Heyoo, happy Friday … let’s get into it.

So, UI/UX and digital designers get paid quite handsomely nowadays. I’d venture to say it’s one of the few creative professions (if not the only) that makes a liveable wage fresh out of college. That being said, some of us (myself included) still fully embrace the “starving artist” lifestyle. Cash flows from freelance and/or contract work are less predictable than those from classic salary jobs, and unless you're sittin’ pretty with a standard two-week pay cycle, it’s only responsible we save where we can.

The problem?? Design tools are expensive (don’t even get me started on Adobe’s pricing). Factor in fonts, stock images, commercial licensing fees, and icon packs, and those $$ start to rack up fairly quickly. I don’t know about you … but I’m fundamentally a cheapskate. These days, when I have to take out a mortgage just to cover my weekly carton of eggs, I can’t justify that extra $20+ a month on some new sexy design software.

To make things worse, the best AI tools are often locked behind pesky paywalls. Two days ago, OpenAI launched DALL-E 3 for all ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users. Basically, paid users can now generate images (and images alongside text) directly within ChatGPT using conversational text—aka you’re working with AI to tailor your output, rather than relying solely on a string of text or traditional “prompt.” DALL-E 3 is expected to launch for API and Labs users later this fall, but unless you’re willing to (1) pay per use or (2) wait for your monthly credits to replenish, you’ve got limited rope.

So where does this leave us? How do I and my fellow misers milk AI for all it’s worth without spending a single dime? Well … lemme tell ya …

🤑 How to access DALL-E 3 for *free*

1. Visit Microsoft’s Bing Image Creator

2. Log in or create a free Microsoft account

3. Type your prompt and click the “Create” button

Yup … that’s it! Each prompt churns out 4 image versions. And, upon signing up, you’re given 15 boosts or essentially 15 speedy generations (~5 seconds depending on user demand). Boosts replenish each week, and you can redeem Microsoft rewards points to get even more (earn points by playing around with different Microsoft features; earn up to 50 reward points per day).

For those of you who are still reading, quick disclaimer: this “hack” doesn’t give you access to DALL-E 3 with ChatGPT integration, meaning you have to use the traditional prompt format (not conversational format) to generate images. Hardly a deal breaker in my brain, especially since DALL-E 3 is a hell of a lot more powerful than DALL-E 2 when it comes to prompt-reading and predictive “mind-reading.” Either way, thought I’d let you know.

 🍊 The best free AI image generators

Imagine: my top choice (it’s what I use for the pop quizzes)

• Choose from Models such as “Realistic Vision” and “Disney” and Art Styles such as “Cubism” and “Studio Ghibli”

• Set CFG Scale (prompt accuracy) and Step Scale (output quality); plus, includes “Negative Prompt” and “Seed” features

Canva Magic Media: a part of their Magic Studio; includes 50 free credits with each credit = 1 prompt and 4 image versions

• Choose from Styles such as “Photo,” “3D Model,” and “Color Pencil”

• Easy to layer on other Canva features, such as Magic Edit (highlight an area you want to change + add prompt), filters, etc.

Unfortunately, as of now, those are really the only two free image generators I recommend using (in addition to Bing Image Creator). Honorable mention to Craiyon for being open-source and truly free (no credits, generates 9 images per prompt), but sadly its images are very low res.

🔬 Results!!

Here’s how you all did on last week’s pop quiz. I ~almost~ had you fooled, but most of you pulled through.

✅ 56.82% of you said Image #1 was AI generated

❌ 43.18% of you said Image #2 was AI generated

Stay tuned for more quizzes in the future …