How to Edit a Photo with DALL·E Using Outpainting

October 10, 2022

Tory Barber

Three different characters in the same photo

What is DALL·E’s Outpainting?

Outpainting is a new feature DALL·E added to its AI image generator. It allows you to select specific parts of an image, and seamlessly generates new compositions for the area. See the example below.

Original

painting of a cyberpunk street with a cloaked figure

DALL·E Erase

dalle outpainting selection

New

empty cyberpunk street

1. Upload and Crop your Photo

Click the “Upload an Image” button under the search bar of the DALL·E homepage.

Dalle upload image button

After you have selected the photo you’d like to upload, the crop widget will pop-up. Crop your image or press the “skip cropping” button.

crop popup dalle

Click edit image to move to the DALL·E edit area.

2. Erase the Area you’d Like Changed

Set your image in the work area then click the “Erase” button.

Erase Tool Dalle

Click and drag your mouse to select the area you’d like to change.

dalle outpainting selection

3. Add a Text Prompt

Describe what you’d like DALL·E to generate in your selected area in the search bar at the top of the work area. Then press “Generate”.

screenshot of the DALLE edit window

Top 5 DALL-E Prompting Tips & Tricks

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Read More

illustration of a skateboarding cyberpunk cat character

4. Select Your Favourite!

DALL·E will generate 4 images based on your text prompt. Click through each of them and select your favourite to download.

If DALL·E didn’t quite generate what you were looking for, simply adjust your prompt and press generate again. Keep iterating through prompts until you create what you’re looking for!

Generate your images wisely, each time your press generate it costs 1 credit.

Check out all the variations I made with a single image below!

painting of a cyberpunk street with a cloaked figure
samurai standing in cyberpunk street
empty cyberpunk street
robot lady on a motorcycle in cyberpunk street

Tory Barber Headshot Thumbnail

About Me

Hi I’m Tory!I’m a Graphic Designer, Web Developer, and AI OBSESSED artist from good ol’ Canada, eh!I record all the things I learn as I dive deeper into the Generative AI rabbit hole so I can teach people like you!

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