Despite making significant strides since its initial launch, DALL-E is far from perfect. The art generator has multiple issues that need fixing, many of which become more obvious when you use it more frequently. Inconsistencies and incorrect sizing are just a few.
1
Still Can’t Get Text Right
While AI can’t write text in images very well, I still think—after trying dozens of AI art generators—that DALL-E is one of the worst in this respect. You’ll generally have more success with simple requirements, but as you can see below, the software still struggled to write the accent on “Café”.
In multiple experiments, DALL-E has also misspelled my text—despite me giving the software very clear prompts and trying multiple times to fix this issue. In other cases, the text has been distorted.
You’ll also notice that DALL-E doesn’t create legible text for street signs and similar objects.
2
Doesn’t Resize Images When Asked
DALL-E understands the need to create an image quite well, but it’s pretty bad at resizing them when asked. For example, I’ve asked the software multiple times to resize images for different blogs; each time, DALL-E just regenerates the picture.
Thankfully, cropping and resizing images is quite straightforward. Many free tools, like Canva, allow you to do this. Nonetheless, it would be nice to do so without relying on third-party software.
3
Fails at Creating Photorealistic Images
DALL-E doesn’t have too many problems with depth of field, but I think that it’s quite bad at generating photorealistic images. For example, I first asked the AI to create an image of a golden retriever in the mountains below (without saying what kind of picture it should be).
While good, it still looks obvious that the picture was AI-generated. So, I then asked DALL-E to make it more photorealistic. Conversely, the image looked even more fake (and a little scary, to be honest).
Using the Photorealistic Custom GPT does help, but you need a premium subscription to access this. Otherwise, I can recommend multiple AI art generators that produce photorealistic images. Adobe Firefly is my top suggestion.
4
The Software Doesn’t Listen When You Tell It Not to Do Something
One way to write better prompts in Midjourney, ChatGPT, and other AI tools is to say what you don’t want the software to do. In many cases, doing this leads to better results. DALL-E, however, is an exception.
On multiple occasions, I’ve told DALL-E not to include certain elements in my picture. Yet, despite that, the tool has still added them. Sometimes, regenerating the image has worked, but not having to do this would be nice.
In contrast, I’ve rarely had this problem when using Adobe Firefly.
5
It’s Inconsistencies in Certain Areas
Many AI art generators have weaknesses; for example, when I tested Photo AI, it was particularly bad at creating hands. DALL-E is also guilty of having inconsistencies in various areas.
While DALL-E is great at creating general images, it isn’t always good at generating pictures of people holding objects. Strangely, the software is also poor at creating computer screens. Mor often than not, it gives you a random cluster of shapes. Asking the software to turn the computer screen off can sometimes (but not always) help.
6
Image Styles Are Not Consistent
DALL-E can create several types of visuals; you can generate AI art that looks like paintwork, and it’s also possible to generate images that look more 3D. However, this diversity in image creation can sometimes lead to inconsistent styles.
When asking DALL-E to generate an image, you must be specific about what you want. Otherwise, you could end up with anything and everything. This isn’t a problem if you’re just experimenting with the app, but it is if you want one style across the board.
7
Artifact Sizing
Making your image’s objects look proportional to what they would in real life is vital if you care about your photos’ accuracy. Unfortunately, DALL-E sometimes fails to make artifacts look as they should. For example, if you ask the software to generate an image of someone holding a phone in their hand, the phone will sometimes be too big.
Originally, I thought that asking the software to make the image wider-angle would solve the problem. However, this actually made matters worse. Moreover, the person ended up looking fake. Trying different DALL-E editing prompts might work for you, but I haven’t found a workaround for this problem yet.
8
DALL-E Struggles With Creating External Materials
I initially thought DALL-E would be a great way to make personalized calendars, birthday cards, phone wallpapers, and more. However, I quickly discovered that the software doesn’t do a good job in this area.
For example, I’ve tried making birthday card covers with DALL-E in the past. I wanted to generate an image in the app and then upload it to a service like Moonpig later. Unfortunately, I continuously got a design that included a birthday card within the picture.
If you really want to use DALL-E for these kinds of designs, I suggest not saying that you’ll use it on a birthday card. Instead, specify what you want the program to make. You can then adjust the sizing later.
It might be best to generate just the image in DALL-E and add text in a different app.
9
Low-Effort Images When Asking for Multiple Options
Sometimes, I don’t know the specific AI design I want to use. Turning to generators and asking them to create multiple image variations can make sense in these circumstances. But from personal experience, DALL-E has often been quite lazy when giving me multiple options.
In many cases, the pictures I get often look very similar. As a result, you have to be specific. I’ve also found that making one image after another has worked better rather than asking for multiple variations.
While I love using DALL-E in general, the software is not perfect, and you will eventually encounter problems. For example, it’s bad at making photorealistic images without Custom GPTs. Moreover, the software often doesn’t exclude elements that I don’t want in the picture. I still suggest trying DALL-E, though; see for yourself if these problems come up for you or not.
