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Posters live or die on readable text — and most image models still mangle it. Here is how ChatGPT Images, Ideogram, and Recraft compare for poster work, which to pick for each job, and how to prompt text so it actually renders correctly.
Image models learn pictures, not spelling — so headline text is where they fail most visibly: swapped letters, invented words, warped kerning. The models below are the ones with genuine text-rendering ability, and they fail in different ways. Pick the one whose failure mode you can live with.
| Model | Text rendering |
|---|
| Layout control |
|---|
| Best poster job |
|---|
| ChatGPT Images 2.5 | Strong — precise text, follows complex instructions | Poster/Merch templates, comment-based editing | Posters where the copy must be exact |
| Ideogram | Excellent — built around typography from day one | Strong style-plus-text balance | Type-driven designs, stylized headlines |
| Recraft | Very good — vector-friendly, design-oriented | Native vector output, brand-style controls | Logos, brand posters, print-ready design |
Simple rule: if the headline must be letter-perfect, start with ChatGPT Images or Ideogram and verify every word at full size. If the poster needs clean vector-style graphics and brand consistency, Recraft's design-native output saves a rebuild step.
A minimalist movie poster. At the top, large bold condensed white text reads exactly: 'SILENT HARBOR'. Beneath it, smaller italic text reads: 'a film about the sea'. Dark teal background, single lighthouse silhouette, no other text anywhere.
For client work, treat AI text as a layout draft: generate the composition, then re-set the headline in a design tool. Ten minutes of manual typesetting beats twenty regeneration attempts — and it is the only way to guarantee kerning, alignment, and brand fonts.
ChatGPT Images 2.5 and Ideogram are the two strongest for accurate rendered text; Recraft leads for vector-style, design-system poster work. The right pick depends on whether exact copy or brand-ready vector graphics matters more for your job.
Usually one of three causes: the headline is too long, the text is competing with a busy background, or the text is rendered at an angle or in perspective. Shorten the copy, simplify the background, and keep text flat and front-on.
Unreliably. Small text is the first thing to degrade. Render the poster without the fine print, then add disclaimers, URLs, and legal lines manually in a design tool.
Describe the typeface mood instead ("bold condensed sans-serif"). Real font names are inconsistently honored and can pull in licensed typeface associations you do not want; the mood description gives the model room to render clean letterforms.
For layout and imagery, AI is usually faster. For the typography itself, manual typesetting wins on reliability. The efficient workflow is hybrid: AI for composition and visuals, your design tool for the final text.
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