GPT Image 2.5 is OpenAI's image-generation and editing family, with Flare and Sunburst model options. Use this guide to choose a starting model, prepare a reference image, and adapt a prompt to your task. Compare the output controls below, then check the model and cost shown by the service you choose before generating.
Start with the task you need
Choose a model to compare, or copy a prompt starter and customize its subject, wording, and layout. Copying a prompt does not start a generation.
The family accepts text and image inputs and creates still images. That makes it relevant to both a new illustration described from scratch and a revision of an existing product photo. OpenAI provides two API choices: Flare and Sunburst. Their different priorities are a reason to compare them on your task, rather than assume one fits every job.
OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Images 2.5 on September 8, 2026. ChatGPT's drawing, commenting, and template experiences belong to that product; using an image API does not automatically reproduce those controls on another website. GPTImage.ai is a separate service. Read our release explainer for the announcement and rollout details.
Choose Flare or Sunburst for your task
OpenAI positions Flare around efficient everyday creation and Sunburst around demanding quality and editing precision. The table turns that positioning into a starting suggestion, not a measured ranking. Both accept text and reference images. Neither name identifies a GPTImage.ai membership level.
For a campaign draft, begin with a model that meets your essential requirements: readable wording, an intact product, and enough room for copy. For a difficult revision, compare the other model using the same reference, prompt, dimensions, and explicit quality setting. Decide whether the difference matters at the size people will actually see. A larger quality setting alone cannot answer that question.
Official positioning and suggested first tasks
Consideration
Flare
Sunburst
Official emphasis
Fast, high-quality everyday image creation
Quality and precise image editing
Suggested first task
Draft a poster, illustration, or simple campaign concept
Compare a demanding product edit or detailed reference asset
Tradeoff to evaluate
Does it meet the brief with acceptable waiting time?
Does the improvement justify the time and actual cost?
For the OpenAI API, copy the exact model ID below. The family name alone is not a verified request ID. Follow the image generation guide for setup; these identifiers do not select a model in GPTImage.ai's generator.
gpt-image-2.5-flare
gpt-image-2.5-sunburst
Moving from GPT Image 2
Save a few useful Image 2 results together with their inputs and settings. Compare a new version against those examples before changing a working process. Check difficult text, product geometry, and edits that previously needed several attempts. Keep the older result if it serves the brief better; there is no need to replace every asset.
How to create and refine an image
Start with a one-sentence brief: where the image will appear and what the viewer must notice. Then separate the requested changes from the details that must stay. For a product launch, that might mean a new scene with the original bottle shape and label. For an event poster, it might mean exact wording and generous margins.
Prepare the input. Use a clear reference you have permission to upload, or describe an original subject. Remove private details that are irrelevant to the design.
Choose an available route. In ChatGPT, check the image tools in your account. Developers can use OpenAI's documented API models. On GPTImage.ai, check the live model label before pasting a prompt.
Set the output and budget. Choose supported dimensions, format, and quality, then review the quote or usage estimate. Request only the variations you intend to pay for.
Review before refining. Save the result you want to build on and make one clear change. If your tool has no ongoing edit conversation, upload that saved result as the next reference where image editing is supported.
The official prompting guide offers further examples. Keep a copy of your brief and accepted result so that each revision has a clear point of comparison.
Prompt starters for real creative tasks
These six original prompt starters are adjustable starting points, not tested results or guarantees. Suggested compositions describe the design; choose a matching option only if your tool supports it. Reference editing and transparent output also need the appropriate controls, beyond the words in the prompt.
Product launch visual
Reference needed
A clear product photo you have permission to use.
Suggested composition
Portrait, ideally 4:5 where supported; space above and right for copy.
Use my uploaded product photo to create a clean launch visual. Place the product in the lower-left area of a warm, minimal studio scene, leaving clear space above and to the right for copy. Preserve the product's shape, colors, materials, and existing label. Add soft directional lighting and a believable contact shadow. Do not invent logos, badges, packaging, or words.
What to check: Compare the outline, package wording, colors, and contact shadow with the original. Treat preservation instructions as requirements to verify.
Event poster with precise text
Reference needed
None; replace the sample information with your confirmed event details.
Suggested composition
Portrait poster with a clear title and generous margins.
Design a portrait event poster for a small botanical workshop. Use a restrained editorial layout with one hand-drawn fern illustration and generous margins. Include only these words: "LEAF & LIGHT", "Botanical Print Workshop", and "Sunday, 10 AM". Make the title dominant and the details easy to read. Use cream, dark green, and one muted orange accent. Add no extra text or logos.
What to check: Compare every word, punctuation mark, and time against the prompt. Check contrast and margins. For a later time change, request that one change and compare the illustration and other wording again.
Transparent design asset
Reference needed
None; requires a tool with transparent-background output and PNG or WebP download.
Suggested composition
Centered subject with space around all edges.
Create a single sculpted paper hummingbird with layered teal and coral feathers, shown in a three-quarter view. Center it with generous clear space and a clean, readable silhouette. Keep the entire background transparent. Do not draw a solid background, checkerboard pattern, lettering, border, or ground plane. The asset should work when placed over either a light or a dark design.
What to check: Select transparent output separately. Inspect the saved file's alpha channel and feather edges over light and dark backgrounds.
Character reference sheet
Reference needed
None for this original character; an optional reference must be yours to use.
Suggested composition
Landscape canvas with three clearly separated views.
Create an original character reference sheet for a friendly adult explorer with short curly hair, a mustard field jacket, dark trousers, and a compact blue backpack. Show front, side, and back views on one neutral canvas, keeping the same clothing, proportions, and accessories in every view. Use a clear stylized illustration style with even lighting. Include no labels, dialogue, or decorative borders.
What to check: Compare the hairstyle, jacket, backpack straps, and body proportions across views. Resolve mismatches before using the sheet as a reference.
Room redesign from a reference photo
Reference needed
A room photo you have permission to upload.
Suggested composition
Keep the reference camera angle and framing.
Use the uploaded room photo as the structural reference. Keep the camera position, windows, doors, wall openings, and floor plan. Redesign only the furniture and movable decor in a calm reading-room style with light wood, linen, and warm neutral colors. Maintain realistic proportions and clear walking space. Do not add windows, remove walls, or change the room's architecture.
What to check: Compare openings, wall positions, perspective, and furniture scale. Use the image as a design concept, not a measured renovation plan.
Cover image prepared for later animation
Reference needed
None. Any later video generation is a separate operation.
Suggested composition
Vertical, ideally 9:16 where supported; keep room for camera movement.
Create a vertical cinematic cover image of an original miniature lighthouse on a rocky island at blue hour. Keep the lighthouse fully visible near the center, with open sky above and calm water in the foreground. Use a soft warm beacon, subtle mist, and clear depth separation. Avoid text, logos, extreme perspective, and cropped edges. Leave visual room for a gentle camera push-in later.
What to check: Inspect the silhouette, uncropped edges, and space around the subject. A suitable still does not guarantee that a later video will preserve every detail.
Reference images, output settings, and transparent PNGs
A reference can guide the subject, composition, or style. Say which role it serves, particularly when using several images. Keep required label wording in your written brief as well. A reference helps communicate intent; it does not lock a face, logo, or product into unchanged pixels.
The official models support low, medium, high, xhigh, max, and auto quality. Quality and dimensions are separate choices. A larger image is not necessarily a better composition, and the highest setting may not improve the detail you care about.
Official output controls to check in your chosen tool
Task
Setting to check
On GPTImage.ai
Revise a reference
An image-editing operation and the correct uploaded input
Check the live generator; 2.5 support is unconfirmed.
Fit a layout
Output width, height, and cropping; do not rely on a “4K” label alone
Check the live generator; 2.5 support is unconfirmed.
Create a cutout
Transparent background plus an alpha-preserving PNG or WebP download
Check the live generator; 2.5 support is unconfirmed.
Compare versions
Keep dimensions and explicit quality unchanged for the first comparison
Check the live generator; 2.5 support is unconfirmed.
OpenAI recommends 1024×1024, 1536×1024, and 1024×1536 as common sizes. Custom dimensions have additional constraints; its generation guide labels resolutions above 2560×1440 experimental. Those are official API options, not a list of sizes confirmed on GPTImage.ai for 2.5.
For transparency, select the background setting and PNG or WebP format, then inspect alpha—the file's per-pixel transparency information. JPEG cannot keep it. Check the downloaded file, not just a checkerboard preview. A transparent PNG is still a raster image, not editable SVG, PSD, or a ready-to-print source file.
Credits, trial access, and downloads
This page does not provide a verified GPTImage.ai quote for either 2.5 model. The current pricing page describes the tools and plans offered by the site. Check the selected model, operation, size, image count, and total credit charge in the generator; an Image 2 rate does not establish a 2.5 price.
Current pricing says first Google registrations receive 20 welcome credits and email registrations start with zero. That does not establish a free 2.5 allowance. It distinguishes recurring subscriptions from one-time credit purchases, and describes visible-watermark removal on paid downloads. Review the applicable offer before buying; reading this guide or copying its prompts does not require a purchase.
OpenAI API billing is separate from site credits and ChatGPT subscriptions. Tokens are the API's units for measuring text and image usage. The official rates and 2.5 output-cost estimator help developers plan usage; the estimator excludes input costs and is not a bill or a GPTImage.ai quote. Identical token rates do not guarantee identical final costs.
Check the result before you use it
Open the saved image at full size, then preview it at its intended display size. For posters, compare the text character by character, including dates and punctuation. For products, put the reference beside the result and inspect package geometry, logos, colors, and reflections. For portraits or character sheets, compare facial features, proportions, and accessories.
After each edit, compare both the requested change and areas you meant to preserve. More precise editing does not guarantee that every pixel outside a target area stays fixed. For transparent assets, switch between light and dark backgrounds to reveal halos or missing edges. Confirm the downloaded dimensions and file format before placing the asset in a layout.
Supply verified text and data for charts or informational graphics, then check every value after generation. A convincing picture is not evidence that its facts are correct. Complex requests can take longer, and a newer model may not match your style preference. Use material you are entitled to upload and review the site's terms of service before commercial use.
Turn a finished image into a short video
Once the still works, consider a small motion: a slow product-camera move, changing light on a poster, or drifting mist in an illustration. GPTImage.ai's image-to-video workflow is a separate service with its own controls and credit charge. GPT Image 2.5 itself outputs images, not MP4 video.
Use a finished image you have permission to animate. Keep movement modest when recognizable product details or text must survive, and inspect the video for distortion. For a transparent asset, prepare a background composition before uploading it if the video tool requires an opaque image. Check that workflow's input requirements and quote before submitting; an image-generation allowance does not include a video.
Frequently asked questions
Is GPT Image 2.5 available on GPTImage.ai?
We have not confirmed 2.5 access on GPTImage.ai for this guide. Check the live generator's model label and quote. This page describes the official family and helps you prepare tasks; its current-tools link does not promise a 2.5 session.
What is the difference between Flare and Sunburst?
OpenAI emphasizes everyday speed for Flare and demanding quality and editing precision for Sunburst. Use the model comparison to choose a first candidate, then judge your own inputs. Neither model is guaranteed to win on every style or task.
Can I try it for free, and do I need to sign in?
You can read this page and copy prompts without signing in. Generation access and charges depend on the service and account. GPTImage.ai's current welcome-credit rules do not confirm a free 2.5 trial; check pricing and the live tool before starting.
Do I need a ChatGPT subscription or my own API key?
Choose the service first. ChatGPT uses its own account access; direct OpenAI API requests use API credentials and separate billing. GPTImage.ai's existing generator uses the site's access and credit system. Check the live tool for account requirements; 2.5 access is not confirmed here.
Can I edit a photo without changing the main subject?
You can ask for a specific edit and name the features to preserve. Still compare the result with the reference, especially faces, packaging, and text. Reference editing does not guarantee unchanged pixels, and a mask or selection brush is available only where the chosen interface supports it.
Can I download transparent PNGs or high-resolution images?
The official models support transparent output and configurable sizes. Your tool and download path must also support the requested settings. Inspect the saved alpha channel and actual dimensions, and retain the experimental qualification for the larger official resolutions described under output settings.
Can GPT Image 2.5 generate videos?
No. Its documented output is still images. You can use an appropriate finished image as input to a separate video service, including GPTImage.ai's image-to-video workflow. That operation has separate capabilities, input requirements, and charges; it is not native 2.5 video output.
What if generation fails or the result is not right?
Keep the error message and check the tool's task status before retrying. A technical failure and an image you dislike are different situations. Review GPTImage.ai's refund policy for purchases; do not assume an unsatisfactory result or every failed request guarantees a refund.
Sources and updates
This guide draws on official documentation and the site's published pricing. It is not a scored benchmark. The prompt starters have not been tested on these models.
