Ideogram

Overview and Main Features

1. Magic Prompt

One of Ideogram’s standout features is its Magic Prompt tool. Instead of requiring users to write detailed descriptions, this tool refines and expands prompts automatically.

For example, if you input “a funny meme about cats,” Magic Prompt might generate: “A grumpy-looking orange tabby cat sitting on a laptop keyboard, staring at the screen with frustration. A bold white text above reads ‘When your human ignores you,’ and a smaller text below reads ‘So you write your own emails instead.”

If you struggle with crafting effective prompts and accurate descriptions, this tool comes in handy.  

Note: 

When you go on the Ideogram website, you aren’t allowed to see much, not even any ‘About us’ information. All you’re presented with is a couple of options. You will be asked to sign up with either a Gmail account or an Apple account. 

Here I gave Ideogram a detailed prompt to follow while the Magic prompt was turned on: 

Note: 

• The credits used depend on the specifics of the images. 
• You can alter the model used, and aspect ratio and select a color palette for your intended image. 
• Once you click ‘Generate’, you will be added to the slow queue. This makes you wait for some time while the images are being generated. 

• All images generated with a free account are public. Privacy is locked behind the paywall. 
• The prompt that led to the image is made public too for others to emulate. Your images can also be used for a remix by others. 

The results: 

The images were realistic. And Ideogram really stuck to the prompt details. I decided to take it a step further and add more details while turning the Magic prompt off.

At the last minute, I changed the colour palette to ‘Pastel’. Here are the results:

Ideogram turned up four images. The first two images are more cartoon-like while the other two maintained realism. Also, Ideogram stuck to the added details and the pastel color theme. 

It is worth noting that each image can undergo a remix, a form of post-generation edit:

Also read: How Are AI Images Even Generated?

2. Advanced Text Rendering

Unlike other AI image generators like MidJourney, Ideogram can embed highly legible text directly into images. This makes it ideal for:

• Memes
• Posters
• T-shirt designs
• Logos
• Greeting cards

Competitors like ChatGPT’s DALL-E and MidJourney have introduced text rendering but their accuracy is inconsistent. Ideogram’s version 1.0 significantly improves clarity and consistency. To put this to the test, I entered the same prompt into both Ideogram and Midjourney. 

Here’s the prompt: ‘A little girl having fun at the park. Her Dad should be near by supervising and other parents and kids should be in the background. “Happy times!” should be written above in the sky.’

Ideogram did a great job at rendering the text. This is its major unique selling point aferall. 

MidJourney did an okay job. It rendered the text but failed to stick to other prompt details like ‘her Dad supervising’. The texts in the four generated images also weren’t consistent: 

3. User Interface and Experience

The platform is designed for ease of use. Simply enter a prompt, select image preferences, and generate. However, some users have reported long wait times, especially for premium users who sometimes have to queue twice: once to submit a prompt and again to receive results.

4. Strict Content Moderation

Ideogram enforces strict guardrails, sometimes rejecting images it deems “unsafe” even when they contain no explicit content. This frustrates users who want creative freedom but find their credits wasted on rejected outputs.

5. Performance and Output Quality

6. Customer Support & User Feedback

User reviews of Ideogram’s customer support are mixed. Common complaints include:

• Slow response times
• Account deletions without explanation
• No refunds for paid plans

However, some users have had positive experiences and appreciate the platform’s affordability compared to competitors.