The print-on-demand (POD) landscape is rapidly evolving, and in 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword; it’s an essential tool for success. AI art generators have revolutionized the way creators design products, offering the ability to produce stunning, unique, and commercially viable artwork in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional methods. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting your POD journey, leveraging the right AI tools can give you a significant competitive edge.
This guide will walk you through the top 10 AI art tools you need to use for print-on-demand in 2025. We’ll explore their key features, pricing, and, most importantly, their suitability for creating high-quality, print-ready designs that sell.
1. Midjourney
Best for: High-quality, artistic, and visually stunning designs.
Midjourney continues to be a powerhouse in the AI art generation space, renowned for its ability to produce incredibly detailed and aesthetically pleasing images. While it initially operated exclusively through Discord, its web platform has made it more accessible to a broader audience.
Key Features:
- Exceptional Artistic Quality: Midjourney excels at creating images with a distinct artistic flair, making it ideal for creating eye-catching t-shirt designs, posters, and other merchandise.
- Advanced Customization: With a range of commands and parameters, you can fine-tune your creations to match your vision perfectly.
- Strong Community: The Midjourney community is a great source of inspiration and support, with countless examples of successful prompts and designs.
- Commercial Use: Paid plans include commercial rights to the images you generate, a must-have for any POD business.
Pricing:
- Basic Plan: Starts at around $10/month.
- Standard and Pro Plans: Offer more GPU time and features for a higher monthly fee.
2. Adobe Firefly
Best for: Commercially safe and seamlessly integrated designs.
Adobe Firefly is Adobe’s answer to the AI art generation boom, and it comes with a significant advantage: it’s trained on Adobe Stock’s library of licensed images. This makes it one of the safest choices for commercial use, as you can be confident that your designs won’t infringe on existing copyrights.
Key Features:
- Commercial Safety: Trained on a library of commercially safe images, giving you peace of mind when selling your designs.
- Seamless Integration: Firefly is integrated into the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem, allowing you to easily edit and enhance your AI-generated images in Photoshop, Illustrator, and other Adobe apps.
- Generative Fill and Expand: These powerful features in Photoshop, powered by Firefly, allow you to add, remove, or expand content in your images with simple text prompts.
- Vector Generation: The ability to generate editable vector graphics from text prompts is a game-changer for creating scalable designs for apparel and other products.
Pricing:
- Free Tier: A limited free version is available.
- Paid Plans: Included with various Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions, with standalone plans also available.
3. Kittl
Best for: All-in-one design and AI generation for t-shirts.
Kittl has quickly become a favorite among print-on-demand sellers, and for good reason. It’s more than just an AI art generator; it’s a complete design platform with a suite of tools specifically tailored for creating merchandise.
Key Features:
- AI-Powered Tools: Kittl offers an AI image generator, a background remover, and even a tool to turn your images into vector graphics.
- Vast Template Library: Access a huge collection of professionally designed templates for t-shirts, posters, and more, which you can customize to fit your brand.
- User-Friendly Interface: Kittl is incredibly easy to use, making it a great option for beginners who want to create professional-quality designs without a steep learning curve.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: A generous free plan is available.
- Pro and Expert Plans: Offer more features and assets for a monthly subscription.
4. Ideogram
Best for: Designs that include text.
One of the biggest challenges with AI art generators has been their inability to render text accurately. Ideogram has emerged as a leader in this area, making it an excellent choice for creating designs that incorporate quotes, slogans, or other text-based elements.
Key Features:
- Superior Text Rendering: Ideogram’s ability to generate images with accurate and aesthetically pleasing text sets it apart from the competition.
- Creative Styles: The platform offers a variety of creative styles to choose from, allowing you to create unique and eye-catching designs.
- Free to Use: Ideogram offers a generous free plan, making it an accessible option for those on a budget.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: Includes a significant number of free generations.
- Paid Plans: Available for those who need more features and higher generation limits.
5. Leonardo.Ai
Best for: Custom AI models and game assets.
Leonardo.Ai is a versatile platform that offers a suite of AI-powered tools for creators. One of its standout features is the ability to train your own AI models, giving you unparalleled control over the style and output of your generated images.
Key Features:
- Custom Model Training: Train your own AI models on your existing artwork to create a consistent and unique style for your brand.
- AI Canvas: An infinite canvas that allows you to edit and expand your images with AI, similar to Adobe’s Generative Expand.
- High-Resolution Output: Leonardo.Ai can generate high-resolution images suitable for printing.
Pricing:
- Free Tier: A free plan with a daily token allowance is available.
- Paid Plans: Offer more tokens and features for a monthly fee.
6. Canva
Best for: Quick and easy social media graphics and mockups.
While Canva is best known as a user-friendly graphic design tool, its AI-powered features have made it a valuable asset for print-on-demand sellers. “Magic Studio” brings a suite of AI tools to the platform, including an AI image generator.
Key Features:
- Magic Studio: Canva’s AI suite includes a text-to-image generator, as well as tools for creating presentations, videos, and more.
- Vast Template Library: Canva’s massive library of templates makes it easy to create social media posts, product mockups, and other marketing materials for your POD business.
- Ease of Use: Canva’s drag-and-drop interface is incredibly intuitive, making it accessible to users of all skill levels.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: A robust free plan is available.
- Canva Pro: Offers access to premium features and a larger library of assets for a monthly subscription.
7. DALL-E 3
Best for: Detailed and accurate prompt-based image generation.
DALL-E 3, developed by OpenAI, is one of the most advanced AI image generators on the market. It’s known for its ability to understand and accurately interpret complex text prompts, resulting in highly detailed and coherent images.
Key Features:
- High-Quality Images: DALL-E 3 produces high-resolution images that are suitable for printing.
- Integration with ChatGPT: You can generate images directly within the ChatGPT interface, making it easy to iterate on your ideas and refine your prompts.
- Free Access via Microsoft Designer: You can use DALL-E 3 for free through Microsoft Designer (formerly Bing Image Creator).
Pricing:
- ChatGPT Plus: Access to DALL-E 3 is included with a ChatGPT Plus subscription.
- Microsoft Designer: Free to use.
8. Recraft
Best for: Vector art and brand consistency.
Recraft is a powerful AI art generator that is particularly well-suited for creating vector art, which is essential for many print-on-demand products. Its focus on brand consistency makes it a great choice for businesses that want to maintain a cohesive visual identity.
Key Features:
- Vector Art Generation: Create scalable vector graphics from text prompts, ensuring your designs look sharp at any size.
- Brand Kits: Create a brand kit with your brand’s colors, fonts, and logos to ensure all your AI-generated images are consistent with your brand identity.
- Mockup Generator: Recraft includes a mockup generator, allowing you to see how your designs will look on a variety of products.
Pricing:
- Free Plan: A free plan is available.
- Paid Plans: Offer more features and higher usage limits.
9. Starryai
Best for: Detailed portraits and artistic styles.
Starryai is another popular AI art generator that offers a wide range of artistic styles to choose from. It’s particularly good at creating detailed portraits and character designs, making it a great option for creating unique and eye-catching t-shirt designs.
Key Features:
- Multiple AI Models: Starryai offers a variety of AI models to choose from, each with its own unique style.
- High-Resolution Output: The platform can generate high-resolution images that are suitable for printing.
- Full Commercial Rights: You have full commercial rights to the images you create, so you can sell them on your print-on-demand products without any worries.
Pricing:
- Free Credits: You get a certain number of free credits to start.
- Credit Packs and Subscriptions: You can purchase additional credits or subscribe to a monthly plan for more generations.
10. Printify (AI Product Creator)
Best for: All-in-one design and fulfillment.
Printify is a leading print-on-demand platform that has integrated AI into its product creation process. This allows you to generate designs and create product mockups all in one place, streamlining your workflow and saving you time.
Key Features:
- AI Product Creator: Generate unique designs directly within the Printify platform.
- Seamless Integration: The AI design tool is seamlessly integrated with Printify’s product catalog and fulfillment services.
- Mockup Generator: Automatically create realistic mockups of your designs on a wide range of products.
Pricing:
- Free to Use: The AI Product Creator is free to use for Printify users. You only pay for the products you sell.
Conclusion
The world of AI art is constantly evolving, and the tools available to print-on-demand sellers in 2025 are more powerful and accessible than ever before. By leveraging the AI art generators on this list, you can create stunning, unique, and commercially viable designs that will help you stand out from the competition and grow your business.
When choosing an AI art tool, consider your specific needs, budget, and design style. Whether you prioritize artistic quality, commercial safety, or ease of use, there’s an AI tool on this list that’s perfect for you. So, start experimenting, get creative, and unlock the full potential of AI for your print-on-demand business.
