You’ve probably seen those Ghibli-style AI photos everywhere lately – yes, the ones basically jumping out of your fridge.
That’s thanks to ChatGPT’s new 40-image generation feature.
Naturally, we had to try it too, and we gave our own Dynamic Mockups T-shirt template a Ghibli twist… and loved the result.
This new update makes it easy to create high-quality, realistic, and creative images – something every POD store owner can use to expand their product offering.
In today’s article, we’re diving into the 5 ways to use ChatGPT’s image generation to boost your POD store.
Let’s get started!
What Makes the ChatGPT Image Generation Update Worth Exploring
Did you know that, according to Brad Lightcap (COO of OpenAI), users generated over 700 million images in the first week of the new 40-image generation feature?
This milestone broke all previous records for AI image creation, and designers also value it for inspiring new print-on-demand design ideas daily.
Before we explore how to use image generation effectively, let’s first go over the key elements of a quality design prompt for creating the best output:
✅ Clarity of Concept – Be specific about the main idea or theme of the design (e.g., “vintage mountain landscape” or “minimalist T-shirt design“).
✅ Style – Mention the style you want (e.g., “vintage,” “modern,” “abstract,” “cartoonish,” etc.). This helps ensure the output matches the vibe you’re going for.
✅ Colors – Specify the color palette (e.g., “warm colors like orange and red,”) to match your brand or target audience.
✅ Target Audience – Indicate who the design is for (e.g., “outdoor enthusiasts“) to ensure the design resonates with the right group.
✅ Product Context – If you’re designing for a specific product (e.g., T-shirts, mugs, phone cases), mention that so the image generation can factor in the appropriate size, proportions, and layout.
✅ Level of Detail – Mention how intricate or simple you want the design to be (e.g., “clean lines and simple details“).
Below is an example of a prompt that includes all the key elements mentioned above.
5 Ways to Supercharge Your ECommerce Store with ChatGPT New Image Generation
1. Use AI to Brainstorm ideas
Designing mockups for your store over time can become exhausting, and finding creative ideas may start to feel impossible.
Rather than relying on the usual method of Googling trends and product ideas, you can turn to the new Image Generation feature to help spark new concepts.
Here’s how:
✔️ Experiment with Variations
The 40-image generation feature lets you create several variations simultaneously, giving you the opportunity to explore different perspectives or design ideas.
For instance, you could prompt:
“Create 5 unique designs of a sunset over mountains, each with a different color scheme and background.”
✔️ Iterate and Refine
After the images are generated, carefully evaluate them to see which ones best match your brand.
You can refine your prompt further to adjust colors, add details, or modify the composition to get even closer to your desired design.
✔️ Generate More Ideas
Once you have some designs, use them as a base to brainstorm ideas for other products.
For example, take a sunset over a mountain landscape design and imagine how it would look on items like hoodies, tote bags, or mugs, then adjust your prompt accordingly.
💡 Pro Tip
There is a simpler way to create custom backgrounds using AI.
No need to craft prompts or wait for images to generate – use Dynamic Mockups, an automated mockup generator.
Its AI Scene Customization feature lets you customize a mockup background in seconds.
Just type your idea into the Background Prompt and get the perfect backdrop while your original design stays intact.
Need a cleaner look?
Use the Negative Prompt to quickly remove any unwanted elements.
2. Turn Sketches Into Images for New Product Designs
Just as the title suggests, if you have a design idea in your head that you sketched on paper, you can transform it into a digital design using image generation. Here’s how:
✔️ Begin a new conversation and upload your sketch to the ChatGPT image generator.
✔️ Give a clear and detailed description of how you’d like the image generator to modify your design. For instance, here’s the prompt we used:
“Transform my sketch of a girl lying on top of a van, wearing a sun hat, with a flamingo in the driver’s seat and another flamingo in front of the van into a vibrant, modern pop-art style T-shirt design. The design should feature bold colors, clean lines, and a playful, fun vibe, with a focus on bright colors like pink, turquoise, and yellow. The image should be eye-catching and suitable for a trendy, youthful audience.”
Now you have a unique T-shirt design ready to be added to a mockup and listed on eCommerce platforms.
✔️ Make further adjustments to the image by providing additional suggestions until you’re satisfied with the design it creates.
📌 Note
At the moment, Free Plan users can generate up to three images per day using ChatGPT’s new Image generation feature.
The daily limit helps manage system demand and ensures fair access for everyone.
For higher usage limits, consider upgrading to a ChatGPT Plus subscription for more image-generation allowances.
3. Preview Products With Realistic Mockups
You shouldn’t list a product in your POD store with a poor design, so it’s essential that your mockup is high-quality.
To explore different possibilities, you can preview your products using image generation mockups. Here’s how:
✔️ Prepare Your Design
Before generating a mockup, ensure you have a design (logo, graphic, illustration, or text) ready.
Additionally, make sure it’s in the correct format (PNG or JPEG) and, if needed, has a transparent background.
✔️ Choose the Product Type
Decide what product you want to showcase your design on, such as a T-shirt, hoodie, mug, phone case, tote bag, or any other item.
✔️ Provide Details for the Mockup
When creating the mockup, give clear instructions on how you want the design to be placed on the product, including:
- Placement – Specify where the design should appear (e.g., center of the t-shirt, front of the mug).
- Size – Indicate the desired size of the design on the product.
- Orientation – Define if the design should be vertical, horizontal, or angled in a particular way.
✔️ Generate the Mockup
Upload your design and prompt ChatGPT with something like this:
“Create a realistic mockup of a ceramic mug with my design on both sides, centered. Make the mug glossy, with a simple, soft studio background and natural light. Add subtle shadows and reflections to give it a lifelike feel, and ensure the handle is clearly visible.”
✔️ Quality Assessment
Review how realistic the mockup looks and whether it delivers the effect you want. If it doesn’t meet your expectations, adjust your prompt to improve the result.
💡 Pro Tip
As we mentioned above, the new Image generation feature has a daily limit, and it may take multiple attempts to preview your design on a mockup.
A quicker and more reliable option is to use one of the 1000+ Free Dynamic Mockups templates once your design is created in ChatGPT.
Browse the library, select a mockup template, then upload your artwork and adjust the design by resizing or modifying it as needed.
Now, you have a polished, professional, and high-quality mockup ready to showcase in our store.
4. Create Topic-Focused Products
One thing that definitely draws shoppers into your store is the ability to customize products using images they’ve created – like stylized versions of their favorite superheroes or famous actors.
Enable them to instantly see those designs on products they actually want like T-shirts, pillows, blankets, and more.
Right now, one of the most popular trends, as we mentioned is Ghibli-style image generation.
To include it in your store:
✔️ Encourage shoppers to use their Ghibli-style designs by showing examples of how the trend looks on your products.
✔️ Share simple prompts shoppers can use with ChatGPT to create images in the style they want.
✔️ Use a tool that lets them upload and apply those custom images directly to your POD products.
💡 Pro Tip
Dynamic Mockups can help you easily enable customizations directly in your POD store.
Here’s an example of a well-known movie character reimagined in Ghibli style using ChatGPT. To give you an idea, we used the simple prompt:
“Generate this image in the Ghibli style.”
You’ll surely recognize this iconic Al Pacino role from The Godfather in this fresh new look.
Once the image is ready, integrate the iFrame Mockup Editor into your POD store.
This feature lets both you and your customers create eye-catching, print-ready mockups without switching platforms.
After embedding the mockup editor, create a product featuring your Ghibli-style character design.
Enabling your customers to personalize their designs using the Dynamic Mockups embeddable iFrame Editor and stay on top of current trends can boost your sales and enhance customer satisfaction.
5. Generate Personalized Designs
As a POD seller, you know that the personalization option is crucial.
It not only allows you to price products higher, but it also increases customer satisfaction, according to various statistics.
You can create customized designs using the new image generation. Here’s how:
✔️ Define Your Design Concept – If you want to stay on top of trends, try creating your own action figure with ChatGPT.
✔️ Start New Conversation – Upload a photo of yourself or the customer who wants the product with a design of them as an action figure.
✔️ Craft Prompt – Create a detailed prompt that includes all necessary packaging elements. For example:
“Transform the uploaded photo of me into a lifelike action figure within a high-quality blister pack. The figure should be posed confidently, dressed in casual attire. The pack should feature a red header with my name in bold white letters and my title underneath. Include an ‘Ages 17+’ label in the top-right corner. On the right side of the pack, add accessories such as a notebook, pen, camera, and laptop. The background should be beige. Ensure that the figure closely resembles my facial features and expression from the photo, with realistic details and high-quality rendering.”
✔️ Further Refine
As you can observe, our action figure is missing complete legs. We can refine the prompt to ask ChatGPT to include the legs or make other adjustments to suit our preferences.
💡 Pro Tip
Another way to use these action figure images is by showcasing your hoodies and sweatshirts on the figures themselves, creating an engaging way to promote your POD store products.
Just drop your design next to the prompt in ChatGPT, and you’ll get an action figure wearing your custom T-shirt.
You can then use these images to promote your products on social networks through paid campaigns.
Wrapping Up
Exploring new trends and AI advancements can be exciting, especially if you are looking to enhance your design options and bring fresh ideas to your store.
However, image generation does have its limitations due to its artificial nature.
That’s where specialized tools for print-on-demand come in to help scale your strategies.
Allow us to introduce you to Dynamic Mockups!
How Can Dynamic Mockups Help Your POD Business Enhance the AI Trends
Dynamic Mockups, a specialized tool for print-on-demand businesses, is an automated mockup generator designed specifically for integration with eCommerce stores.
It provides a variety of features that simplify each step, from design creation to automatic product syncing with your eCommerce store.
Here are key features of our powerful tool:
✨ Advanced Editing Tools
Our intuitive editing tools allow you to easily position, resize, and adjust your assets.
You can also explore various color palettes to perfectly complement your design!
✨ Bulk Creation
Create up to 100 mockup variations in just 10 seconds! Just upload your designs and color choices, and our tool will handle the rest.
✨ Mockup Library
Browse the mockup library mentioned earlier, featuring over 1,000 templates.
You’ll find a wide range of products like T-shirts, hoodies, wall art, pillows, tote bags, mugs,
sweatshirts, and more.
✨ Design Library
Easily keep your designs organized and accessible with quick search, instant resizing, repositioning, and editing – all in just a few clicks!
✨ Integrations
You can connect Dynamic Mockups to your Etsy store in just a few clicks, removing the need for manual uploads or edits.
After integration, just pick the mockups you’ve made and apply them to your chosen products. These updated mockups will then show up on your Etsy listings, giving your shop a polished and professional appearance that can help drive more sales.
Additionally, native Shopify integration is on its way.
Are you ready to start your 7-day free trial?
Start using Dynamic Mockups today and enhance your shoppers’ custom design experience to boost your eCommerce store!
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