Complete guide to Leonardo AI
Getting started
Sign up at leonardo.ai; the free plan gives 150 daily tokens that renew every 24 hours, enough to explore the platform. Choose the Phoenix model (Leonardo's own model, with strong prompt adherence and legible text within the image) and write a description of what you want to generate. If you need a very specific, recurring style (your brand's, a particular character), you can train your own custom model by uploading 15 to 20 sample images.
Use cases
Generating images with legible text
The Phoenix model has greatly improved text rendering within images, useful for logos, posters, or word-based designs.
Training a model with your own style
Upload 15 to 20 of your own images to create a model that reproduces a specific style, theme, or character consistently.
Rapid iteration on visual concepts
Generate multiple variations of an idea before deciding on a project's final visual direction.
Producing on-brand imagery
Keep visual consistency in marketing content by always using the same trained model or saved preset.
Advanced setup
- Training a custom modelGo to the "Training" tab, upload 15 to 20 varied photos, tag them with a unique trigger word, and wait about 30 minutes for training to complete.
- Choosing the Phoenix modelAvailable in different versions (Phoenix 1.0, 0.9); it offers strong prompt adherence and legible text within logos and posters.
- Plans and tokensThe free plan gives 150 daily tokens. Paid plans (Essential $12/month, Premium $30/month, Ultimate $60/month) significantly increase the monthly token allowance.
Tips
- Use the free plan to experiment with prompts before deciding whether you need to train a custom model or can just use the preset models.
- When training a model, use images that are varied but consistent in style: it greatly improves the quality and reliability of the trained result.
- If you need legible text in the image (posters, logos), prioritize the Phoenix model over other models on the platform.
- Check the token consumption of each generation type: higher-quality generations consume more, so save final generations for when the prompt is already fine-tuned.
FAQ
Is Leonardo AI free to use?
Yes, the free plan gives 150 renewable daily tokens. Paid plans range from $12/month (Essential) to $60/month (Ultimate).
How long does it take to train a custom model?
About 30 minutes after uploading 15 to 20 sample images tagged with a unique trigger word.
What exactly is the Phoenix model?
It's Leonardo AI's proprietary model, with strong prompt adherence and improved ability to render legible text within the generated image.
Can I use the generated images commercially?
Paid plans include a commercial use license; check the current terms for your plan before large-scale commercial use.
Based on leonardo.ai/pricing and official Leonardo AI documentation