AI image generation has improved dramatically over the last few years. What once produced strange, unrealistic visuals can now generate highly detailed marketing and sales imagery in seconds.
Tools like Gemini 3.1 (newest Gemini model at the time of this article) have pushed image generation even further, producing visuals that are increasingly photorealistic and usable in professional marketing campaigns.
For printing companies and marketers, this raises an important question: Is it legal to use AI-generated images in marketing and sales collateral?
The short answer is yes, most of the time. But there are important legal considerations around copyright, trademarks, likeness rights, and misleading advertising that every marketer should understand before using AI images in things like:
- Direct mail
- Websites
- Brochures
- Catalogs
- Digital advertising
Let’s break down what you can do, what you cannot do, and where the legal grey areas still exist.
Can You Legally Use AI Images in Marketing?
In most cases, AI-generated images can be used commercially, including in marketing materials.
Many major AI platforms allow commercial use of generated images, including tools like:
- Gemini (Nano Banana 2)
- Midjourney
- OpenAI (DALL·E 3)
As long as you follow the platform’s terms of service and avoid infringing on intellectual property, AI images can be used in marketing campaigns.
Read the rest of this article on Printing Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner
