I bumped into an amazing set of custom ChatGPT t-shirt design instructions the other day. This is something that you will want to try for yourself.
What if I told you that not only can ChatGPT write a set of t-shirt design prompt instructions for DALL-E 3, but it can evaluate the prompt, suggest changes, and self-edit? Would this be something you would be interested in learning about?
If so, read on, my friend.
Step-by-Step Custom T-shirt Instructions
It’s simpler if you watch this video:
First, you’ll need to teach ChatGPT what you want. And, of course, it literally can be anything, but to get this going, let’s use the suggested prompt as an example. Copy this:
Objective:
Take a USER’S IDEA and craft four very detailed prompts that lead to humorous, engaging, and sales-worthy t-shirt designs
Design Attributes:
Style: Assign a relevant style: humorous cartoon, modern illustration, vintage, iconic graphic
Elements/Objects: Add these in addition to the MAIN MESSAGE(S)
Main Message: When possible, utilize Fonts that complement the design Style.
Color Palette: Utilize a diverse range of color options. Ensure they complement the overall design. Designs can be vibrant, muted, monochrome, colorful, or high contrast.
Format: The designs can be in any style or configuration but must fit within an equal proportional square area. The designs should emphasize the text, with the art a secondary element. Use minimal graphics, objects, or elements. Simplicity is the focus.
Tasks:
Develop a detailed list of individual ideas to help craft perfect prompts.
Complete all ideas on this list step-by-step.
Craft prompts for all four t-shirt designs. Start with the IDEA, then Style, then the Font message, and any minimal objects or elements.
Explain why these prompts will resonate with buyers.
Critically evaluate each prompt and suggest improvements for attention-getting designs.
Ensure the correct order of the prompts. This should be IDEA, Style, Font message, minimal objects or elements.
Rewrite the prompts based on suggested improvements. The revised prompt must include the IDEA, Style, Fonts, and objects or elements.
Open up ChatGPT 4
After you have copied the prompt above, open up ChatGPT 4. In the lower-left corner where your account name is, there are three small dots in a horizontal row after the name. Click those dots.
A small dialog box will appear. Choose “Custom Instructions.”
A new page will appear with two empty windows. Paste the instructions from above in the lower one. Click Save.
Congratulations! You have loaded your custom t-shirt instructions into ChatGPT 4 to create your custom prompt set.
Enter Your T-shirt Design Idea
Next, you are going to want to enter your t-shirt design idea. For my example, in the normal ChatGPT message box, I wrote, “New Idea: Electric Guitar with the Message ROCK ON!”
Click enter.
ChatGPT 4 will begin creating your custom t-shirt design prompts, evaluate them, edit each, and create a final prompt set for you.
Paste Each Revised Prompt Into DALL-E 3
Next, copy the first of the four prompts and try it out in DALL-E 3. In my example, the first revised prompt that was created by ChatGPT 4 was:
Revised Idea 1
IDEA: An electric guitar with semi-transparent cartoonish flames wrapping around it and the message “ROCK ON!” below.
Style: Humorous Cartoon
Font Message: Bold, graffiti-style font to complement the rock and humorous theme.
Minimal Objects or Elements:
- Electric guitar with semi-transparent cartoonish flames
- A small, simplified devil’s horn hand sign beside the text
What do you think? These four designs were created only with word prompts that were generated with artificial intelligence. Are these the best designs you have ever viewed?
Not hardly.
But you have to admit that they are not bad. I’ve seen worse from many designers (and in stores!).
Here’s one of these enlarged.
The Other Three Versions
For example purposes, here are the prompts and results for the other three prompts that ChatGPT provided. Enjoy!
Revised Idea 2
IDEA: Vintage electric guitar, modernized with the message “ROCK ON!” designed in a classic rock band poster style.
Style: Vintage
Font Message: Retro, distressed typewriter or block font but in brighter, attention-grabbing colors.
Minimal Objects or Elements:
- Vintage electric guitar
- A few small, modernized stars around the message
Revised Idea 3
IDEA: High contrast, iconic, simplified electric guitar silhouette with the message “ROCK ON!”
Style: Iconic Graphic
Font Message: Sleek, modern sans-serif font with high-contrast colors.
Minimal Objects or Elements:
- Simplified, iconic electric guitar silhouette
- A couple of vibrant music notes beside the message
Revised Idea 4
IDEA: A sleek, modern illustration of an electric guitar with fewer geometric shapes, accompanied by the message “ROCK ON!”
Style: Modern Illustration
Font Message: Futuristic, geometric font that complements the modern aesthetic of the guitar.
Minimal Objects or Elements:
- Modern, simplified geometric electric guitar
- A couple of toned-down geometric shapes (triangles, circles) around the guitar and message
What Does This Mean?
So, if you are a graphic designer, should you be worried?
Maybe, maybe not. As you probably know, designing to meet someone’s expectations can often be a struggle. Everything that I’ve shown you is AI-built. But would it work for a customer? How would you get it to look “exactly right?”
I predict anyone selling design templates and preset t-shirt designs is practically out of business. Sorry. Maybe not today, but in a short period of time, using a template to start a design will seem as antiquated as cutting rubylith. Why use a template when something one-of-a-kind can be created in a few seconds?
This is the early stages of AI and design. The real craziness hasn’t even started. Buckle up.
Frankly, my opinion is that while DALL-E 3 is impressive with using text, the images are still not quite up to par with what Midjourney creates. And if you are like me, as a designer, I’m EXTREMELY picky about fonts, kerning, outlines, drop shadows, placement, and layouts. Raise your hand if you are a control freak.
Getting text into an AI design is a major leap forward. But, as a designer, it’s not completely blowing my hair back yet.
But I want you to imagine the day when your personal design aesthetic can be loaded with prompt instructions to produce what you would create anyway. This could be as simple as a personal setting control panel.
Or can you imagine the day when a personalized t-shirt for a customer is created, printed, shipped, and produced without anyone actually touching the shirt…and it is perfect for that customer as the entire order was based on a survey they took? (You know…word prompts!)
Somewhere, over the horizon, covered in fog and disbelief…that might happen.
What do you think?
“It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is but the world as it will be.” – Isaac Asimov
“Fear is our deepest and strongest emotion, and the one which best lends itself to the creation of nature-defying illusions.” – H.P. Lovecraft
“They didn’t want it good. They wanted it Wednesday.” – Robert Heinlein
Help Support This Blog
While I may be goofing around with AI for some projects, this blog and its contents have been created by me, Marshall Atkinson. I occasionally use AI tools such as Midjourney or OpenAI. Tools are meant to be used, and as a human being, I can control them.
Why am I writing this? To remind you, dear reader, these words are backed by a real person. With experience, flaws, successes, and failures… That’s where growth and learning happen. By putting in the work.
If you are reading this and it is not on my website, it has been stolen without my permission by some autobot. Please report this to me and/or publicly out the website that hijacked it. And if you are trying to copy and use it without my permission, you are stealing. Didn’t your mama teach you better?
If you like this blog and would like to support it, you can:
- Buy a book.
- Share this blog on your social media.
- Leave a comment! Engagement is fun.
- Join Shirt Lab Tribe.
- Subscribe to the Success Stories podcast.
- Watch and like an episode on the Jerzees Adventures in Apparel Decorating YouTube series.
- Get signed up for the new Production Tracker app.
- Subscribe to the Midjourney Elevating Print Creativity Newsletter
- Follow the Midjourney Experience YouTube channel.
Also, my basic elevator pitch to you is that I help with “Clarifying effective change.” If you are dissatisfied with your business’s current results, maybe I can help.
Please schedule a discovery call here if you want to learn more.
Thanks!
2 comments