers, pricing tables, QR codes, and anything that has to match a brand font exactly. For those, generate the image with deliberate empty space where the copy will go (“clear sky across the top third, no text”) and set the words afterward in the tool you already use for layout. You keep the generated visual and get exact, editable typography.

A quick proofreading pass

Read the output at full size, letter by letter, against your quoted copy. Check capitalization, punctuation, and line order, and look for extra invented words in the background of signs and labels. If one line is wrong, keep the prompt identical and repeat that line’s quoted text, since changing several things at once makes it harder to see what helped.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Why do AI images get text wrong?

Image models generate letters as visual shapes rather than typing characters, so unquoted, long, or loosely placed copy tends to come back misspelled or merged. Short quoted lines with a clear position are much more reliable.

Which Vizify model is best for text in images?

There is no universal winner. Vizify's own routing starts poster, cover, and signage work on Ideogram V3, Qwen Image 3.0, GPT Image 2.5 Flare, or Recraft V4.1, and Chinese or multilingual text on Qwen Image 3.0. GPT Image 2 handles simpler text as the default model.

Can I choose an exact font?

Not as a font file. Describe the lettering style you want, such as bold condensed sans-serif or hand-lettered script. If the brand font matters, generate the image with space for the text and set the copy in a design tool.

How much text can I put in one image?

Keep it to a headline and one or two short supporting lines. The more characters you ask for, the more chances the model has to get one wrong.

Can I add text to a photo I already have?

Yes, with an image-editing request rather than a new generation. The Add Text to Image tool prepares that edit. Review the result, because semantic edits can change pixels around the text.

Does Ideogram accept a reference image?

Yes, one optional reference image in Vizify, which can guide style or composition. The written prompt still drives the text and layout.

What aspect ratios can I use for a text-led image?

The Ideogram tool offers Auto, square, landscape, and portrait. Pick the ratio for where the image will be used before you place the text, because a later crop can cut off a line.

Do I need to pay to generate images with text?

Accounts get two image generations or edits in total without a paid plan. After that, image generation needs Vizify Pro or a credit pack.

Related

Keep going

Ideogram AI Image Generator

Generate a text-led image with exact copy and a chosen aspect ratio.

Open

Add Text to Image

Put new text onto an image you already have.

Open

Qwen AI Image Generator

A starting point for Chinese and other multilingual text.

Open

Recraft AI Image Generator

Clean graphic assets and layouts from a text prompt.

Open

AI Poster Maker

Prepare a poster brief with headline, format, and audience.

Open
Try the method

Quote your copy and generate it with Ideogram in Vizify.

Open Ideogram AI Image Generator See pricing