Today, I want to talk about a tool that can change the way you edit images for blog posts and social media: Cloudinary AI. If you’ve ever struggled to find the right visual for your content, spent too much time editing images, or settled for something that didn’t fit quite right, this might be just what you need.
Instead of searching for the perfect image, Cloudinary’s AI-powered transformations let you easily enhance and modify existing visuals. You can apply artistic styles, remove or replace backgrounds, extend image boundaries, and make other smart adjustments. All with just a few simple transformations.
In this blog post, I’ll explain how you can use these AI transformations to create compelling images. I’ll also share some real examples and explore ways to fine-tune them to match your brand or message.
Cloudinary’s generative AI transformations offer a simple way to enhance and modify images, and the best part is that you can try them out directly in Cloudinary’s Transformation Builder. This tool allows you to apply AI-powered edits to your images with just a few clicks, making it easy to see results instantly before integrating them into your workflow.
To access the Transformation Builder, log in with your Cloudinary account, navigate to Programmable Media (left-side navigation), expand the menu Transform and Customize, and click the “plus” sign next to Manage Transformations.
In the following examples, I’ll walk through some of the most useful AI transformations you can apply to your images, whether you need to extend backgrounds, remove objects, or apply artistic effects.
Sometimes, an image doesn’t fit the layout of a post or banner. Instead of stretching or cropping it awkwardly, Cloudinary can intelligently extend the background while keeping the subject intact.
Using the Pad transformation, you can adjust the image’s width or aspect ratio while choosing the background type to Generative Fill so it automatically extends the background. This ensures a natural-looking expansion without distorting key elements of the image.
Original image:
Transformed result:
This transformation is useful for adapting images to different social media formats and website banners or creating a more balanced composition without manual editing.
Cloudinary’s AI-powered background removal lets you extract objects, making it easy to place them into a new scene. Instead of manually cutting out subjects or searching for the correct setting, you can swap out backgrounds with the “Generative Background Replace” transformation.
With this transformation, you simply enter a text prompt describing the desired background (e.g., “place the bag in a store”) and let Cloudinary generate a fitting scene around your subject.
Original image:
Transformed image:
This is a great way to create more relevant visuals for blog posts, product showcases, or marketing materials.
Sometimes, we have the perfect image for a post, but the resolution isn’t high enough to look good. Instead of settling for a blurry or pixelated version, Cloudinary’s Generative Restore can bring back lost details and sharpen the image effortlessly.
For this example, I intentionally reduced the resolution of an image until the quality dropped noticeably. Then, I applied Generative Restore, a one-click transformation with no additional settings required. The result? A cleaner, sharper version of the original image. Sometimes subtle, but definitely noticeable, especially when compared side by side.
Original image:
Transformed image:
As long as the image isn’t degraded beyond a certain point, this transformation does an impressive job of restoring clarity. It’s beneficial for refreshing old or compressed images, improving visuals for blog posts, or enhancing product shots without needing a high-resolution original.
Quickly enhance, adapt, and optimize images to fit your content with Cloudinary’s GenAI transformations. These tools aren’t just for convenience. They help create more engaging, customized visuals that align with your message.
If you’re already using Cloudinary, I’d recommend trying out these AI transformations in the Transformation Builder. They offer a fast and flexible way to generate high-quality images with minimal effort. Sign up for a free Cloudinary account today to get started.
