This guide from AI Photo Lab at aiphotolab.org helps you prepare a written brief before choosing an image website. Use it as a working note that you can revise as your requirements become clearer.
The brief describes what you want. Check a proposed service’s own documentation to find out whether its workflow fits those requirements.
1. Begin with the placement
Name the place the image will occupy: a newsletter banner, a presentation slide or a small profile circle. Record the available width and height, the surrounding text and the audience. If the layout is undecided, resolve that first or mark the dimensions as provisional.
Write one sentence describing the image’s job. For example: “Introduce a neighborhood planting day with a calm, welcoming illustration.” Choose one main message. Decide what a reader should recognize at a glance and what can remain a background detail.
2. Describe the subject and fixed details
For an illustration concept, describe the objects, setting and mood you want to explore. For work based on an existing photograph, separately list the details that must remain recognizable or unchanged. These could include a person’s features, a product label or the arrangement of a room.
Treat those as requirements to check, not assumptions about what a tool will preserve. If accurate detail is essential, decide who will compare the candidate with the original and what would make the image unsuitable. Keep a separate list of things you do not want to include.
3. Prepare inputs and resolve questions
List the material you could supply: a written description, your own photograph, a layout sketch, color references or approved brand assets. Note what each item is meant to explain. A sketch might show placement; a reference might indicate a palette without supplying the subject.
Before submitting material, resolve whether you have permission for that proposed use. Consider the people, artwork, logos or private information it contains. If permission is unclear, leave the item out while you clarify it. Ask the actual service what it accepts and check its current upload and deletion information before sending files.
4. Specify the output
Translate preferences into instructions that someone can inspect. List essential choices first, then flexible ones. Record your preferred file type and required dimensions as questions for the tool website, alongside the composition you want.
| Decision | Write in the brief | Check in the candidate |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | One watering can beside three seedlings | The intended objects are present |
| Composition | Objects on the right; quiet space on the left | A heading fits without covering the subject |
| Crop | A wide banner with space around the objects | The intended crop keeps essential details |
| Exclusions | No logos or embedded event text | No unwanted marks or lettering |
5. Try a hypothetical brief
Here is an invented example for an imaginary community-garden newsletter. It is a written planning exercise, with no generated image or client result.
“Create an illustration concept for a spring planting announcement aimed at local residents. Show one watering can and three small seedlings on the right of a wide canvas. Use green and cream, with a simple background. Leave the left third quiet for a heading that will be added in the newsletter layout. Request a 1600 × 900 PNG if the chosen service supports it. Include no people, logos or event lettering.”
Acceptance criteria: the can and seedlings remain visible in the newsletter crop, the heading area is clear, and the illustration still reads at the intended display size. The exact shade of green is flexible; the clear heading area is essential.
6. Check the website before submitting
Visit the exact domain where you would enter a description or upload a file. Look for an identified operator and contact route. Compare the brief with the site’s documented inputs, output formats, size limits and editing options. Mark unanswered requirements instead of assuming they are supported.
Read that service’s current terms, privacy information and any payment conditions before proceeding. Check the details relevant to your intended use and find its own support route for unresolved questions. Save the brief separately so you can reconsider a different workflow without losing your decisions.
For aiphotolab.org: Privacy, Terms and Refund policy. Find website contact details on the homepage.
7. Review a candidate against the brief
Inspect the image at its intended display size and at a closer view. Compare it with the original reference where relevant. Then work through the requirements in order:
- Confirm the intended subject, framing and crop.
- Look for unwanted objects, marks or text.
- Check visible shapes, edges and details for inconsistencies.
- Place the planned heading beside or over the image to judge legibility.
- Record specific revisions and any details that need another person’s review.
Questions and answers
How long should my brief be?
Start with one paragraph and a short list of essentials. Add detail when it changes a decision or gives you something concrete to check.
Do I need a reference photograph?
List only the inputs your project needs. An imagined illustration may begin with a description; work that must preserve existing details needs a clear comparison reference.
What if the first candidate misses the brief?
Name the missed requirement and decide whether to revise the request, adjust a flexible preference or consider another workflow. Keep essential criteria visible.
What if I do not know the final dimensions?
Mark them as provisional. Confirm the intended placement and crop before judging a candidate against size requirements you have not yet settled.
Related pages and sources
- Site identity · Checked 2026-11-05
- Privacy · Checked 2026-11-05
- Terms · Checked 2026-11-05
- Refund policy · Checked 2026-11-05