Microsoft Designer is a tool that allows you to create professional designs for various purposes, but it has been designed primarily to share graphics on social media and other channels.
It is a web-based application that you can access through a browser (but you can also install it as an app on Windows 11), and it offers a wide range of design templates and tools. However, Microsoft Designer integrates with DALL-E 2.5 from OpenAI, which can translate text into images, but in this case, into graphics, posters, and presentations.
Furthermore, the Designer app can offer suggestions, generate captions and hashtags, create animated visuals, backgrounds, text transitions, and more.
In this guide, you will learn the basic steps to get started with Microsoft Designer on Windows 11, 10, macOS, or Linux.
How to get started using Microsoft Designer
To get started using Microsoft Designer, use these steps:
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You first have to open the Designer page and click the âTry Designer for freeâ button to sign in with your Microsoft account.
Quick note: During the preview trial, the app is free for anyone, but eventually, itâll become available as a free addition for Microsoft 365 subscribers.
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In the web app, you will find a chatbot prompt box where you can use AI to generate templates based on your description. On the right side, you will a list of templates you can select to get started understanding how to request the app to generate an image. For example, selecting one of the templates inserted the âa thumbnail for my YouTube video offering tips on sustainable livingâ prompt.
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You can also use the âAdd imageâ option to upload images that the tool can use to generate a new design.
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The âGenerate imageâ option is a separate feature that uses the DALL-E 2.5 model from OpenAI to generate images from a text description. You can then select one of the AI-generated images the Designer can use to create graphic suggestions.
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Once you are ready to start with the app, describe your design, click the Generate button, select the template suggestion from the right side, and click the Customize button.
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If you want to create an image manually from scratch, you will have to use the âblank canvasâ option at the bottom of the page.
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The Microsoft Designer app is divided into three sections. The toolbar at the top includes some basic options to zoom, undo and redo steps, start a new design or resize the current project, and download the project.
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On the left, you will find the tools you will use to edit and create your image. The âTemplatesâ tab includes every design template available with Microsoft Designer.
Quick note: If you are using an AI-generated template, you wonât be using this option.
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The âMy mediaâ tab allows you to upload images from your computer or other services, such as Dropbox, Google Photos, Google Drive, and OneDrive, and from your phone. You can drag and drop the file directly if youâre uploading an image from your computer.
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The âVisualsâ tab includes AI-curated images to add to your project. You can also add different types of shapes, videos, and other types of illustrations. You can use the search or tabs at the top to find the visual you want to use in your project. The âGenerateâ tab allows you to use AI to create images you add to your design.
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The âTextâ tab includes various styles of text that you can use for heading, subheading, and body text. You can also use the chatbot to generate rich text for a description, catchy title, etc.
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On the right side, you have the âIdeasâ panel that shows additional templates you can use related to your project. The âNew ideasâ button brings you back to the start to create a new design.
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While editing or creating an image, when selecting an element, a floating toolbar will appear with the different options you can use for that particular element. Some of the options include the ability to change the opacity, change the layer position (front, forward, back, and backward), color, text style, cropping tool, effects, and more.
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Once you are done creating the image, click the âDownloadâ button, choose the file type (such as â.png,â â.jpg,â or â.pdfâ), check the âRemove watermark,â and click the âDownloadâ button to save the image on your computer. You also have convenient options to share the image on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Although this is an excellent tool for beginners and content creators to create various types of graphics, itâs not meant to be a replacement for Photoshop and many other tools that provide many different functionalities and capabilities.
The idea of the Microsoft Designer app is to use AI tools to automate the creation process as much as possible to stay more productive when you donât have a graphics designer on speed dial.
Microsoft Designer on Edge
If you use Microsoft Edge, you can access Designer from the sidebar (Discover). When you open the experience, you can select from one of the available templates or use AI to generate different recommendations. Clicking the âCustomizeâ button will bring up an overlay interface where you can edit and download your design.
Source: Pureinfotech