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4 min read 5 stepsApril 20, 2026Verified April 2026

Create AI-Generated Images and Graphics with Microsoft Designer

Use Microsoft Designer to generate custom AI images, design social media graphics, and create greeting cards — free with a Microsoft account.

At a Glance

Go to Microsoft Designer and sign in

~20s

Open your browser and type designer.microsoft.com in the address bar. Click Sign In and enter your Microsoft account email and password. If you do not have a Microsoft account, click Create one for free. It takes about two minutes. Once signed in, you will see the Designer home screen with options to create different types of designs.

Generate an AI image from a text prompt

~36s

Click Image Creator from the home screen or look for the option to generate a custom image. In the text box, type a description of the image you want to create. Be specific — include details about the subject, setting, style, and mood. For example: "a cozy living room with a fireplace and a cat sleeping on an armchair, painted in a warm watercolor style." Click Generate and wait a few seconds for several image options to appear.

Quick Tip

The more detail you include in your prompt, the better results you will get. Try adding words like "photorealistic," "oil painting," "cartoon style," or "watercolor" to change the artistic style of the image.

Customize your design

~23s

Click on an image you like to open it in the Designer editor. From here you can add text overlays by clicking the Text button, change or remove the background using the Background Remover tool, and resize the canvas for different platforms (Instagram post, Facebook cover, greeting card, etc.) using the Resize option. You can also ask the AI to regenerate parts of the image or generate variations with slightly different details.

Use Designer for social media posts and cards

~34s

On the Designer home screen, choose a template category — Social Post, Greeting Card, Flyer, or others. Pick a template that fits your purpose and click on it to open the editor. Replace the placeholder text with your own words, swap out any images with your own photos or AI-generated images, and change colors to your preference. The template handles the layout and sizing automatically for the platform you chose.

Quick Tip

For greeting cards, choose the Greeting Card template category, pick a design, customize the text, and download it. You can print it at home on regular paper or at a local print shop.

Download your creation

~32s

When your design is ready, click the Download button (usually in the top-right corner of the editor). Choose your preferred file format — PNG is best for images you will share online, JPG works for most uses, and PDF is ideal if you plan to print. The file will download to your computer's Downloads folder. You can then share it by email, post it to social media, or print it.

Warning

AI-generated images can sometimes contain errors — hands with wrong numbers of fingers, text that is misspelled or garbled, or distorted faces. Always look over the image carefully before sharing or printing it.

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Microsoft Designer is a free AI-powered design tool from Microsoft. You can access it at designer.microsoft.com using a free Microsoft account. It lets you create images from text descriptions, design social media posts, make greeting cards, build flyers, and produce other visual content — without needing any graphic design experience or expensive software like Adobe Photoshop.

The star feature is AI image generation. You type a description of what you want — called a prompt — and Designer creates a unique image based on your words. For example, you could type "a golden retriever sitting in a meadow of wildflowers at sunset" and Designer will generate several image options for you to choose from. These images are created on demand and do not exist anywhere else. They are made specifically from your description.

Designer is built on DALL-E, the same AI image technology that powers Bing Image Creator. Microsoft has integrated it into Designer with an easy-to-use interface that also lets you add text, change backgrounds, resize for different platforms (Instagram, Facebook, greeting card, etc.), and make other adjustments without leaving the browser.

The free tier gives you a certain number of "boosts" per month — these are credits used for faster AI generation. Once your boosts run out, generation becomes a bit slower but still works. For typical personal use, the free tier is more than enough.

Images you create in Designer are yours to use for personal purposes. Be aware that AI-generated images in Microsoft Designer are covered by Microsoft's content policy and should not be used for commercial purposes without reviewing their terms of service first.

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