GPT Image 2: OpenAI's image model for accurate text — pricing, sizes, prompts

What is GPT Image 2

GPT Image 2 is OpenAI’s model for generating and editing images. It came out on April 21, 2026 alongside ChatGPT Images 2.0 and became the main image model in ChatGPT. In the API it has a single snapshot, gpt-image-2-2026-04-21. For the whole family, see the GPT Image overview.

OpenAI focused on demanding visual tasks: layouts, diagrams, infographics, comics and accurate text in many languages. On September 8, 2026, GPT Image 2.5 launched with the Flare and Sunburst models, and it now powers images in ChatGPT. GPT Image 2 remains available in the API, unchanged.

What GPT Image 2 can do

Text that doesn’t need fixing. Menus, recipes, posters, diagram labels and comic dialogue come out spelled correctly and in the right places — including non-Latin scripts.

UIs and layouts. App screens, dashboards, slides and cards with legible numbers — see the running tracker screen in the gallery.

Custom sizes. Any width and height in multiples of 16 px, up to 3840 px on the long side and up to 8.3 MP. Square images are the fastest.

Editing and masks. The edit endpoint accepts several images and a mask. To the model, the mask is guidance rather than a stencil: the edit may not follow its edges pixel for pixel.

High-fidelity references. GPT Image 2 always processes input images at high fidelity, so the input_fidelity parameter isn’t used. The trade-off: reference-based edits use more input tokens.

Batch mode. The model works with the Batch API — for hundreds of images when you don’t need results right away.

How much GPT Image 2 costs

The API price depends on the quality level and image size:

Quality	1024 × 1024	1024 × 1536	1536 × 1024
low	$0.006	$0.005	$0.005
medium	$0.053	$0.041	$0.041
high	$0.211	$0.165	$0.165

GPT Image 2 and 2.5 share the same price per image output token — $30 per million. But they use a different number of tokens per image, so the per-image cost isn’t the same.

Default API rate limits range from 20 images per minute at the entry account tier to 250 at the Grow tier.

GPT Image 2 vs. 2.5: which one to use

	GPT Image 2	GPT Image 2.5 Flare	GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst
Released	Apr 21, 2026	Sep 8, 2026	Sep 8, 2026
Quality	baseline	comparable to GPT Image 2	higher
Speed	baseline	up to 50% lower latency	slower than Flare
Quality levels	low, medium, high	+ xhigh and max	+ xhigh and max
Transparent background	preview	yes	yes
Where	API	ChatGPT, API	API

OpenAI’s own advice for teams built on GPT Image 2: test Flare first — if the quality holds up, latency drops noticeably. If GPT Image 2 falls short, start with Sunburst.

What GPT Image 2 is good for

• Menus, recipes, posters, flyers — lots of text that has to be legible.
• UI prototypes and slides with realistic data.
• Comics and storyboards with dialogue in speech bubbles.
• Infographics and diagrams with labeled steps.
• Bulk generation via the Batch API — when price matters more than speed.

GPT Image 2 vs. alternatives

	GPT Image 2	Nano Banana Pro	Nano Banana 2	Seedream 5.0
Developer	OpenAI	Google DeepMind	Google DeepMind	ByteDance Seed
Released	Apr 21, 2026	Nov 20, 2025	Feb 26, 2026	Lite Feb 13, 2026; Pro Jul 8, 2026
Max size	3840 px	4K	4K	Lite — 4K, Pro — 2K
Text	strong, many languages	strong	good	10+ languages, layers
Mask editing	yes	by prompt	by prompt	by point, box, lasso
In AI2Face	yes	yes	yes	yes

GPT Image 2 is strongest with text and UIs. Nano Banana Pro holds faces and complex scenes with people better, and Seedream 5.0 Pro is better for layered design and pinpoint edits.

How to write prompts for GPT Image 2

OpenAI recommends this structure:

1. Scene, subject, details, constraints — as labeled sections when the prompt gets long.
2. State the intended use: “a product photo,” “a diagram,” “an app screen” — the model adapts the layout.
3. Quote text verbatim, with its position and typeface. Spell unusual words letter by letter and add “no other text.” For small text, use medium or high.
4. In edits, separate the change from the constraints: “change only X,” then list what must stay.
5. Give each reference a numbered role: “image 1 is the product, image 2 is the background.”
6. Change one thing at a time. Each edit step is a separate request; restate key constraints.

The full prompts for each image are in the gallery below.

How to use GPT Image 2 in AI2Face

GPT Image 2 is in the AI2Face generator alongside GPT Image 2.5, Nano Banana Pro and Seedream 5.0.

1. Sign up — new accounts get starter credits.
2. Open the generator and pick GPT Image 2.
3. Write a prompt, upload references if needed, set the aspect ratio.
4. The credit cost is shown before you start. Credits don’t expire.

AI2Face replaces generation metadata in finished images with standard camera EXIF, so social networks don’t label them as AI-generated.

Limitations

• Transparent background is unreliable. It’s a preview feature, and in late September 2026 developers reported API rejections. For PNGs without a background, use GPT Image 2.5.
• Masks are guidance. An edit can spill past the mask.
• Speed. Complex prompts can take up to 2 minutes.
• Text isn’t perfect. Long small print and unusual words need proofreading.
• Moderation. Requests and results are filtered under OpenAI’s policies.
• Not the newest. ChatGPT has already moved to 2.5, and new features — like sketches and comments on the image — appear there.

Bottom line

GPT Image 2 is a dependable model for images with text: menus, UIs, comics and infographics. With the Batch API and low quality, it’s also one of the cheapest. If you need transparent backgrounds, precise multi-step edits or speed, move to GPT Image 2.5: Flare is comparable in quality but twice as fast. For photorealism and scenes with people, compare the result with Nano Banana Pro in the same AI2Face generator.