GPT Image 2: photorealism with text that stays legible

GPT Image 2 is OpenAI’s image model for photorealistic scenes and on-image text you can read: signs, UI, packaging and infographics. Generate from a prompt or edit with reference images in Artlist’s AI tools, in the original release, 2.5 or 2.6, plus animated GIF and vector models.

GPT 2 Image Generator from OpenAI

Why creators choose GPT Image 2

  • Mockups with readable text

    Signs, UI, packaging and infographics keep readable text, so a mockup or poster is ready to review without a type fix afterward. Put the exact copy in quotes in your prompt.

  • Edits that change one thing

    Name the region you want changed and the subject, composition and background stay as they were: that is scoped editing. Replace a label, swap a color or relight a corner without redoing the frame.

  • One subject across a whole set

    Faces, products and layouts stay recognizable across new settings and styles, and quality holds over many rounds of revision. Push one image forward instead of starting over.

  • References that carry your look

    Add reference images to one edit and tag each in the prompt, with the subject from one and the setting from another. Match packaging, a palette or a character across a set.

  • Fast drafts, precise finals

    On 2.5 and 2.6, explore on Flare, then rerun the winner on Sunburst for the frame you ship. Same prompt, with the slow generation spent only where precision counts.

Gold-leaf lettering on a bookbinder's shop door reading THE BINDERY and HAND-STITCHED JOURNALS, above a lamp-lit bench, made with GPT Image 2.6

What is GPT Image 2.6?

GPT Image 2.6 is the newest release of OpenAI’s AI image generator, in Flare and Sunburst. It adds a separate reasoning control, Low, Medium or High, that trades speed for detail. Quality runs Low to High, up to 4K. Choose 2.5 instead for XHigh or Max.

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What is GPT Image 2.6 GIF?

GPT Image 2.6 GIF turns a text prompt into an animated GIF, as a separate model from GPT Image 2.6. Set the number of frames, from 2 to 12, and how long each one shows, from 20 ms to 2 seconds. Pick Flare for fast drafts or Sunburst for precision.

Try GPT Image 2.6 GIF
Looping animated GIF of a rainy night window with steaming tea and the words OPEN LATE on the glass, made with GPT Image 2.6 GIF
A flat vector illustration of a woman in a sun hat lying under a striped umbrella on a beach at sunset, with a lemonade beside her

What is GPT Image 2.6 Vector?

GPT Image 2.6 Vector turns a text prompt into a scalable vector (SVG) file with clean flat shapes, as a separate model from GPT Image 2.6. Use it for logos, icons and simple illustrations, in Flare or Sunburst at Low, Medium or High quality. Detailed scenes come out simplified and can take several minutes. Ask for flat shapes and a small palette.

Try GPT Image 2.6 Vector

How to create stunning visuals with GPT Image 2

Create high-quality images in minutes using a simple step-by-step workflow inside Artlist's AI tools.

Start Creating

  1. Open the Image Generator in Artlist’s AI tools and choose GPT Image 2, GPT Image 2.5, GPT Image 2.6, 2.6 GIF or 2.6 Vector from the model list.

    How to use GPT Image 2 - step 1

  2. Describe the image in full sentences, the way you would brief a person. Put any on-image text in quotes and say where it sits. Or upload reference images to edit.

    How to use GPT Image 2 - step 2

  3. Pick an aspect ratio and a quality tier. On 2.5 and 2.6 you also choose 1K, 2K or 4K and Flare or Sunburst, and on 2.6 you can set reasoning to High for careful layouts.

    How to use GPT Image 2 - step 3

  4. Review the results, then edit the best one forward instead of rerunning the prompt. There is no seed control, so editing is how you lock a result. Download it when it is ready.

    How to use GPT Image 2 - step 4

Get better results with simple prompt control

A few prompt habits get the most out of GPT Image 2 and its newer releases.

  • Write sentences, not keyword lists

    The model reads a prompt the way a person would. Describe subject, mood and setting in plain sentences instead of stacking keywords.

  • Put rendered text in quotes

    Quote the exact words and say where they sit, for example: the sign reads ‘OPEN LATE’ in bold condensed sans.

  • Say what stays when you edit

    Name what changes and what stays, for example: keep the background and lighting, replace only the label. There is no mask or brush, so the prompt has to name the region.

  • Iterate at Medium, finish at High

    Explore at Medium quality, then rerun the winner at High for the shipping frame. On 2.6, raise reasoning to High for the most careful layouts.

  • Ask for flat shapes in a vector

    For GPT Image 2.6 Vector, ask for flat shapes and a small palette, for example: flat two-color logo of a coffee cup with steam. Detailed scenes come out simplified.

Who benefits most from GPT Image 2?

GPT Image 2 fits any job that depends on rendered text or on repeated edits to the same subject.

Try GPT Image 2
  • GPT Image 2 for design teams

    Design teams

    Mock up UI, signage and packaging with copy that reads correctly, then revise one element at a time without redrawing the layout.

  • GPT Image 2 for marketing agencies

    Marketing agencies

    Build campaign visuals and ads where headlines and labels stay accurate, and keep one subject consistent across every format in the set.

  • GPT Image 2 for product and creative studios

    Product and creative studios

    Prototype product imagery from your own references. Iterate fast on Flare, then finish polished frames on Sunburst.

Start creating photorealistic visuals with GPT Image 2

Describe the scene in full sentences, quote any text it should show, and add references when you need a specific look. GPT Image 2 follows detailed instructions closely, so a precise prompt gets a precise image.

Start Creating
Try GPT Image 2 at Artlist

GPT Image 2 vs 2.5 vs 2.6

Feature
GPT Image 2
GPT Image 2.5
GPT Image 2.6 Flare
GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst
Resolution options
Output size you can pick
No selector
1K, 2K, 4K
1K, 2K, 4K
1K, 2K, 4K
Aspect ratios
Presets in the toolkit
16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 3:4, 4:3
Adds 2:3 and 3:2
Adds 2:3 and 3:2
Adds 2:3 and 3:2
Quality tiers
Detail you can dial
Low, Medium, High
Low to Max, adds XHigh and Max
Low, Medium, High
Low, Medium, High
Reasoning control
Planning before the render
Not offered
Not offered
Low, Medium, High
Low, Medium, High
Images per run
Options per generation
1 to 4
1 to 10
1 to 10
1 to 10
Transparent background
For cutouts and composites
Not offered
Transparent or opaque
Transparent or opaque
Transparent or opaque
Variant
Speed or precision
Not offered
Flare for volume, Sunburst for precise edits
Flare: the default, built for volume
Sunburst: slower, tightest control
Edit-heavy work
Scoped edits over many rounds
Superseded by 2.5 and 2.6
Proven pair for multi-turn edits
Default for most work
Tightest edit control
Best for
Where it fits your workflow
General generation and editing
Cutouts, XHigh and Max finals
Social content, product shots, prototyping, high volume
Campaign creative, polished product imagery

GPT Image 2’s image generation capabilities

What each setting does across GPT Image 2, 2.5 and 2.6, so you can pick the right release for the job.

  • Text-to-image

    Describe a scene in full sentences and get photorealistic output. Choose 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 3:4 or 4:3 on every release, plus 2:3 and 3:2 on 2.5 and 2.6.

  • Image editing

    Edit with the prompt alone. Name the region to change and the rest of the frame stays put. There is no mask or brush, so say what moves and what stays.

  • Text rendering

    Signs, UI, packaging and infographics keep legible text. Put the exact wording in quotes and say where it sits in the frame.

  • Resolution up to 4K

    On 2.5 and 2.6 choose 1K, 2K or 4K, so a social crop and a large-format master come from the same model.

  • Multi-reference edits

    Add reference images to an edit and tag each in the prompt: subject from one, setting from another.

  • Flare and Sunburst

    Flare is the fast default for volume. Sunburst takes longer for tighter edit control. Both cover generation and editing on 2.5 and 2.6.

  • Reasoning control on 2.6

    Set Low, Medium or High reasoning to choose how much the model plans before it renders. Medium is the default. High suits the most careful layouts and costs speed.

  • Vector output on 2.6

    GPT Image 2.6 Vector turns one prompt into a scalable SVG with clean flat shapes, ready to edit in design tools. It suits logos, icons and simple illustrations.

Learn how to create high-quality images

Explore expert guides and resources to improve your workflow and get more out of GPT Image 2.

Frequently asked questions about GPT Image 2

GPT Image 2 is OpenAI’s image model, strongest on photorealism and on text that stays legible, such as signs, UI and packaging. In Artlist’s AI image generator it covers text-to-image generation and image-to-image editing, in the original, 2.5 and 2.6 releases.

GPT Image 2 is the original release. 2.5 adds Flare and Sunburst variants, 1K to 4K output and XHigh and Max quality tiers. 2.6 adds a separate reasoning control and tops out at High quality. Both newer releases suit edit-heavy work better than the original.

On 2.5 and 2.6, Flare is the fast default for everyday work like social content, product shots and high-volume iteration. Sunburst is slower and gives the tightest edit control, which suits campaign creative and polished product images. Both cover text-to-image and editing, so many creators explore on Flare and finish on Sunburst.

Reasoning sets how much GPT Image 2.6 plans before it renders, at Low, Medium or High. Medium is the default. High suits the most careful layouts and trades speed for detail, so iterate at Medium and raise it for the final frame.

Use 2.6 for most work, with reasoning control to dial in detail. Use 2.5 when you want the XHigh or Max tier for a final. Both offer Flare and Sunburst, 1K to 4K and transparent backgrounds, and 2.6 stops at High quality.

GPT Image 2.6 GIF is a separate model in Artlist’s AI image generator that makes an animated GIF from a text prompt. You set the number of frames, from 2 to 12, and how long each frame shows, then choose Flare or Sunburst. Use GPT Image 2.6 when you need a still image.

Describe the scene and what moves in full sentences, and put any on-screen words in quotes. Pick 2 to 12 frames and a frame duration; the default is 9 frames at 200 ms, about 1.8 seconds of animation. Iterate at Medium on Flare, then rerun the winner on Sunburst at High.

GPT Image 2.6 Vector is a separate model in Artlist’s AI image generator that makes a scalable vector (SVG) file from a text prompt, with clean flat shapes you can edit in design tools. Choose Flare or Sunburst at Low, Medium or High quality. It suits logos, icons and simple illustrations.

Describe the graphic in full sentences and ask for flat shapes and a small palette, for example: flat two-color logo of a coffee cup with steam. Iterate at Medium on Flare, then rerun the winner on Sunburst at High quality. Detailed scenes come out simplified and can take several minutes, so keep it to flat graphics.

GPT Image 2 improves on GPT Image 1.5 in several key areas. It delivers more consistent visual quality, better understanding of complex prompts, and stronger accuracy when generating text within images (such as labels, UI elements, or signage). It also handles multi-element scenes more reliably, resulting in fewer distortions and more coherent outputs across different styles and use cases.

GPT Image 2 suits designers mocking up UI and packaging, marketers producing campaign visuals, creators making social assets and product teams prototyping ideas. It fits any job where rendered text or repeated edits to the same subject matter, and Flare and Sunburst cover both quick drafts and careful finals.

Artlist also offers Nano Banana 2.1, Flux 3 Image and Seedream 5.0 for realistic images. Pick GPT Image 2 over Nano Banana or Flux when a job depends on rendered text or on repeated edits to the same subject. Each model balances speed, resolution and control differently.

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