How to fix common graphics generation issues

It’s a case of what goes in comes out! AI image generation issues are often caused by unclear prompting, mismatched styles or low-quality references. The AI tool can only work with what’s provided to it, so best results can be achieved by making your prompts as clear and specific as possible.

AI doesn’t always produce text that reads accurately, although this is more achievable with Nano Banana Pro. The best strategy is to clearly state the text you want rendered in the prompt using inverted commas, or add text manually in post-production.

AI graphics generation is fast transforming the way that designers work, helping creatives generate visual assets in seconds for pitches, projects and more. That’s not to say AI image generation errors don’t happen. Spoiler: they do. But with this handy guide to GraphicsGen troubleshooting to hand, you’re guaranteed to sidestep these common AI problems and generate something truly special.

From distorted shapes to off-brief artwork, graphics generation issues can really put a spanner in the creative works. However, most common AI issues can be resolved in a flash. With these tips in mind, you’ll pick up how to identify the cause of AI image generation errors, perform effective troubleshooting and optimize your AI design workflow.

We’ll focus on sharing practical solutions for real-world AI errors, and show you how to out these pro tips into action on image generator GraphicsGen.

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Why do graphics generation issues happen?

Firstly, it’s nothing personal. Generative AI is a transformative tool for streamlining your design workflow, but it’s by no means perfect. Every AI tool needs a guiding hand, and with savvy input from the designer, you can expect much smoother results.

Most graphics generation issues stem from a lack of detail in prompting or prompts that are unclear. There may also be consistency or quality problems relating to mismatched settings or missing image references. Some common causes of graphics generation issues include:

• • Ambiguous or conflicting prompts.

• • Missing image references.

• • Lack of cues regarding layout, angle or composition. 

• • Low image quality.

• • Too much ‘randomness’.

• • Inconsistency in style direction.

It’s important to realize that these common AI problems aren’t software ‘bugs’—they are simply how generative AI interprets provided instructions.

GraphicsGen has been specifically designed with creatives in mind, so most (if not all) of these issues can be overcome with some knowledge of the options available to you in the AI tool. Some issues can be solved through the input of the designer, such as refining prompts, but others can be put to rights by simply using GraphicsGen’s inbuilt features to steer the AI generation in the right direction.

Common graphics generation issues and how to fix them

AI image fails can put a real bee in your bonnet, especially with a pressing creative deadline looming. With these GraphicsGen troubleshooting pointers to hand it will become second nature to spot issues at the outset, and rectify the problem swiftly.

Symptom: Graphics that don’t match your project needs.

Cause: Not specifying the exact type of graphic you’re looking for.

Fix: You might need a graphic for a particular purpose, such as a logo, background or social media image. Luckily this common AI problem has an easy fix when using GraphicsGen.

On the prompt dashboard you’ll see a selection of options for tailoring your AI output to a specific purpose, including Graphic, Infographic, Poster and Logo. Simply check the option that best suits your project, and GraphicsGen will adapt the results for that purpose.

Symptom: Low-resolution graphics.

Cause: The default DPI and dimensions generated in GraphicsGen may initially be too small scale for your needs.

Fix: One of the most common graphics generation issues is the fact that the image generated is not always a usable resolution for your project. Particularly if you want to use an image for a print poster or large landing page image, the default resolution can appear too pixelated to use effectively.

In GraphicsGen, this is easily rectified by selecting Edit using AI at the bottom of your generated graphic. This will lift the image into ImageEdit.

From here, select Upscale, and choose from 2x or 4x to maximize the scale of your image. Now you’ll have a high-resolution graphic to work with!

Symptom: Non-vector graphics. Most GraphicsGen images can be downloaded as editable vector files, in SVG format, but sometimes this isn’t always possible.

Cause: The common cause of this GraphicsGen troubleshooting issue is too much complexity in a generated graphic, restricting the GraphicsGen formats that can be generated.

Fix: Perhaps the image has too much detail, has complex textures, or has too much busy stuff going on to allow GraphicsGen to convert it into a vector image. The best way to rectify this is to make your image less complex.

To do this, return to the GraphicsGen landing page and upload or select the same image reference as your original generation. Make sure to include phrases like ‘simplify’, ‘minimal’, ‘no textures’ and ‘clean’ in your prompt to encourage GraphicsGen to create a more vector-friendly graphic. You can also select Graphic or Logo from the image type options in GraphicsGen to create a simplified result.

Symptom: A different color profile to what you need.

Cause: GraphicsGen images are automatically rendered in a web-friendly RGB color profile.

Fix: If you want to use your generated graphic for a print project, it’s a good idea to convert RGB swatches to CMYK before printing to avoid any unpleasant color surprises. To do so, download your graphic as an editable SVG file and open the graphic in vector-editing software like Adobe Illustrator. Go to the Swatches panel to individually select color swatches and convert these to CMYK.

Symptom: Inconsistencies in graphics generation.

Cause: GraphicsGen is great…but it can’t read minds. Lack of clear detail in prompts can lead to inconsistent results.

Fix: The more specific you are in your original prompt, the better your AI graphic will be. You don’t need to write an essay (though by all means), but a few sentences with more direction about aesthetic details will make a world of difference. Look at this complete guide to creative AI prompts for guidance.

Just look at this example. The first scooter logo is fine, but with more specific detail included in the prompt, such as color palette, style and angle, the generated logo is much more aligned with what I have in mind for the design.

Advanced AI troubleshooting strategies

Most common AI problems can be resolved with a simple one-step process, but advanced AI artists also have a few more tricks up their sleeve when it comes to managing generative AI errors. These sophisticated troubleshooting strategies can really help to refine your results, to achieve imagery that rarely looks AI-generated in the first place.

Strategy 1: Inpainting

This techniques hones into one problem area of your image, while preserving the rest of the image intact. For raster images, this can be done using a tool like ImageEdit, in which the Erase tool can be applied to specific areas. For vector images, you might have to download your graphic as an editable SVG and use vector-editing software to make pinpoint adjustments.

Strategy 2: Variation testing

Imagine you have a long prompt with plenty of detail. Now, rather than switching up multiple parts of the prompt or changing the prompt entirely when the resulting image is not what you intended, you can instead tweak very minute parts of a prompt.

Your generated images stem from the same strong base input, but with slight differences between them, allowing you to test different subtle variations. For example, you might change the description of a texture from ‘wool’ to ‘mohair’ to create a fluffier result, or vary the angle from ‘side angle’ to ‘isometric’. 

Strategy 3: Prompt stacking

There’s a reason that ‘in at the deep end’ is a phrase often used as a warning. When you go all in with a long, complex prompt, and still don’t get the results you want, you may feel the need to go back to the drawing (or prompt) board. Prompt stacking is about building prompts up gradually, step-by-step, so you can refine style and structure over successive generations. It’s a sensible technique for being able to retrace your steps effectively.

Strategy 4: Reference blending

The more guiding information you can provide to an AI generator the better, and with reference blending this simply refers to providing multiple visual references to create hybrid results. With GraphicsGen you can provide up to two image references, including your own image uploads or references from the GraphicsGen deck. For one of your images, try to include an accurate representation of the style you’d like to achieve, such as Atomic Age, Art Deco or futuristic, with the second image providing additional aesthetic pointers, such as color palette or subject matter.

Preventing graphics generation issues before they happen

With AI troubleshooting, prevention is preferable to cure, so if you can head off the problems before they arise, all the better. These top troubleshooting tips all focus on how to start with a good foundation when using GraphicsGen or other AI generators.

• • Start with a structured prompt that follows a formula. Loop together subject + style + detail + setting + angle for a failsafe formula. An example structured prompt might be ‘Create an icon design featuring a cute puppy, in a 3D plush style with a fluffy texture. Set the icon against a pastel pink background, and angle the puppy’s head to face the viewer.’

• • Avoid confusing the generator by mixing unrelated adjectives. Throwing out random descriptions that don’t align with each other won’t give the AI tool clarity, so rather than using a sequence like ‘minimalist chaotic watercolor’, use related adjectives instead, such as ‘ethereal, dreamlike, pastel drawing’.

• • Think like a photographer! Stick to consistent aspect ratios and refine your lighting language, using keywords like ‘spotlight’, ‘backlit’ or ‘high-angle shot’.

• • Did your prompt work well? Save a successful prompt as a template for future reuse.

• • Source great visual references. Use assets from the Envato Elements library as reference images to give the AI generator information about color palettes, textures or style directions. In ImageEdit you can do this directly by clicking Explore Library on the dashboard.

When to regenerate or refine?

Refinement takes patience and time, and sometimes even the most experienced (and determined) AI designer has to throw in the towel and start afresh. But knowing when to give up is crucial. You might miss out on a potentially great image if you abandon too soon.

A good rule of thumb? It’s best to simply press the regenerate button when the overall composition is unusable. Perhaps the subject isn’t right, the setting is off or the layout just looks wrong. However, there’s still potential for refinement when isolated details, such as lighting or color, are not quite right.

And of course, with generative AI, iteration is all part of the creative journey. Every ‘failed’ output directs you towards your intent, so it’s well worth keeping a ‘prompt journal’ of your most successful prompts to refer to as you move forward.

Post-processing in Adobe Illustrator

By combining GraphicsGen with vector editing software like Illustrator, you really can get the best of both worlds and refine your AI generated graphics with nuanced detail. Here are three tips for Illustrator post-processing.

1. Import raster images and vectorize with Image Trace

If you can’t download your generated graphic as an SVG file, it’s no problem. Download the PNG or JPEG file, and bring this into Illustrator. Go to Window > Image Trace, adjust the options for full color or a black and white version and hit Trace.

Adjust the options under Advanced in the Image Trace window to finetune the traced result. When you’re happy, go to Object > Image Trace > Expand to vectorize your image.

Pro tip: Set the Paths slider to a high value to smoothen any rough edges.

2. Adjust fonts and branding elements

Switch up any AI fonts with fonts of your own choice. Go to the Elements font library to take your pick, or create your own bespoke vector font with Illustrator’s drawing tools. Add additional branded elements like borders, stamps or crests to create a complete logo design.

3. Change color tones

Transform the mood of your graphic with a different color palette. Using the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches), select and create new color swatches in RGB or CMYK format, and experiment with different color families, such as pastel, neon or earth tones, to give your design a different flavor.

Pro tip: Easily switch up the swatch of a repeating color in your graphic by going to Select > Same > Fill Color. Double-click the selected color at the bottom of the left-hand Toolbar to adjust the swatch.

How can I fix distorted or inaccurate AI images?

The first step in fixing distorted AI images is with a refined prompt and additional image references. If that still isn’t fixing the image, consider moving the generated image over to an AI editor like ImageEdit, from where you can make pinpoint adjustments.

Common AI problems are rarely avoidable, but with time and experimentation, you’ll start to learn how the model interprets your instructions and develop a sense of how to phrase prompts to achieve good results. using an AI prompt guide can be very helpful while you are learning the ropes.