An AI image workflow for a small Hong Kong business: idea, edit, rights and alt text
A practical guide for Hong Kong small businesses using IMG.now to create product visuals. Covers prompt design, editing, copyright, alt text, and a human-review checklist before commercial publication.
You run a small Hong Kong business — a café in Sheung Wan, a jewellery studio in Wong Chuk Hang, a boutique fitness brand in Wan Chai. You need a product visual for your website or social media, but you don’t have a photographer or a design team. An AI image generator like IMG.now can produce a usable image in seconds, but turning that output into a commercial asset requires a series of human decisions. This article walks through a practical workflow — from idea to edited image, rights check, and accessible alt text — so you can publish with confidence.
Step 1: Turn your idea into a prompt
IMG.now is a free AI image generator and editing workspace that accepts a text prompt and returns an image in seconds. Before you type anything, decide what the image must communicate. For a product visual, ask: What is the product? What setting or mood does it need? Who is the audience?
For example, if you sell hand-painted ceramic cups, a prompt like “a hand-painted ceramic cup on a wooden table, soft morning light, minimalist style” gives the model a clear subject, context, and atmosphere. IMG.now also offers a Prompt Generator tool that can turn a rough idea into a more structured prompt. You can choose a style — such as “product photo” or “cinematic portrait” — and set an aspect ratio before generating.
Because IMG.now runs on a single, tuned AI model, you do not need to select a model version. The service states that results are consistent across styles, from photographs to illustrations to 3D renders. The key human input at this stage is specificity: vague prompts produce generic images.
Step 2: Edit and refine in one workspace
After generating an initial image, you can send it directly to IMG.now’s editing tools without leaving the platform. Available tools include an Image Upscaler (up to 8x), an Image Enhancer (sharpening, de-noising, colour lift), a Background Remover (transparent PNG export), and an AI Object Remover. For a product visual, you might upscale the image to ensure it looks crisp on a large screen, remove a distracting background element, or enhance the lighting.
Each tool has its own focused page, and the service claims that results can be exported in the format and size you need. The human decision here is about quality: Does the upscaled image retain natural edges? Does the background removal leave a clean cut-out? You should inspect the output at 100% zoom before proceeding. IMG.now does not claim to replace manual retouching for complex edits, so for critical product shots, you may still need to use a dedicated image editor.
Step 3: Understand the rights situation
IMG.now states that its generated images are available for commercial use under a CC0-like licence. The site says “CC0/commercial use” and “Free for personal and commercial use.” However, copyright law around AI-generated content is still evolving. The U.S. Copyright Office’s Part 2 report (January 2025) concluded that works created entirely by AI without human authorship are not copyrightable, but works where a human provides sufficient creative input may qualify for protection. Hong Kong’s Copyright Ordinance does not yet have specific provisions for AI outputs, but courts often look to international precedents.
Practically, this means you should document your creative decisions: the prompt you wrote, the style you selected, the edits you made, and the final image you approved. If you use IMG.now’s Image to Image tool to transform an original photograph you took, the resulting image may have stronger copyright protection because your original photo is a human-authored work. For purely text-generated images, treat them as public-domain assets that anyone else could also generate. Do not rely on IMG.now’s terms alone — consult a Hong Kong intellectual property lawyer for specific commercial use.
Step 4: Add content credentials for transparency
As AI-generated images become common, consumers and platforms increasingly expect provenance information. The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) has published technical specifications for certifying the source and history of media content. While IMG.now does not currently advertise C2PA support, you can manually attach a content credential by using a free tool like the C2PA open-source implementation or a service that embeds metadata into your image file.
For a Hong Kong small business, adding a simple text note on your website — “This image was created with AI and edited by our team” — is a low-effort way to build trust. If you sell on a platform that requires disclosure (such as some e-commerce marketplaces), comply with those rules. Transparency is not just ethical; it protects you from accusations of misleading customers.
Step 5: Write meaningful alt text
Every image you publish on the web needs a text alternative for accessibility. The W3C’s Images Tutorial explains that the alt attribute should describe the information or function of the image, not just its visual appearance. For a product visual, the alt text should convey the product and its context. For example: “Hand-painted ceramic cup on a wooden table, soft morning light, minimalist style.”
If the image is purely decorative — for instance, a background texture on your homepage — use a null alt attribute (alt="") so screen readers skip it. For functional images, such as a button that says “Buy now,” the alt text should describe the action, not the image. The W3C provides an alt Decision Tree to help you choose the right category. Writing good alt text is a human task; AI tools like IMG.now’s AI Alt Text Generator can suggest a starting point, but you must review and tailor it to your context.
Step 6: Review before publication
Before you hit publish, run through this checklist:
- Accuracy: Does the image show your product correctly? Check for AI artefacts like distorted text, extra fingers, or unnatural shadows.
- Brand consistency: Does the style match your other visuals? IMG.now allows you to keep a consistent style across images, but you should verify.
- Rights: Have you documented your creative input? Do you need to add a disclosure?
- Accessibility: Is the alt text written and functional? Does it pass the W3C decision tree?
- Provenance: Have you added a content credential or a simple transparency note?
- Format: Is the image resolution appropriate for its use (web, print, social)?
IMG.now is a useful tool for generating and editing product visuals quickly, but it does not replace human judgment. Each step in this workflow — prompt design, editing, rights evaluation, alt text, and review — requires your active decision-making. By following this protocol, you can produce images that are effective, legally sound, and accessible to all your customers in Hong Kong and beyond.
Sources and further reading
- IMG.now online AI image editor
- U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright and AI
- C2PA: Content Credentials specification
- W3C: Images accessibility tutorial
Product features and terms can change; check the provider's current information before using a service for workplace material.