MICROSOFT DESIGNER

Nik Rawlinson tries out a free, AI-powered tool that can quickly put together social media images and more

- Nik Rawlinson

Microsoft Designer is a quick, simple and free way to create high-quality images and designs that are ideal for sharing online. Since it's underpinned by OpenAI's DALL-E image engine, it can generate custom visuals representing anything you care to type in. However, it's more than just an image generator-you can upload and edit your own photos too, and optionally combine them with AI-generated elements, to produce original, eye-catching content.

How do I access It?

Designer can run entirely in a web browser-just hop over to designer.microsoft. com to try it out - so you can use it on almost any platform, including macOS and Linux. If you prefer a native app, however, you can download a Windows-based front-end to Designer from the Microsoft Store, or install mobile apps for Android and iOS via their respective app stores.

However you access Designer, to get started you merely need to log in with your regular Microsoft account. Your work will be automatically saved to OneDrive (so note that it will count against your storage quota); click My Projects at the top of the Designer homepage to revisit previously created projects.

What does It cost?

You can make full use of Microsoft Designer without paying a penny. The only limitation is that regular free users only get 15 AI credits per month, meaning you can only use Designer's AI image generation or editing features 15 times before they run out. After that you'll have to wait until they're replenished at the start of each calendar month.

Subscribers to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family get a bigger allowance of 60 AI credits. However, these aren't just for Designer; they're shared across all Office apps, so you'll also use a credit when, for example, you use Copilot to update a spreadsheet in Excel. Hardcore AI fans can sign up for a Copilot Pro subscription, which costs £19 per month for unlimited credits.