Bonus Library – Image Creation Troubleshooting

Making pictures with AI can feel a bit like working with a fussy camera. One moment it gives you a lovely birthday card, and the next your dog has three ears and a tiny hat. The good news is that small changes in your prompt can fix most of these problems.

In this guide, you will find two kinds of help. First, there is a clear troubleshooting section with simple “If this happens, try that” fixes for common problems like strange faces, odd hands, or busy backgrounds. Second, there is a large set of sample phrases you can drop into your prompts to get closer to the image you want without starting from scratch each time.

You do not have to read every word. Feel free to skim, try one or two ideas, and come back when you hit a snag. Think of this as your image-making repair manual that you can reach for whenever a picture looks “almost right” but not quite there.

Troubleshooting

Sometimes image generation is finicky. If you have trouble, try these steps:

• If it looks strange or distorted: Ask the AI to “try again,” or add “in a simple, realistic style” to the end of your prompt.
• If the AI says it can’t draw the picture: You may have asked for a copyrighted character or a specific person. Simplify the request. For example, change “Mickey Mouse” to “a cartoon mouse.”
• If the picture is too small to use: Ask, “Make that last image larger and higher quality.”

Get the subject right

• The face or hands look odd: “Fix the face details” or “hands with five fingers, natural pose.”
• The dog does not look like Max: Add clear details. “Golden retriever, tan fur, blue collar, white chin.” Upload a reference photo if you have one.
• Parts are cut off.: “Zoom out a little” or “show the full head and hat with extra space at the top.”
• The subject is too small in the picture.: “Make the dog fill about 80 percent of the frame.”
• The subject faces the wrong way.: “Dog facing left, looking at the camera.”
• The age or size seems wrong.: “Adult golden retriever, medium build.”
• The body shape looks warped.: “Normal proportions, realistic anatomy.”

Keep the look consistent

• The hat or props keep changing.: “Keep the same hat and colors as the last image. Do not change anything else.”
• The style keeps drifting.: Repeat the style every time. “Cartoon style, bold lines, flat colors.” Copy and paste that line into each prompt.
• You need matching images for a set.: “Use the same colors, style, and character as before. Same outfit. Same background.”
• It is hard to keep the character steady across versions.: Give the character a name and repeat it. “Use ‘Max the golden retriever’ with the same markings as before.”
• You keep getting details you do not want.: Say what to avoid. “No text. No watermark. No clutter.”

Composition, background, and lighting

• The background is too busy.: “Simple background” or “plain light background” or “blur the background slightly.”
• The lighting looks dull.: “Bright daylight” or “soft studio lighting with gentle shadows.”
• The angle feels odd.: “Eye-level view.”
• The time of day looks wrong for the mood.: “Warm sunset light” or “morning light with soft shadows.”
• Unwanted things are in the scene.: “Remove the red leash and background clutter.”

Text, size, and print needs

• The text on the picture looks wrong.: Add text afterward in a separate step. Or say, “Write ‘Happy Birthday, Ellie!’ at the top in a simple font, centered, with plenty of margin.”
• The size or shape is not right.: Ask for the aspect ratio. “Square image” or “portrait 4 by 5” or “landscape 16 by 9.”
• The image looks fuzzy.: “Create a higher-resolution version for printing 5 by 7 inches.”
• You need a transparent background.: “Make the background transparent.”
• The colors are off or hard to read.: “Fedora is navy blue, no patterns” or “use high contrast so text is easy to read.”
• You plan to add text later and need room.: “Leave empty space at the top for a title.”
• You want sizes for social media.: “Square 1 by 1 for Instagram. Keep the subject centered.”
• Home printers clip the edges.: “Add extra margin for printing.”

Edit without surprises and fix roadblocks

• Edits change more than you wanted.: “Edit this exact image. Only add a blue fedora. Do not change anything else.”
• You keep getting weird results.: Simplify. Start with one sentence. Get a decent image. Add one detail at a time.
• The AI refuses your request.: Remove brand names and real celebrity names. Use general terms. Example: “a cartoon mouse” instead of a specific character.
• You want to keep versions straight.: Save each result with a name like “Max-card-v1, v2, v3” so you can roll back.
• You need only small edits but are not sure how to say it.: “Show and tell” your change list. “Keep everything the same. Only brighten the colors and add a thin white border.”
• You want choices to pick from.: “Make three options with small differences. Label them A, B, C.”

Closing

The best way to learn image prompting is to fix real pictures you care about. Start with one simple idea, such as a card featuring your dog or a flyer for your church group. Get a basic image that is close, then use the troubleshooting tips to correct one problem at a time. Ask it to zoom out a bit, change the lighting, or fix the face, and notice how each small change improves the result.

When you get stuck, do not assume you are doing something wrong. AI images often need a few tries. Use the “try this simple fix” lines as a checklist, and do not be afraid to simplify your request, remove brand names, or add clear details like colors and poses. Save each version with a simple label so you can go back to the one you liked best.

Over time, you will build your own set of favorite phrases for style, size, and layout. You might have one group for greeting cards, another for social media, and a third for church or club flyers. Keep this guide handy, and treat each odd picture as a chance to practice. With a little patience, you will spend less time wrestling with the tool and more time enjoying the images you create.

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See our complete list of articles on the topic of creating images better with AI.