When AI images disappoint, the cause is usually the prompt, not the tool. Here are 12 common mistakes and how to fix them.
1. Being vague
“A nice photo of a coffee” gives generic results. Fix: describe subject, setting, lighting, composition and style.
2. Keyword stuffing
“8k ultra HD masterpiece best quality” adds little in modern tools. Fix: use concrete visual descriptions instead.
3. Conflicting styles
“Minimal, maximalist, vintage, futuristic” confuses the model. Fix: pick one clear style direction.
4. Too many subjects
Five people, a dog, a car and a cake rarely come out right. Fix: keep scenes simple, with one or two main subjects.
5. Forgetting the aspect ratio
Square images cropped into Stories lose key details. Fix: set the ratio for the platform: 4:5, 9:16, 2:3 or 16:9.
6. No space for text
A busy image leaves nowhere for your headline. Fix: ask for negative space on one side.
7. Expecting exact products or logos
Text-only prompts will not reproduce your packaging. Fix: edit real photos or replace backgrounds. See background replacement prompts.
8. Ignoring hands and faces
Extra fingers and odd eyes are giveaways. Fix: zoom in before posting, regenerate or fix with an edit tool, or frame shots to avoid hands.
9. Trusting AI text
Small text often comes out misspelled. Fix: add text in Canva, or use a text-focused tool like Ideogram for headlines. See Ideogram prompts.
10. Too perfect
Flawless, glossy scenes look artificial. Fix: add natural light, everyday props and slight imperfections.
11. No consistency
Every image has a different look, so the feed feels random. Fix: keep a style recipe sentence and use style references.
12. Changing everything at once
Rewriting the whole prompt makes it hard to learn what works. Fix: change one variable at a time and save winning prompts.
Skip the trial and error with tested prompts
Church Media Prompt Pack
Beauty Editorial Prompts
Ad Creative Concept Prompts
A better prompt in one example
Before: “beautiful skincare photo 8k”
After: “A frosted glass serum bottle on a wet stone surface, soft morning window light, a few eucalyptus leaves, negative space on the left, editorial beauty photography, muted green and cream palette, 4:5.”
Learn the full method in our AI image prompts guide and tool-specific tips in how to write Midjourney prompts.