Finally! ChatGPT Images With Text That Doesn't Look Like a Drunk Toddler Made It

Ah, you’re back! Good good.

My therapist says I shouldn't get so emotionally invested in open rates, and that you should stop enabling me. But we can just keep it between us. Eh?

This week I discovered something that made me vibrate in place for a few hours, like in a happy way. You know when you just get STUCK -IN- on something new and impressive and fun?

For years, I've been trying to make AI generate images with text that doesn't look like it was written by a toddler who just discovered crayons. And finally – FINALLY! – ChatGPT can create graphics with perfectly legible text. The kind you'd actually use in public without embarrassment! Around about what the average creator can make with Canva.

It feels like magic, but it's not. It's a very specific process that I've spent way too many hours figuring out so you don't have to.

Avanti, amico!

💡 Steal This Tactic: How to create professional text-heavy graphics with ChatGPT (that actually work!)

Right, let me share something genuinely exciting. After years of AI image generators producing text that looked like drunken hieroglyphics scrawled by a caffeinated toddler, ChatGPT can now create graphics with perfectly legible text – and I've cracked the code to make it work reliably.

Let me show you what I'm on about. Here's a podcast planning framework cheat sheet I made with ChatGPT:

Looks like it came straight out of Canva, right? But it didn’t. I made it with ChatGPT. Here's exactly how:

The Step-by-Step Process (That Actually Works)

1. Pre-process your content (This part is CRUCIAL)

Here's mistake #1 that everyone makes: they expect ChatGPT to both write the content AND make it pretty. Nope!

The moment you hit "create image," ChatGPT switches to a completely different model that's optimised for making images, not writing clever copy. It's basically the digital equivalent of talking to a designer who's wearing noise-canceling headphones.

So get your text sorted first. Use regular ChatGPT to help you condense your ideas into concise, well-structured content. Use Markdown formatting (headings, bold, bullets) because it helps the AI understand what's important.

2. Steal inspiration (legally)

Find 1-2 examples of the look you're going for. For my cheat sheet, I used:

• A screenshot of another creator's cheat sheet for layout inspiration (shoutout to the LinkedIn chap Colin mentioned a few episodes back)

• A screenshot of our blog header for colour palette and branding

3. Use this exact prompt structure (I tested like 20 variations)

Here's the template that consistently works:

Create image: [Brief description of what you want]

Use these references:
- For layout, use the [description] image I've attached
- For color palette and style, use the [description] image I've attached

<rules>
Layout rules:
- [Specific layout instructions]
- [Size/orientation instructions]

Design:
- [Color instructions]
- [Font instructions - keep these general]
- [Other design elements]
</rules>

Here's the exact copy to use:

[Title]
[Subtitle]

[Section 1 Heading]
[Section 1 Content in Markdown format]

[Section 2 Heading]
[Section 2 Content in Markdown format]

[Etc.]

4. Have a conversation with your robot designer

This is where ChatGPT's approach beats other image generators by a country mile. If something isn't quite right, just tell it what to change:

• "Please make the title larger"

• "Rearrange the boxes so they're in P-A-T-H order"

• "That blue text on dark blue background is impossible to read, please fix it"

It will regenerate the image with your changes, no need to start from scratch or rewrite the entire prompt. Just like working with a real (somewhat dim but eager-to-please) designer!

Lessons From My Many, Many Failed Attempts

1. Be bossy about layout, vague about fonts - When I tried to specify exact fonts and sizes, everything went to hell. Instead, use general terms like "large title" or "clean, modern font." Interestingly, this is much more effective in follow-up requests.

2. Keep text balanced across sections - If one section has War and Peace while the others have a tweet's worth of text, your layout will look like it's been on a bender.

3. Watch the bottom - ChatGPT has a weird tendency to cut off text at the bottom of images. Explicitly ask for "adequate padding" or "ensure all text fits", but also accept that ultimately you may need to edit your text or face being stuck in a passive aggressive showdown. Just like a real designer!

4. Markdown is your friend - Provide your text with Markdown formatting and ChatGPT will translate the hierarchy to your design.

This approach works brilliantly for:

• Social media quotes that don't look like they were made by your gran

• Framework visualisations that actually make sense

• Podcast cover art with properly rendered titles

• Simple infographics that don't make designers cry

👉 Want to see the full prompt I used and more examples? I've written an entire article breaking it down on Creator Craft blog.

❓ Creator Question: "Are content marketing courses still worth taking in 2025?"

Here's my take:

Yes and no. (Don't you love definitive answers?)

I recently completed an SEO course by Danny Postma, and it was genuinely fantastic – not because the information was some deeply guarded secret, but because it was built on his specific experience and approach. I respect his work and wanted to learn his particular methodology, which made it worth every penny.

But what about those big marketing education companies that offer fancy "certifications" in content marketing? I'm not naming names, but you know exactly who I'm talking about – they've been around since the Jurassic period of the internet.

Between us? I'm deeply skeptical. Because I’ve actually paid for some of these! And they were boring and stale. Maybe you can deal with boring, but much of what you'll learn in a comprehensive course is outdated by the time you finish the intro module. Between algorithm changes, AI developments, and platform policies that change with the phases of the moon, the landscape is different every time you blink.

If you're going to invest in courses, I'd recommend learning from creators you genuinely admire. Why? Because you'll actually be excited to implement what you learn – and implementation is literally everything. There's no point spending thousands on courses that bore you to tears, where you're just showing up to get some PDF certificate.

Here's what works better:

1. Prioritise fun and curiosity in your learning

2. Start with free or low-cost resources (YouTube, Podcasts)

3. Ask ChatGPT or Claude to create personalised learning paths on specific topics

4. Most importantly: just start bloody creating something

The beautiful thing about content marketing is that it's like a nightclub with no bouncer. You don't need permission or certification to start. The best learning comes from doing, analyzing what happened, and adjusting your approach based on real results.

So by all means, take courses if they genuinely excite you – but don't fall for the idea that you need formal training to start creating content that people actually want to consume.

🎙️ Tool Review: VoicePal - The AI ghostwriter that helps you think better (not just write better)

Ever had a brilliant idea swirling around your brain that refuses to make the perilous journey to your fingertips? Of course you have – you're a creator, which means you're probably drowning in thoughts that never quite make it to the shore of actual content.

Colin's been positively giddy about a tool called VoicePal on our podcast, and I think he might be onto something.

What the heck is it? VoicePal is like if dictation software and a thoughtful journalism professor had a baby. You speak your half-baked thoughts into your phone, and it not only transcribes them but acts as a thinking partner by asking genuinely smart follow-up questions.

How it works (without the marketing fluff):

1. You ramble into your phone about whatever topic is floating around your brain

2. VoicePal asks questions that make you go "Huh, I hadn't thought about it that way"

3. You continue the conversation, developing your ideas further

4. When you're done, it can format everything for different platforms (blogs, social, whatever)

   

The bit that's actually impressive: Unlike regular dictation tools that just type what you say, VoicePal actually learns what topics you care about over time. It builds a content ideas section suggesting new angles based on your previous conversations – like having a personal editor who actually remembers what you're interested in (and doesn't charge by the hour).

Colin described it perfectly on our podcast: "I found it most useful for those abstract bits of content that I feel like I do have something to write about, but I just don't have it solidified yet."

He told us about using it to explore what attributes make for a great content creator. He started with some vague waffle about problem-solving skills, and through VoicePal's questioning, ended up with something clear and structured – which he then published on LinkedIn with minimal editing. Show-off.

What it'll cost ya: £7.99/month or £70/year (roughly $9-10/month or $80-90/year)

Should you bother? If you're someone who thinks better by talking than by staring at a blank page (raising my hand here), this tool is absolutely worth checking out. It's particularly brilliant for developing those fuzzy, half-formed ideas that you know are good but can't quite articulate.

Perfect for creators who:

• Talk to themselves anyway (now with added purpose!)

• Get writer's block staring at blank documents

• Have ideas while walking/driving/showering

• Need help structuring their scattered thoughts

• Want to create more content without more screen time

Not great for:

• People who hate talking to their phone in public

• Creators who already have a solid ideation process

• Anyone who finds AI questioning creepy (fair)

👉 For Colin’s full review, listen to the latest episode of Creator Craft.

Until next week,

Jacob

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