How to Use Stable Diffusion: A Beginner's Guide to AI Image Creation

How to Use Stable Diffusion: A Beginner's Guide to AI Image Creation

Discover how to create stunning images with Stable Diffusion. This beginner's guide walks you through the essentials. Start your AI art journey today!

Written by Mo Kahn on

October 11, 2025

Join millions in creating AI Images

Start your own creative journey with starryai.
Commercial Rights
30 Second Sign Up
4.7/5 stars in 40k Reviews
Create something magical
Share on :
How to Use Stable Diffusion: The Complete Guide

Stable Diffusion is one of the most popular AI image generators today. It can turn a simple text prompt into stunning AI images, from concept art to digital art and even fantasy landscapes. But figuring out how to use Stable Diffusion can feel confusing at first.

This guide explains everything you need to know — from running Stable Diffusion locally to using Stable Diffusion online, writing effective prompts, and exploring Stable Diffusion XL for high quality images.

We’ll also show why tools like starryai make the AI art generation process easier for beginners.

What Is Stable Diffusion?

Stable Diffusion is a deep learning model built for text-to-image generation. Developed by Stability AI, it belongs to a class of models known as latent diffusion models.

Instead of directly working with pixels, Stable Diffusion transforms inputs into a latent space. By adding and removing noise, the system can generate images that match your prompt.

It’s open source, which means anyone can run, modify, or build their own apps using it.

Why Use Stable Diffusion?

There are many AI image generators, but Stable Diffusion stands out because:

  • It’s open source and community-driven.
  • It can run on most computers with a decent GPU.
  • It supports inpainting (editing parts of an image).
  • It gives you more control over the creative process.
  • With Stable Diffusion XL, you get high quality images with greater detail.

For artists, designers, and hobbyists, it’s a powerful way to create digital art and experiment with styles.

How Does Stable Diffusion Work?

The Stable Diffusion model works in two main steps:

  1. Forward diffusion – Noise is gradually added to an original image until it becomes random noise.
  2. Reverse diffusion – The model learns to remove that noise step by step, guided by your text prompt, until a final image emerges.

The process happens in latent space, which makes it efficient enough to run on consumer hardware.

Two Main Ways to Use Stable Diffusion

There are two main approaches to use Stable Diffusion:

  1. Run Stable Diffusion locally on your computer.
  2. Use Stable Diffusion online through hosted platforms.

Each has pros and cons.

Running Stable Diffusion Locally

Running locally gives you full control of the model. You can:

  • Use your own model checkpoints.
  • Fine-tune settings like image count, aspect ratio, and prompt strength.
  • Generate as many images as your GPU can handle.

Requirements

To run Stable Diffusion locally, you’ll typically need:

  • A computer with NVIDIA GPUs (Apple Silicon support is improving).
  • At least 8 GB VRAM for high quality images.
  • Installed software like Python and PyTorch.

Steps
  1. Install Python and dependencies.
  2. Clone the repo:
  3. git clone https://github.com/CompVis/stable-diffusion  
  4. Load the model weights.
  5. Enter a text prompt.
  6. Hit generate to create your first image.

This gives you total control, but setup can be complex for non-technical users.

Using Stable Diffusion Online

If you don’t want to install software, you can use Stable Diffusion online. Many platforms let you generate images instantly.

Advantages:

  • No need for a decent GPU.
  • Works in your browser.
  • Fast and beginner-friendly.

Disadvantages:

  • Less control over settings.
  • Some sites limit free image generation.

Stable Diffusion XL (SDXL)

Stable Diffusion XL (SDXL) is the most advanced version yet. It improves:

  • High quality images with more detail.
  • Better handling of text prompts.
  • Superior style control for concept art.

SDXL is now the go-to model for creators who want stunning AI images that look professional.

Writing Effective Prompts

The prompt is everything in Stable Diffusion. A high quality prompt gives you the best results.

Example Prompts
  • “A digital art painting of a futuristic city at night, cyberpunk style.”
  • “A concept art piece of a dragon flying above mountains, 8K resolution.”
  • “An impressionist painting of a smiling woman in a garden.”
Using Negative Prompts

A negative prompt tells Stable Diffusion what to avoid. This helps improve image quality.

Example:

  • Prompt: “A fantasy forest with glowing mushrooms.”
  • Negative prompt: “blurry, low quality, distorted.”

This ensures the final image looks sharp and professional.

Settings That Matter

When you use Stable Diffusion to create images, experiment with these settings:

  • Image count – How many images per prompt.
  • Steps – More steps = better quality, slower generation.
  • Aspect ratio – Wide, tall, or square outputs.
  • Prompt strength – Controls how closely the image follows your text.
  • Seed – Reproduces the same image.

Stable Diffusion for Concept Art

Many artists use Stable Diffusion for concept art. It lets you quickly explore:

  • Different styles.
  • Multiple ideas from one prompt.
  • Rapid iterations during the creative process.

Stable Diffusion for Digital Art

You can also use Stable Diffusion for digital art:

  • Create AI-generated portraits.
  • Experiment with fantasy landscapes.
  • Generate impressionist paintings or other art styles.

Stable Diffusion vs Other AI Image Generators

There are many other AI image generators like DALL·E and MidJourney.

Stable Diffusion stands out because it’s:

  • Open source.
  • Free to use locally.
  • Offers more control over the output.

How Many Images Can Stable Diffusion Generate?

There’s no hard limit. With enough GPU power, you can create as many images as you want. Online tools may cap free usage.

The Role of starryai

If all of this sounds technical, there’s a simpler option: starryai.

Instead of installing Python, cloning repos, and tweaking settings, you can just:

  1. Open the starryai app.
  2. Enter your text prompt.
  3. Choose your style.
  4. Hit generate.

You’ll instantly get AI generated images powered by cutting-edge models like Stable Diffusion XL — without worrying about GPUs, seeds, or configs.

It’s perfect if you want high quality images for art prints, design projects, or just exploring creativity.

Advanced Stable Diffusion Features

For power users, Stable Diffusion also supports:

  • Inpainting – Edit parts of an image.
  • Outpainting – Extend an image beyond its borders.
  • ControlNet – Add more control with sketches or poses.
  • Text encoder fine-tuning – Train the model to follow specific styles.

Free vs Paid Options

You can try Stable Diffusion AI free with some online demos. But for:

  • Higher image count.
  • Better quality outputs.
  • More control over settings.

You’ll often need a paid service or local setup.

Example Workflow
  1. Choose an idea: “A cyberpunk alley with neon lights.”
  2. Write a prompt with as much detail as possible.
  3. Add a negative prompt for quality control.
  4. Pick your settings (steps, aspect ratio).
  5. Generate multiple variations.
  6. Refine until you get the same image or style you like.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to use Stable Diffusion opens up endless creative opportunities. Whether you’re building digital art, designing concept art, or just experimenting with AI generated images, it’s one of the most versatile AI image generators available.

If you want full control, run Stable Diffusion locally. If you want convenience, try Stable Diffusion online. And if you want the simplest, most user-friendly experience, starryai is the best choice.

With starryai, you can skip the technical setup and just focus on creating. Enter a text prompt, and within seconds you’ll have stunning AI images that match your vision.

Create for free

Join millions in creating AI generated visuals using starryai
Get started

Start your own creative journey.

Join millions in creating AI generated images using starryai
Commercial Rights
30 Second Sign Up
4.7/5 stars in 40k Reviews
Start Creating for Free
No credit card required