Unleash Your Creativity with Stable Diffusion: Explore its Power, Practical Uses, and Essential Tips

Image generation AI is increasingly common, from YouTube and Instagram posts to everyday life. While all fall under the umbrella of "AI," there are several different types.

This article will provide a simple overview of Stable Diffusion, a leading image generation AI, covering its basic features, uses, precautions, and a simple guide to getting started. We hope you find it helpful.

If you're wondering, "What is image generation AI, anyway?" check out this article for a more in-depth explanation.

What is Stable Diffusion?

Stable Diffusion is an AI that generates images based on inputted text or image data.

Released by Stability AI in August 2022, Stable Diffusion is credited with popularizing the term "image generation AI."

The reason is simple: it could generate higher-quality images than other image generation AIs already on the market, and it was open-source (free) for anyone to use.

At the time, Alphabet (Google) had already developed "Imagen," and OpenAI, famous for GPT, had announced "DALL-E." Despite being a latecomer, Stable Diffusion is renowned, earning a place among the "Big Three" in image generation AI.

Stable Diffusion vs. Other Image Generation AIs

Stable Diffusion is a leading image generation AI. Here’s how it differs from other services:

Free and Accessible (Open Source)

First, it's free for anyone to use.

As mentioned, several types of image generation AI exist, but before Stable Diffusion, most required payment or limited the number of images you could generate. Image generation AI wasn't as widely known then.

Midjourney, released around the same time as Stable Diffusion, also garnered significant attention, but its code remained closed-source.

Stable Diffusion, on the other hand, is provided by Stability AI as open source, allowing free use without subscription fees. (Think of ChatGPT for a better understanding.)

High-Quality Image Generation

Second, it generates high-quality images.

Stable Diffusion is an image generation AI equipped with a pre-trained AI model. Users can input text describing their desired image at the word level to generate various images.

A "pre-trained model" means the AI model has already learned from a large amount of data.

By utilizing this model, Stable Diffusion can more efficiently predict the image to generate from the inputted text data compared to previous image generation AIs.

What Can Stable Diffusion Do?

Stable Diffusion is expected to have various applications, not just in terms of technical capabilities. Let's look at what it can do:

Text-to-Image: Generate New Images from Text Input

First, it can generate new images from text input.

The input text is commonly called "prompts," and many articles and resources are available on prompt input tips.

For example, simply entering text like "Cool man" can generate images like the ones shown below:

Image-to-Image: Generate New Images from Image Data Input

Second, it can generate new images from image data input.

You can generate new images using images as sample data, not just text.

Furthermore, you can combine text and images to generate new images. So, if you have difficulty verbalizing the image you want to create, using a sample image as input data can help generate an image closer to your vision.

Generate Images Closer to Your Vision with Extensions

Third, you can regenerate existing images in higher resolution.

If you're not satisfied with an image generated with Image-to-Image, you can use extensions like "Multi Diffusion" to regenerate it at a higher resolution.

"Multi Diffusion" allows you to maintain the image layout while generating a higher-resolution image when using Image-to-Image.

While other methods exist for increasing resolution, we'll cover those in a separate article. For now, just know that such capabilities exist.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stable Diffusion

How do I generate images?

Stable Diffusion is merely the name of an AI capable of generating images, not the tool or system itself.

You need to use a tool that utilizes Stable Diffusion to generate images.

We'll briefly introduce some of these later, but currently, web services and software using Stable Diffusion models are available.

Is it beginner-friendly?

Some options require downloading to a local environment and setting up the environment yourself, which is geared towards experts. Others are web services that can be used in the cloud.

The latter tools can be used directly on the web without any special setup. Even those without special knowledge can use them, as existing image generation tools utilizing Stable Diffusion have already been released without requiring you to write any code yourself.

What are the tips for generating images as intended?

Third, let's discuss tips for generating images as intended.

Compared to the previous questions, this is a more advanced and practical question, but understanding the basic rules is the first step.

Of course, there are other methods, such as using the extensions already mentioned in this article, but many are likely trying image generation with Stable Diffusion for the first time. So, we'll only introduce the basics here.

Among the rules, a particularly important one is that "prompts entered first are processed with higher priority."

In fact, the entered text isn't processed in parallel. Instead, the image generation process is performed in the order of the entered prompts. (Example: Cool man → Processed in the order of ① Cool ② man.)

Therefore, when you have an image in mind, you can generate an image closer to your vision by prioritizing the more important parts in the beginning. For more detailed tips, see this article.

How to Use Stable Diffusion

Use a Web-Based Service

First, you can use a web-based service.

As mentioned, several services that utilize Stable Diffusion are already available on the web, and the variety is rich.

Some services use Stable Diffusion published on Hugging Face.

Recently, LINE's official account also offers a way to try image generation AI using Stable Diffusion.

*Hugging Face is an open-source platform for natural language processing (NLP) that provides tools and resources to support various NLP-related tasks, such as models, data, tokenization, training, and fine-tuning. Web services utilizing Stable Diffusion are also published on this platform.

Install and Use a Local Service on Your PC

Second, you can install and use a local service on your PC.

This method has a slightly higher barrier to entry compared to the first method.

You'll need to use the source code to build the environment yourself, and your PC's specifications must be high enough, as image generation can consume a lot of memory and slow down processing.

Unless you're comfortable writing source code and building environments, we recommend using a web-based service instead of a local environment.

Services Using Stable Diffusion

DreamStudio

DreamStudio is an open beta version of "Stable Diffusion" developed and operated by Stability AI, available as an image generation tool on the web.

It's similar to ClipDrop in terms of functionality and has guaranteed performance. It's free to use with the credits distributed upon initial user registration, after which additional charges apply.

Clipdrop

Clipdrop is also a service provided by Stability AI, allowing anyone to easily generate and edit images using Stable Diffusion on the web.

Several web tools utilize Stable Diffusion, but Clipdrop is highly rated due to being provided by Stability AI, the creator of Stable Diffusion. Despite being free, it offers many features and generates high-quality images.

It allows not only prompt input but also negative prompt input, enabling the generation of higher-quality images without inconsistencies.

*Negative prompt: Text data used to specify image elements that should not be outputted.

Stable Diffusion Online

Stable Diffusion Online is also a web-based tool that can be used completely free without registration.

The image generation speed is satisfactory, but the lack of a negative prompt input form may result in images with inconsistencies.

Fotographer.ai

Fotographer.ai is a service we provide that automatically generates product photos using generative AI technology.

By uploading a sample image and entering the desired product photo image or selecting a template, you can create creative product photos in a short amount of time.

Usage Examples of DreamStudio and Clipdrop

DreamStudio Usage Example

Here's an image generated using DreamStudio:

Prompt: "Cool man with glasses in front of building"

It outputted the image exactly as instructed.

For more detailed instructions, see this article.

Clipdrop Usage Example

Next, let's generate an image using Clipdrop.

I used the same prompt as before.

Both generated images as instructed.

For more detailed instructions, see this article.

Use Cases for Stable Diffusion

Brand Logo Creation

First, brand logo creation.

Whether you're struggling with the logo's shape, layout, or even the initial idea, Stable Diffusion can output multiple patterns to provide strong support.

With skillful use, it can potentially eliminate the costs and effort of hiring a professional designer.

Creating Image Mockups of Building Exteriors/Interiors

Second, creating image mockups of building exteriors/interiors.

You can output image mockups of not only building exteriors but also interior decorations, furniture, and interiors.

Being able to visualize even the detailed aspects of the interior, as well as the exterior, can be useful as a sales support tool, such as when searching for a new property or visually conveying your desired image to others when building or renovating a home.

Creating Idea Images for New Products

Third, creating idea images for new products.

Deciding what kind of product to create or what design to use when creating a new product can be a very difficult challenge.

Stable Diffusion can generate image mockups from text data, making it a potentially valuable support tool.

Enjoying Creative Inspiration

Fourth, enjoying creative inspiration.

For example, if you're struggling with the design of advertisements, you can use Stable Diffusion to input the information in your head as text and use it to get hints.

The above are just a few examples. You can discover other possibilities as you use it and connect them to improve not only your performance but also the performance of your organization.

Precautions When Using Images Generated with Stable Diffusion

Stable Diffusion is already providing value and is expected to play an increasingly important role in the future, but there are several precautions to keep in mind when using it.

Using Images Not Approved for Commercial Use

First, using images not approved for commercial use.

If you use Image-to-Image, it's important to note that commercial use may not be permitted as it may infringe on copyright.

For example, if you download a logo or image of a person that another company has already published and use Image-to-Image to generate an image, you risk being sued for copyright infringement by the creator of the logo used as sample data.

Therefore, when using images generated with Image-to-Image for commercial purposes, we recommend checking whether the image used is a free material or whether someone owns the rights (copyright).

Additional Training of Models Not Approved for Commercial Use

Second, additional training of models not approved for commercial use.

This is a technique often used with the local version rather than the web version. As mentioned, Stable Diffusion is already a trained model, but you can generate more accurate images by adding additional training to other models.

A model refers to data specialized in a specific element. For example, if you use an anime-style model for additional training, you can generate higher-quality anime-style images.

This is a very convenient technique, but if you're using it for commercial purposes, be sure to check in advance whether the model itself is commercially available.

If you use a model that is not approved for commercial use and generate profit, the rights holder of the model may take legal action.

Summary

We've covered an overview of Stable Diffusion, basic usage, and precautions.

You may feel some anxiety or fear about the new initiative of creating images using generative AI, or you may feel that there is much you don't understand. We hope that this article will help you understand generative AI and image generation AI better.