We made GenType using Google’s Imagen model, and a simple prompt recipe. Each letter of an alphabet is generated following the prompt recipe of:

The letter "letter" made out of "prompt"

For example, this “A” was generated just with the prompt

The letter “A” made out of grape jelly, on toast, aerial shot

The GenType tool is clever because it takes a single input from the user and turns it into a full alphabet of 26 letters.

Here's how it works:

01. User Input: You tell the tool what material or object you want to use. For example, you could type in “grape jelly, on toast, aerial shot.”

02. Prompt Recipe: The tool then uses this input to create each letter of the alphabet from A to Z. It makes a separate request for each letter using a format like this: "The letter 'A' made out of grape jelly, on toast, aerial shot."

03. Automation: Instead of making one request at a time, GenType automates this process. It sends out 26 requests, one for each letter, all from your initial input of “grape jelly, on toast, aerial shot”. The result is a complete set of unique letters, all consistent with the theme you chose.

By giving GenType one simple input, you get a whole set of creative, customized letters. This makes it super easy to watch an idea turn into an entire alphabet!

Here's what you can do with the GenType tool after creating your letters:

01. Type out phrases: With your custom letters, you can spell out anything you like, from your name to a special birthday message.

02. Save and Copy: You can save your favorite phrases, the entire custom alphabet, or individual letters. You can also copy them to use in other applications.

03. Regenerate Letters: If you're not satisfied with how a particular letter turned out, you can regenerate it using the same prompt to try for a different style or look.

GenType was first demoed at Google I/O 2024. It was used to showcase Google's newest text to image model, Imagen 3. I gave the demos to the visitors and press at the event.

Below is me and rapper Lupe Fiasco chatting about the tool.

For the launch of the tool, we hosted a GenType Craft Night in New York. I helped organize the event and gave a presentation on the tool. I also managed the guest list and helped with the logistics of the event. Guests were able to make custom shirts, stickers, and tote bags.

GenType is available to try at labs.google/gentype.