Free · 7 min read
Krea AI for designers: real-time generation and upscaling
How designers can use Krea AI: real-time generation from a sketch or your screen, upscaling, style training. What the free plan covers and what about rights.
- How to steer generation with shapes and sketches, not just prompts
- How to upscale an image without "invented" details
- What you can and can't do on the free plan
- Free
- 1,504 members
- Join in 1 click
How to work with Krea AI: 5 steps
- 1
Step 1
Sign up and understand the free plan
- 2
Step 2
Realtime: steer generation with shapes
- 3
Step 3
Use the webcam and screen recording
- 4
Step 4
Upscale images, but check the result
- 5
Step 5
Style training, plugins and the rules
- 1,504
- community members
- 8,915
- messages with questions since July 2024
- 9
- design games since September 2024
- 759
- people wrote in the chat
This guide is for you if you are
Heard of Krea but never tried it
You've seen videos where the image changes as someone draws, and want to know how to use it at work.
Thinking in composition, not words
It's easier for you to sketch a layout than describe it in a prompt, and you want a tool that gets that.
Stuck with an image that's too small
You need to enlarge an illustration or photo for a layout or print, and ordinary scaling turns it to mush.
In short
- Krea is a set of AI tools in the browser; for designers, the key ones are Realtime, the upscaler and training your own style.
- In Realtime you draw with shapes or a brush, use a webcam or share a browser tab, and the result updates instantly.
- The upscaler enlarges images 2, 4 or 8 times and redraws detail; on the free plan, up to 2048 px on the longest side.
- The free plan gives a daily allowance of compute units but no commercial license: that comes only with paid plans.
- Don't upload layouts under NDA to Krea: under its terms you grant Krea a broad license to what you upload and generate.
How to work with Krea AI: 5 steps
- 1
Step 1
Sign up and understand the free plan
Krea runs in the browser, and you don't need a bank card to start on the free plan. Every action uses compute units: on the free plan they're credited daily, on paid plans monthly. Exact amounts and prices change, so check the current ones on Krea's pricing page. What matters about the free plan as of November 2026:
- you get full access to the real-time models and Krea's own Krea 3 model;
- upscaling is limited to basic models and up to 2K;
- not all image and video models are included, and neither are training your own models (LoRA) or the Krea Nodes editor;
- there's no commercial license: only paid plans allow using results in marketing, products and client projects.
💡 The free plan is enough for learning and exercises. But as soon as the work goes to a client, check your plan: "made on free" here means "no commercial license".
- 2
Step 2
Realtime: steer generation with shapes
Krea's main difference is Realtime. The screen is split in two: the canvas where you work on the left, and the result on the right, which updates instantly with no queue and no generate button. The prompt sets the content, and the canvas sets the composition:
- shapes (circle, rectangle, triangle) set up a layout quickly without freehand drawing;
- the brush and eraser add detail, and the canvas background color affects the overall palette;
- aspect ratios: 1:1, 3:2 or 2:3; fast models work at 512 px, quality models at 1024 px;
- the Seed button gives a new variation of the same frame.
💡 Exercise for today: a podcast cover. Place a big circle for the subject and a rectangle at the bottom for the title. Write a short prompt and move the circle around: you'll see how composition changes the whole frame. This trains design thinking, not word-picking.
Show the sketch and what came out of it
People in the community share tools, prompts and honest results, including what didn't work. It's free to join.
Get feedback on your generationFree. 1,504 designers are already in the community.
- 3
Step 3
Use the webcam and screen recording
Besides drawing, Realtime has three more input modes. They're useful when the reference already exists somewhere else:
- Web Camera: the model reads shapes, colors and movement from the camera, so you can put objects or paper cut-outs on the table and compose by hand;
- Screen Record: the model reads a browser tab, such as a moodboard, a website or a design file. It's a quick way to look at several visual directions for your own layout;
- Text Only: turns off visual input, and the model works from the prompt alone;
- the AI strength slider: lower keeps the result closer to the input, higher gives a more abstract, stylized look.
💡 512–1024 px is a draft for finding a direction, not final artwork. Save the frame you like and bring it to the size you need separately.
- 4
Step 4
Upscale images, but check the result
The Image Upscaler enlarges images 2, 4 or 8 times and accepts PNG, JPEG, WebP and HEIC. Unlike ordinary scaling in an editor, which only stretches pixels, Krea redraws edges, textures and fine detail at the new size. The aspect ratio stays the same. For free, the output is capped at 2048 px on the longest side; 4K and above need a paid plan.
- if you need a transparent background, remove the background before upscaling, not after;
- check the result carefully at 100% zoom: AI redraws detail, so faces, text and logos can change;
- don't upscale other people's photos or illustrations without permission: higher resolution gives you no rights to an image;
- for print, still check the required size and resolution with your print shop.
💡 The best test of an upscale is to compare before and after side by side on the same area. If letters or facial features changed, the image isn't fit for a client layout.
Krea not producing what you drew? Ask the community → - 5
Step 5
Style training, plugins and the rules
Once the basics are clear, Krea gives you more control. Train lets you teach a model your character, object or style: up to 50 images on the Basic plan. Moodboards steer style with references. There are plugins for Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Blender and other apps. Before you work on real projects, understand the terms:
- depending on your plan, your generations can be private; if your plan has no private mode, other users may see some of your work;
- under Krea's terms, by uploading or generating content you grant Krea a broad, perpetual license to it, so layouts under NDA don't belong here;
- for style training, use only your own work or work you have the rights to;
- the terms forbid, among other things, deepfakes made without the person's consent.
💡 In May 2025 the community ran an AI challenge: the logo, copy and visuals for a landing page all had to be made with AI, and participants shared their prompts. A task with a deadline quickly shows where generation helps and where you finish by hand.
You're not alone with these questions
We counted what people ask about most in our community. AI tools are the fourth most popular topic, after learning, portfolios and Figma.
Messages by topic in Spaceberry Community, July 2024 — November 2026. Keyword search.
Practice with a deadline and live feedback
The best teacher is a task with a deadline that other people see. That's why the community regularly runs design games: the same brief for everyone, a deadline and a vote.
Design game · January 2026
NAOMA website redesign
The academy's home page through the eyes of an applicant, a student and a teacher. Three finalists; the community chose the winner.
AI challenge · May 2025
A landing page made by AI
Logo, copy and visuals made only with AI tools. Four entries, an anonymous vote, and participants shared their prompts.
Workshop · April 2026
Figmosha: AI in Figma
The tool's author showed how to generate interfaces in Figma and analyze a design system.
Free. 1,504 designers are already in the community.
How to join: 1 minute
- 1
Tap the button
Telegram opens with the Spaceberry community.
- 2
Join
It's free: all you need is a Telegram account.
- 3
Introduce yourself
Say where you're starting from and ask your first question.
Questions and answers
Didn't find your answer? Ask it in the community.
Is Krea AI free?
Krea has a free plan with no bank card required: it gives a daily allowance of compute units, the real-time models and basic upscaling up to 2K. The other models, style training and the commercial license are on paid plans. Prices and limits change, so check Krea's pricing page.
Can I use Krea images in commercial projects?
As of November 2026, the commercial license (for marketing, products and client work) comes only with paid plans; the free plan doesn't include it. Even with the license, you're responsible for making sure the result doesn't infringe anyone's rights. Copyright laws differ between countries, so for important projects talk to a lawyer.
Can other people see my generations in Krea?
It depends on your plan. Under Krea's terms, some plans let you make your work private, and if yours has no private mode, other users may see some of your work. So don't upload client materials or anything confidential. For practice, use your own sketches or royalty-free photos, and reread your plan's terms before working on a real project.
Krea vs Midjourney vs Firefly: which should I use?
Krea is strong where instant feedback matters: composing with shapes, sketches, the webcam, screen recording, and upscaling. Midjourney is a separate subscription service for stylized visuals, and Firefly is built into Adobe's apps. The fairest comparison is one task in several tools. See also [Midjourney for designers](/en/guides/midjourney-for-designers).
Is the Spaceberry community paid?
No, Spaceberry Community is free. It's run by Spaceberry Foundation, a non-profit organization. All you need to join is a Telegram account. In the chat you can ask questions, share your work for feedback and take part in design games: the same brief for everyone, a deadline and a community vote. Conversations are in Ukrainian.
Try Krea on a real task
Join 1,504 designers who learn, share their work and play design games. Show your sketch, the result and what you finished by hand, and get feedback. The community talks in Ukrainian.
- Free
- 1,504 members
- Join in 1 click
Updated · Spaceberry Foundation
Sources: