Turn text into unique, ready‑to‑use visuals
Use text prompts and powerful features to create and modify AI‑generated images that perfectly fit your vision.
Easy‑to‑use prompt builder
Get help creating your first prompts with our intuitive prompt builder. Just fill in the provided fields and the tool will create a descriptive 100 word text‑to‑image prompt for you to use.
Control panel filters
Better define your output using the AI generator’s control panel. Choose photo or illustration, influence the color and mood, and select a specific aspect ratio from popular sizes for social posts, digital marketing, and more.
Reference images
Inspire your next generation with an image you’ve previously generated, uploaded, or licensed. You can even use an unlicensed iStock image as a guide that can then be downloaded and licensed along with your AI imagery.
Showcase your product in any scene with AI
Place your product into any scenario you can imagine! Just upload your product image and provide a text prompt, or choose a reference image to guide the generation. Our AI tools automatically remove the background and generate unique product photos for you to license.
Original product image
Created using a text prompt
Created using an uploaded image
Created using a licensed iStock image
Created using an unlicensed iStock image
Add your products to a wide range of environments
Dial in your AI‑generated images
Get closer to your vision or create different versions to fit your marketing needs with these after‑generation AI tools
Add, remove, or replace elements
Use Add or remove objects to adjust specific elements in your AI‑generated images. Choose “Replace” or “Remove” in the control panel, highlight an area, and write an optional prompt to define the new element you want generated.
Create additional sizes
With Extend, you can change the dimensions of your AI‑generated image to make more room for copy, reveal more of a scene, or create additional sizes to fit your marketing needs.
Stand out in a click
A single click is all it takes—Use Remove background to automatically erase the contents around the primary focus of your generated image for a clean, transparent background.
Additional AI image generator features
Regenerate
Explore 4 additional options using the same prompt
Variations
Iterate on a generated image when it’s going in the right direction, but not quite there
Generation history
Access past generations to download, iterate on, or use for inspiration
Generate more
Get even more image options from a single prompt in your generation history
Keep look & feel
Make small adjustments to your original generations with minor changes to the prompt.
Download high‑res version
Upscale from Medium to Large* when your project needs a higher resolution
iStock’s AI Generator comes with legal coverage automatically
Trained exclusively on licensed images, including iStock’s creative library and data, our AI image generator helps enhance your creativity and efficiency, but also ensures you and your AI‑generated images are legally protected.
Safe for commercial use
Unlike some other AI tools, your generated images will not include brand logos, characters, or other IP.
Robust legal protection
AI‑generated images include iStock’s standard legal indemnification, up to $10,000 USD per image.
Safeguarded content
Generate fearlessly knowing your images will never be added to our library for others to license and use.
What will you create with iStock’s AI Generator?
Ready to get started with iStock’s AI Generator?
Unlimited AI
Create and customize unique images with AI-powered tools
$14.99/month
Includes
Unlimited AI generations and downloads
Unlimited iStock image modifications
Design with confidence
- Trained exclusively on licensed content, including iStock’s creative library, with no web-scraped visuals or data
- Backed by $10,000 in automatic legal protection per image
- Generate and download images free of brand logos, characters, and other IP
Want Unlimited AI for FREE?
Get complimentary access with any premium subscription. Create, customize, and license visuals—all in one plan.
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How to use the iStock AI image generator:
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Describe the image using text in the prompt box
For best results, provide specific details of your main subject, location, and activity. -
Adjust the creative settings for the image you want
Define Content type, Aspect ratio, and Color & Mood. -
Generate your commercially safe images
iStock’s AI image generator creates 4 one‑of‑a‑kind, ready‑to‑license images. -
Customize your image
Tailor your image to better fit your vision, by adding or removing details, creating additional sizes, or replacing the background. -
Download and license your generated image
Each Medium or Large image includes legal protection of up to $10,000 USD per image.
Learn more about generative AI
How to Write Better AI Image Prompts
AI image generators offer endless possibilities for creativity. iStock’s AI Generator allows you to turn text into images that perfectly fit your needs.
How to boost your productivity with AI‑generated images
In a world of accelerating customer expectations, smart marketers are continually on the look out for innovative tools to boost their productivity and push them creatively.
Glossary of Artistic Keywords and Prompt Examples for AI Images
Explore this glossary to master the art of AI image prompt engineering with a curated list of artistic keywords, each with a definition and practical example.
How are these AI generated images made?
Generative AI by iStock is powered by Bria, a custom machine learning model, trained exclusively using licensed creative content and data, including high‑quality visuals from iStock’s creative library. Customers then use text prompt‑to‑image generation to direct the model in fabricating imagery based on our content and data.
What is AI image generation?
AI image generation is the process of creating never‑before‑seen images using artificial intelligence (AI) technology trained on a large data set. iStock's AI Generator, powered by Bria, was trained exclusively on licensed creative content, including our own high‑quality creative image library and proprietary data and allows customers to enter text prompts that the AI model then uses to generate four unique images that are commercially safe and ready to license.
What is text prompt‑to‑image generation?
Text prompt‑to‑image generation lets you create unique images in seconds by describing the image that you want to see. The AI Generator will then generate visuals relevant to those prompts that can be used across your creative process, from ideation to execution.
Can I generate AI images for free?
Currently, AI image generation on iStock is not free and you will need to purchase our Unlimited AI monthly subscription plan to have access to generations. This ensures we can continue to support creators and artists on an ongoing basis by compensating them for allowing their work to be part of our AI model.
Will visuals I have generated or modified be offered as part of iStock’s creative library?
No, we will not be adding visuals you generate to our creative library.
It looks like one of the generated images contains recognizable trademarks, logos, landmarks, or a public personality. Can I still use the image?
We’ve worked with Bria to train a custom model exclusively on our creative visuals and proprietary data to create commercially safe outputs. This means we’ve taken care to block prompts that could generate problematic content including trademarks, logos, landmarks, or public personalities. You also agree not to use any prompts protected by third‑party IP rights (like trademarks, logos, or names) in generating your content (any questions about specific prompts should be discussed with your legal team).
If you have concerns about whether the generated image might contain recognizable subjects, please use the Flag icon to report results that need our attention. While we are confident that Generative AI by iStock is commercially safe, if you are unsure if you can safely use a specific visual generated, please reach out to our Customer Service team in addition to selecting the Flag icon.
If you have concerns about whether the generated image might contain recognizable subjects, please use the Flag icon to report results that need our attention. While we are confident that Generative AI by iStock is commercially safe, if you are unsure if you can safely use a specific visual generated, please reach out to our Customer Service team in addition to selecting the Flag icon.
Can I use the images I generate for my personal, commercial, or promotional project?
Yes! Content generated by the AI Generator comes with iStock’s Standard License and iStock’s standard legal indemnification.
*Does not include editorial content. Licensing of source image required to download modified imagery.
**For product placement, you must own or have licensed the rights to the product image you upload.