A Guide to Stable Diffusion Inpainting

Have you ever stared at a beautiful image, wishing you could tweak just one little detail? Maybe add a soaring bird into a serene landscape, or transform a blank canvas into a portal to another world, or maybe even remove a watermark? Well, hold onto your brush (or mouse!), because Stable Diffusion Inpainting is here to make your artistic dreams a reality.

This powerful tool might sound complex. This guide will demystify the magic of Stable Diffusion Inpainting, equipping you with the knowledge and confidence to breathe life into your images. Get ready to:

Whether you’re a seasoned graphic designer or a curious newbie, this guide is your passport to the exhilarating world of Stable Diffusion Inpainting. So, grab your virtual paintbrush, buckle up, and let’s embark on this creative adventure together.

How it Works

Stable Diffusion Inpainting is a process that involves using the Stable Diffusion model to regenerate or restore missing parts of an image. Here is how Stable Diffusion Inpainting, you can do so using Diffusers.:

How Stable Diffusion Inpainting Works:

Stable Diffusion Inpainting involves the following steps:

1. Creating an Inpaint Mask: Use tools like the paintbrush to create a mask indicating the area to be regenerated.
2. Selecting Inpainting Settings: Choose settings such as image size, face restoration, and mask content like latent noise or latent nothing.
3. Using an Inpaint Model: Optionally, you can use a Stable Diffusion model specifically trained for inpainting to achieve better results.
4. Generating Images: The model generates images based on the provided mask and settings, aiming to seamlessly blend with the original image style.

Inpainting with Stable Diffusion allows for not only restoring missing parts but also creating entirely new content within an existing image, providing a wide range of creative possibilities.

Limitations of Stable Diffusion Inpainting

Stable Diffusion Inpainting, despite its advantages, has some limitations that are important to consider:

1. Complexity of Images: It excels in handling images with complex structures like textures, edges, and sharp transitions; however, inpainting very intricate or detailed areas may still pose challenges.
2. Resource Intensive: The process can be resource-intensive, requiring significant GPU RAM for certain workflows. For example, a workflow may need around 6.1 GB of GPU RAM, which can be reduced to 4.9 GB by choosing a smaller SAM model.
3. Artifacts in Output: While Stable Diffusion Inpainting guarantees stability and smoothness, other inpainting techniques may produce visible artifacts. However, achieving a completely artifact-free result may not always be guaranteed.

Despite these limitations, Stable Diffusion Inpainting remains a powerful tool for image restoration and manipulation across various fields such as film restoration, photography, medical imaging, and digital art.

How to Use

There are many Paid/Cloud Services out there where you can use inpainting. Photoshop for example, recently introduced Generative Fill, a new feature in Photoshop powered by Adobe Firefly, a family of creative AI models. Generative Fill enables users to easily manipulate images by adding, extending, or removing content using simple text prompts. This feature not only enhances user experience but also expands the possibilities within Photoshop. 

Open Source & Local

When you’re ready to dive into the world of Stable Diffusion Inpainting without reliance on paid or cloud services, the open-source community offers a robust and flexible solution with AUTOMATIC1111. This is an interface tailored for users who prefer to harness their own computing power for the art of inpainting.

Using AUTOMATIC1111

AUTOMATIC1111 stands as a beacon for enthusiasts of open-source software, providing access to the capabilities of Stable Diffusion models right on your local machine. But before you embark on this voyage, there are a few prerequisites to address:

1. Compatible Hardware: You’ll need a machine equipped with a high-performance GPU. Since Stable Diffusion Inpainting can be resource-intensive, having a capable graphics processing unit is crucial for smooth operation and brisk processing times.
2. Installation: The setup of AUTOMATIC1111 requires a bit of technical know-how. You’ll need to clone the repository from GitHub, install the necessary dependencies, and configure your environment. Detailed instructions are typically provided within the repository’s documentation to guide you through this process.
3. Model Selection: Although AUTOMATIC1111 furnishes the framework for inpainting, you’ll also need to select a Stable Diffusion model that meets your creative needs. There are various models available, each trained to generate certain styles or types of images.
4. Running the Software: Once you have everything in place, running the software is a matter of following the user interface’s prompts to upload your images, specify the area to inpaint, and choose your desired settings to let the magic happen.

Choosing to go the open-source and local route with AUTOMATIC1111 is about taking full control of your Stable Diffusion Inpainting adventures. It’s for those who have the technical inclination and the hardware to back it up, offering a sense of freedom and independence from subscription services. It’s a rewarding path for the savvy user, offering limitless possibilities to those who take the time to learn it.