An AI-generated logo for one of the most ridiculous business ventures ever conceived.

Maria Diaz/

Creating a logo with artificial intelligence isn't easy, but the hardest part is choosing the right tools. If you want to use generative AI tools to make a logo, you can choose to go with a specialized tool, which typically entails paying for it, or wing it with one of the free tools available -- though this will require some work on your end. 

Also: We're not ready for the impact of generative AI on elections

Depending on your design needs and skills, there are ways to use generative AI to create a logo without paying a fee. This is even easier if you're familiar with Photoshop or other photo editing software to make necessary tweaks. 

How to use AI to create a logo for free

What you'll need:Access to one of the free AI image generators available and access to image editing software. 

1. Go to your preferred AI image generator

First, go to your preferred AI image or art generator. I'm going to use the Bing Image Creator for this project as it's one of the easiest to use, but there are several alternative options to explore:

How to use: Midjourney  Craiyon AI  DALL-E 2  Stable Diffusion

The Bing Image Creator only needs you to log in to your Microsoft account to create an image. You can also create images using Bing AI through the search engine's AI-powered chat feature. 

Also:How to use Bing Chat (and how it's different from ChatGPT)

I'm going to Bing.com/Create and click on Join & Create to log in to my Microsoft account and access the image generator. 

I'll be using the Bing Image Creator.

Screenshot by Maria Diaz/

2. Enter your prompt for the image

Next, we must enter the prompt to create the image we want. The prompt you're giving the AI image generator will tell it what we want it to do for us and is best defined as a description of the image you envision. 

Always be accurate with your prompts when creating images, including the style and visual format you need, like "vaporware" or "vector art." 

Also: 7 advanced ChatGPT prompt-writing tips you need to know

I will ask the Bing Image Creator to create a logo for an auto mechanic shop that sells milkshakes to give it a slight challenge. 

My prompt is"a logo for an automotive mechanic shop that also sells milkshakes. Use pink, blue, brown, silver, and purple."

Submit your prompt and view your results. You can choose the image you like best or tweak your prompt to get a more accurate result. 

Here are the results from Bing Image Creator. You can see the text doesn't make sense, so we'll tweak the image we choose. 

Screenshot by Maria Diaz/

3. Do some editing

Once you've chosen your favorite logo, it's time to edit. The text didn't translate accurately in the output since I used a free AI generator to create my logo. I will open it in Photoshop to add the text and make any necessary tweaks. 

Also:How to use Photoshop (5 basic steps to edit a photo)

Depending on your Photoshop skills, you can edit the image as much or as little as you want. You can add extra AI-generated elements to it to make it more complete, change colors and proportions, combine several AI-generate images, and more. 

Editing the logo in Photoshop, I only added the 'Wrenshakes' name and banner.

Screenshot by Maria Diaz/

FAQs

Is there AI that can create a logo?

AI logo generators exist, though there are drawbacks. Some require payment, and other free ones create very simplistic logotypes. The benefit is that you don't have to work on them after they're created, as the tools add your company's name and slogan to the logotype.

What are some good AI logo generators to use?  

• Namecheap: This free AI logo generator lets you edit and download your logos without payment just by signing up for an account.
  
• Hatchful: This free AI logo maker from Shopify  -- my favorite tool -- generates more cohesive logos that look less generic than the alternatives. It also asks users to select their brand styles, from creative and bold to classic and reliable, as part of the creation process.
• Brandmark: This is a paid logo generator tool with a one-time cost that ranges from$25 to$175. Its logos are simple yet attractive, but it offers only limited graphic options. 
• Looka: Allows you to customize the logo and gives you many layout options. But it requires payment, and you have limited graphic options. The subscription is available at a one-time cost of$20 or$65 packages, or as part of a subscription for brand kits including multiple files and other formats for$96 and$192 billed annually.
• Logo AI: The logos created with Logo AI seem a little generic overall, but there were some interesting options. It offers three paid packages ranging from$29 to$99. 
• Designs.AI: This site walks you through their questionnaire to narrow your logo preferences. It's also pretty limited in graphics, and  plans cost between$29 and$69 monthly. 

These AI logo generator tools are easy to use and have users fill out a questionnaire with the company's name, slogan, category and keywords, color palette, and preferred fonts.

Also: The best AI art generators: DALL-E 2 and fun alternatives to try

Why can't some AI art generators add text accurately to logos and images?

The free generative AI tools aren't the best at creating logotypes because they can't generate the letters accurately. Large Language Models (LLM) are trained on data from the internet and other digitized sources. They generate new content based on their knowledge, but the smaller details don't always translate accurately. 

This is why AI-generated faces look creepy, hands in AI-generated images have more or fewer fingers than the norm, and why words you want to be included don't look right.

Also: Generative AI: Just don't call it an 'artist' say scholars in Science magazine

What is the free AI tool to generate images?

AI image generators are widely available, with many reliable options for free. If you want to use an AI image generator for free, check out the Bing Image Creator, DALL-E 2, MidJourney, or Craiyon. 

Disclaimer: Using AI-generated images could lead to copyright violations, so people should be cautious if they're using the images for commercial purposes. 

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