Got the basics down but want to level up your Brat Generator skills? This guide covers everything from UI navigation to advanced tricks that most users don't know about.
Understanding the Interface
Let's start with what you're actually looking at when you open a Brat generator.
The Main Canvas
The big square in the center is your preview canvas. What you see here is exactly what you'll download. If it looks good on screen, it'll look good as an image.
Key point: The canvas updates in real-time. Every change you make shows up instantly, so there's no "preview" button to click.
Text Input Field
This is where you type. Seems obvious, but here are some non-obvious things:
Character limits vary by tool:
- Main Brat Generator: Up to 50 characters
- Brat Text Generator: Up to 500 characters
- Brat Word Generator: Optimized for 1-15 characters
- Brat Lyrics Generator: Pre-loaded lyrics or custom text
Pro tip: If your text gets cut off or looks cramped, you're probably using the wrong tool. Switch to one designed for longer text.
Color Selection
The colored circles below the canvas are your color palette. Click any circle to change the background instantly.
What each color is good for:
- Brat Green (#8ACE00): The classic. Use this for authentic Brat vibes
- Hot Pink (#FF69B4): High energy, great for social media attention
- White (#FFFFFF): Clean and minimalist, reads well on any background
- Black (#000000): Bold and dramatic, high contrast
- Cyan (#00CED1): Fresh and modern, stands out
- Purple (#BA51B6): Sophisticated, different from the usual green
- Yellow (#E5ED23): Maximum visibility, hard to miss
- Blue (#0000FF): Calm and professional
- Gold (#FFD700): Premium feel, celebratory
For the pink theme specifically, check out Brat Generator Pink.
Alignment Options
Most tools offer four alignment choices:
- Left: Good for longer text, feels more "written"
- Center: Most popular, works for almost everything
- Right: Unique look, less common (which can be good)
- Justify: Best for multiple lines, creates even edges
When to use what:
- Single word? Center works best
- Multiple lines? Try justify
- Song lyrics? Left often looks better
- Short phrase? Center or left
Tips for Better Covers
Here's stuff that took me a while to figure out.
Text Tips
Less is usually more The original Brat album cover is just the word "brat" in lowercase. Simple works. If you're typing paragraphs, you're probably overthinking it.
Lowercase tends to look better Compare these:
- "BRAT SUMMER" (okay)
- "Brat Summer" (fine)
- "brat summer" (hits different)
The lowercase version just has more of that Brat aesthetic. Not a rule, just a pattern I've noticed.
Punctuation is tricky The Brat style doesn't really do punctuation. If you're adding periods, commas, or exclamation points, ask yourself if you actually need them. Usually, you don't.
Line breaks matter If you're typing multiple lines, where you break the lines changes how it reads. Play around with it. Sometimes breaking in an unexpected place makes it more interesting.
Color Strategy
Match the mood to the color
- Fun/playful: Bright colors (green, pink, cyan)
- Serious: Black or white
- Energetic: Yellow or hot pink
- Calm: Blue or purple
Consider where it'll be used
- Instagram story: Bright colors stand out
- Profile picture: White or black for readability at small sizes
- Desktop wallpaper: Any color works, go with what you like
- Print: Avoid pure white background (looks cheap when printed)
Test on different backgrounds If you're using this as a profile picture or overlay, think about what's behind it. A white cover might disappear on a white background.
Design Tricks
The two-word rule Two words almost always looks better than one word or three words. I don't know why, but it's true. Try it:
- "brat" (good)
- "brat summer" (great)
- "brat summer vibes" (getting busy)
Numbers are interesting Putting a number in your text makes it more eye-catching:
- "365 party girl"
- "brat 2024"
- "track 5"
Use the blur wisely Some tools (like Brat Styles) let you add blur. A tiny bit of blur (0.5-1.0) can make text look softer. Too much (3.0+) makes it look fuzzy and unprofessional.
Common Problems (And Fixes)
"My text looks too small"
If you're typing a lot: Use the Brat Text Generator instead of the basic one. It handles longer text better.
If it's just one word: That's probably intentional. The Brat aesthetic often has small text on a big canvas. But if you really want it bigger, try the Brat Font Generator.
"The download button doesn't work"
Try these in order:
- Refresh the page
- Try a different browser (Chrome or Safari work best)
- Disable browser extensions
- Check if your popup blocker is on
- Make sure you're clicking "Download," not right-clicking and saving
If none of that works: Screenshot it as a backup, but the downloaded version will be higher quality.
"What do I click to delete all text?"
Just select all the text in the input box and hit delete/backspace. Or refresh the page to start fresh.
"How do I change the font?"
Most Brat generators use the standard Brat font (bold Arial-style). If you want different fonts, use the Brat Font Generator which has more typography options.
"Can I upload my own background image?"
Not in the standard generators—these tools are specifically for the solid-color Brat style. If you want image backgrounds, you'd need to use design software like Canva or Photoshop.
"How do I make it bigger than 500x500?"
The Brat Styles Generator lets you choose custom canvas sizes. For most social media use, 500x500 or 1000x1000 is plenty.
Advanced Techniques
Once you've got the basics down, try these.
Create a Series
Instead of making one cover, make several that work together:
- Same color, different text
- Same text, different colors
- Sequential numbers or lyrics
Post them as a carousel on Instagram or use them for different purposes.
Combine with Other Tools
- Download your Brat cover
- Use it in other apps (Instagram Stories, TikTok, etc.)
- Add it as an overlay or background element
- Layer multiple covers together in a design app
Template Your Favorites
If you find a color + alignment + text length combo you really like:
- Screenshot your settings
- Write down the exact setup
- Use that as a template for future covers
Saves time if you're making a bunch.
Experiment with Unconventional Text
Most people type normal words. Try:
- Just punctuation: "!!!"
- Single letters: "b"
- Symbols: "→"
- Spaces: "b r a t" (spaced out)
- Repetition: "brat brat brat"
Some of these will look weird. Some will look interesting. You won't know until you try.
Best Practices by Use Case
For Social Media Posts
Instagram/TikTok:
- Bright colors (green, pink, yellow) get more attention
- Short text (2-5 words)
- Center alignment
Twitter/X:
- Any color works
- Can go longer with text
- Left or center alignment
Facebook:
- Stick to recognizable colors (green, pink)
- Keep it simple (this crowd skews older)
- Center alignment
For Profile Pictures
Small size = high contrast:
- Use black or white backgrounds
- Keep text to 1-2 words
- Center alignment
- Bold, simple text
Test it: Make your cover, then shrink it down on your screen. Can you still read it? If not, simplify.
For Memes
The Brat Meme Generator is specifically designed for this, but general tips:
- Shorter text hits harder
- Lowercase feels more casual
- Bright colors = more shares
- If it's funny at full size but unreadable when small, it won't get shared
For Wallpapers
Phone wallpapers:
- Consider where your icons will be
- Test with your actual home screen
- Calmer colors (white, black, blue) are easier to live with long-term
Desktop wallpapers:
- Go bigger if the tool allows (1920x1080 or larger)
- Consider using multiple monitors? Make a set
- Avoid super bright colors (you'll be staring at this for hours)
Tool Selection Guide
Not sure which Brat generator to use? Here's a quick reference:
Use the main Brat Generator when:
- You want the classic experience
- Your text is 1-5 words
- You just need something quick
Use the Brat Text Generator when:
- You have longer text (paragraphs, multiple lines)
- You need more than 50 characters
- You want more text flexibility
Use the Brat Word Generator when:
- It's a single word or name
- You want it optimized for short text
- Maximum impact with minimal text
Use the Brat Font Generator when:
- You care about typography
- You want font customization
- You're particular about text styling
Use the Brat Styles Generator when:
- You want advanced options (blur, custom sizes)
- You need precise control
- You're comfortable with more settings
Use the Brat Lyrics Generator when:
- You want official Charli XCX lyrics
- You're making something specifically music-related
- You want pre-loaded text options
Use the Brat Meme Generator when:
- You're making memes (obviously)
- You want meme-specific formatting
- You're posting to meme communities
Use the Brat Album Cover Generator when:
- You need square format
- You're making music-related covers
- You want album-specific features
Use the Brat Generator Pink when:
- You specifically want the pink theme
- You're doing pink-themed content
- Regular pink isn't pink enough
Browse all options at /tools.
Keyboard Shortcuts (Browser Specific)
These aren't built into the generators, but they're useful:
- Ctrl/Cmd + A in text box: Select all text
- Ctrl/Cmd + C: Copy text
- Ctrl/Cmd + V: Paste text
- Ctrl/Cmd + Z: Undo (in text box only)
- Refresh page (Ctrl/Cmd + R): Start over fresh
Quality Control Checklist
Before you download, run through this:
- [ ] Is the text readable at full size?
- [ ] Does it look good at thumbnail size?
- [ ] Did you check for typos?
- [ ] Is the alignment what you wanted?
- [ ] Does the color work for your use case?
- [ ] Have you tried a few different options?
- [ ] Are you happy with it, or just settling?
That last one is important. These tools are free and instant. If you're not loving it, take 30 more seconds and try something else.
What Not to Do
Don't:
- Cram too much text into a small space
- Use weird fonts (unless you're using the Font Generator)
- Add external watermarks (defeats the point of the clean aesthetic)
- Forget to download the high-res version
- Copy other people's exact covers (be inspired, don't copy)
Don't worry about:
- Making it perfect the first time
- Following all the "rules" (there aren't really rules)
- Whether it's "authentic" enough
- What other people will think
The whole point of the Brat aesthetic is that it's accessible and DIY. If you're overthinking it, you're doing it wrong.
Next Steps
Now you know how to use the Brat generator like a pro. Want to learn more?
- How to Make Brat Generator Covers - Step-by-step tutorial
- What is Brat Generator? - Complete overview
- All Tools - See every Brat generator available
Questions? Most common ones are answered in the tools themselves. Otherwise, the best way to learn is just to experiment. Make 20 covers in the next 10 minutes. See what works. Delete the bad ones. Keep the good ones.
That's the guide. Go make something cool.
Brat-Gen is a fan-made project celebrating Charli XCX's Brat album. Not officially affiliated with Charli XCX or Atlantic Records.
