How to Replace Canva & Photoshop Using ChatGPT Image Generation

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You’ve probably seen the trendy Ghibli-style images flooding social media, all created by ChatGPT. But did you know you can use the exact same tool to quickly produce professional-grade visuals for your business—without ever opening Canva or Photoshop?

Today, I'm sharing 5 practical tips that I personally use to generate high-quality images, ads, and branded content using ChatGPT’s powerful GPT-4o. This method has cut my content creation time dramatically, and it can do the same for you.

This newsletter will show you how you can start. Let’s dive straight into it!

At the end of the newsletter, I share a link to a Notion page with all of the prompts I used for generating the images presented here, so make sure to stick till the end!

If you prefer to watch instead of reading, feel free to check out the video version here:

Tip 1: Show, Don't Tell (Use Real Product Images)

ChatGPT can understand visuals incredibly well—often better than lengthy text descriptions. So, instead of spending ages trying to explain your product, just upload a real photo directly to ChatGPT.

Example:
Let's say you’re promoting a skincare product. Simply upload a clear image of it and use the prompt I share in Bonus Tip #1 here. ChatGPT instantly generates realistic and attractive influencer-style posts, saving you hours of design work.

It’s as simple as:

• Paste the prompt I share as the first message inside your ChatGPT conversation.

• Upload your product photo.

• Briefly describe the content style you want.

• Let ChatGPT create professional-looking visuals instantly.

Here are the examples of what I was able to create (following the show don’t tell approach myself, haha):

Tip 2: Brainstorm Like a Creative Partner

ChatGPT is more than a design generator; it’s your new creative partner. Tell it exactly who you're targeting—like “busy moms who care about organic skincare”—and your brand’s personality (“fun and approachable,” or perhaps “luxurious and elegant”). Then, ask for ideas.

Example Prompt:

ChatGPT will provide fresh ideas, detailed scenes, and content suggestions tailored specifically to your audience:

After you have your first image, you can keep refining it.

For example, I asked, “What if I want to reach busy moms?” or “Can you suggest a tropical theme?”

Keep going until you find a style that clicks.

This approach works like a mini creative workshop—only you’re doing it on the spot, and you don’t need a second person or team.

Tip 3: Keep Your Branding Consistent (Colors & Fonts)

Tired of manually tweaking colors to match your brand? ChatGPT can do it perfectly every time. Provide your brand’s exact hex color codes and fonts, and ChatGPT will use them consistently in all visuals.

How I Use This:
When creating graphics for presentations and video thumbnails, I input my brand colors (like turquoise #010619). ChatGPT then delivers visuals that feel instantly professional and on-brand.

This trick alone will streamline your workflow and keep everything beautifully cohesive.

Here’s how I generated a “Link in the description” CTA image for my YouTube channel that is consistent with my brand colors.

You can also re-style an existing graphic to match your brand.

Tip 4: Add Professional Polish with Style Keywords

Sometimes, AI-generated images can feel slightly artificial or flat. A simple fix? Strategic keywords that tell ChatGPT exactly how realistic you want your visuals.

My go-to keywords are:

• "photorealistic" or "ultrarealistic"

• "realistic lighting" (e.g., "soft morning light" or "dramatic studio lighting")

• "natural shadows" to add depth

• "ultra-detailed texture" for added realism

• Camera specifics like "shot with a 50mm lens" or "shallow depth of field"

These details elevate your visuals, making them look professionally photographed rather than AI-generated.

Here’s an example description that we can use for the skin cleanser product:

Tip 5: Get Inspired with Sora

Feeling stuck on visual ideas? Meet Sora, a platform built around ChatGPT that lets you browse how other creators generate their images. Think of it as a Pinterest for AI-generated visuals.

With Sora, you can:

• Discover inspiring new styles and proven prompts.

• Control aspect ratios easily (1:1 for Instagram, 9:16 for Stories, etc.).

• Instantly generate multiple image versions (with a Plus subscription), so you always get the perfect visual.

Sora has helped me overcome creative blocks countless times—definitely worth checking out.

As an example, I turned the popular theme of “starter pack” products (that I found when scrolling Sora):

And adjusted it for our Skin Genius product:

Your Free Guide: Grab All My Prompts & Bonus Tips

I’ve bundled all the prompts, exact instructions, and extra tips into a handy, free Notion guide for you. It’s designed to help you replicate or even surpass what I’ve shown you here.

👉 Download the Free Guide Here

Let's Wrap It Up

These five practical tips have transformed ChatGPT from a casual tool into my go-to creative assistant. Now it’s your turn—ditch the hassle of traditional design tools, save tons of time, and create visuals that truly resonate with your audience.

Have you already experimented with GPT-4o? Hit reply—I’d love to hear your experience or see what you’ve created!

Thanks for reading and see you next week,

Luke

P.S. If you found this helpful, feel free to forward it to someone else who could benefit. You might just save them hours of unnecessary design work!