GPT Image 2.5 includes Flare for fast everyday image generation and Sunburst for workflows where editing precision matters most. Start with the task you need to complete: explore a new campaign concept, create a product scene, or refine an existing image. OpenAI documents both variants for image generation and editing. Official image generation guide
For a brand team, choosing a model is only the beginning. A useful image also needs the right composition, recognizable product details, space for copy, and a review process before publication. This guide shows how to turn those requirements into prompts and focused revisions.
Model documentation and BrandGene settings checked on October 8, 2026. The prompts below are illustrative briefs, not published benchmark results or examples of guaranteed output.
What Is GPT Image 2.5?
GPT Image 2.5 is an OpenAI image model family with two named variants: Flare and Sunburst. The official API identifiers are gpt-image-2.5-flare and gpt-image-2.5-sunburst. Both accept text and image inputs and produce images. Flare model documentation · Sunburst model documentation
A text-to-image task starts from a description. An image-editing task starts from a reference image and a description of what should change. For example, creating an imaginary skincare campaign concept is a generation task; replacing the background behind a photograph of your actual serum bottle is an editing task.
Keep model capability and application controls separate. An app can expose a subset of available sizes and quality settings. BrandGene presents GPT Image 2.5 as one model choice with Fast and Precision modes, described below.
GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs Sunburst
| Task | Suggested starting point | What to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Explore several campaign concepts | Flare | Composition, relevance, and useful variation |
| Create an everyday social visual | Flare | Readability, palette, and room for copy |
| Replace a product-photo background | Sunburst | Product details and whether changes stay localized |
| Refine an approved campaign image | Sunburst | Whether the requested revision preserves the rest |
These recommendations follow OpenAI's documented positioning: Flare emphasizes fast everyday generation, while Sunburst emphasizes editing precision. They are not scores from a controlled comparison. If one workflow matters to your business, compare both variants using the same source image and brief before committing to a production process.
Choose the mode and quality separately
In BrandGene, Fast maps to Flare and Precision maps to Sunburst. Medium and High are separate quality settings. Selecting Precision does not automatically mean selecting High quality.
A practical starting point is Flare with Medium for exploring directions. For a focused reference-image edit, consider Sunburst and evaluate the result before deciding whether a different quality setting is necessary. There is no fixed latency promise here: the image, settings, and service conditions affect the request.
How to Write a GPT Image 2.5 Prompt
A useful brief specifies four things: the subject, the composition, the visual treatment, and the constraints.
| Brief element | Example |
|---|---|
| Subject | One amber serum bottle |
| Composition | Product on the right, clear headline space on the left |
| Visual treatment | Warm ivory surface, soft side lighting, restrained colors |
| Constraints | No extra products, no added logos, no generated copy |
“Create a premium skincare ad” leaves most of those decisions open. A clearer prompt gives you a result you can assess against an explicit brief.
Prompt 1: Generate a campaign concept
Create a square campaign concept for a skincare brand. Place one amber serum bottle on the right side of a warm ivory surface. Use soft window lighting and a restrained beige and brown palette. Leave the upper-left area clear for a headline that will be added later. Do not add text, extra products, decorative logos, or watermarks.
Use this type of brief for visual exploration. If the bottle must match a real SKU, supply a reference photo and use an editing brief instead of asking the model to invent it.
Prompt 2: Edit an existing product photo
Using the uploaded product photo, replace the background with a warm ivory studio setting. Preserve the bottle silhouette, cap color, label layout, and visible wording. Keep the product fully inside the frame. Add a soft contact shadow beneath the bottle. Do not add packaging, accessories, or extra bottles.
“Preserve” expresses your requirement; it does not guarantee exact preservation. Compare the output with the original at full size. Our AI product photo editor guide explains how to plan background, lighting, and scene edits around an existing image.
Prompt 3: Make a focused revision
Keep the product placement, camera angle, label, and background composition. Reduce the background saturation and soften the shadow. Do not change the product or add objects.
This keeps the review manageable: you can check the requested changes and look for unintended changes elsewhere. Save an approved version before continuing, so you can return to it if a later revision loses a detail.
Prompt 4: Adapt the composition for another placement
Create a landscape version of this campaign image for a website banner. Keep the product on the right and preserve its appearance. Extend the background to leave clear space for a heading and button on the left. Do not stretch the product or add text.
A new composition can change image content. If you only need exact file dimensions and the composition already works, a resize or crop is a separate production step. Inspect any regenerated version as a new image.
Create GPT Image 2.5 Images in BrandGene
You can work through the brief in BrandGene Image Agent. The model and quality controls belong to you; the agent chooses a supported output-size preset from your request.
- Start a new conversation and select GPT Image 2.5. Choose Fast for Flare or Precision for Sunburst before sending your first message.
- Choose Medium or High quality. Treat this as a separate decision from the mode.
- Upload a reference when the subject must match an existing product. A clear, unobstructed image makes comparison easier.
- Describe the job and intended placement. State square social post, landscape banner, or another intended format, along with composition and constraints.
- Review the first result against the brief. Check the product and layout before asking for more variations.
- Request one focused revision. Describe what should change and what must stay consistent.
For a clean comparison, start a separate conversation for each mode and keep the brief and reference images the same. Wait for an active request to finish before changing the settings for your next request. For an overview of the workspace, visit AI Image Agent.
How credits work
BrandGene credits are application credits, separate from OpenAI API billing. In the current GPT Image 2.5 integration, the base amount depends on output size and Medium or High quality. Each effective reference image adds to the edit cost; effective references can include brand and product images added to the request, as well as your uploads.
This means a reference-image edit can cost more than a text-only request at the same output settings. Review the current credit usage details and your selected settings when planning a batch. Revisions that generate a new image are additional generation requests.
Check Product Accuracy Before Publishing
An attractive image can still misrepresent a product. Compare the source and result side by side, then inspect details at full resolution.
- Shape and proportions: Check the silhouette, cap, handles, edges, and number of components.
- Label and logo: Read the wording and inspect letter shapes. Check for invented claims or altered marks.
- Materials and color: Compare the product finish and palette against your reference.
- Scene details: Look for extra objects, implausible reflections, and missing contact shadows.
- Placement: Check the crop, margins, and space reserved for copy at the final display size.
If the label changes, do not approve the image simply because the overall scene looks good. Return to the original reference and narrow the edit. For exact brand typography, add approved artwork in your design workflow and review the export.
The AI product photography guide covers the broader planning process. If you are still choosing a workflow, use the AI image generator comparison as a starting point and verify the current model details with each provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GPT Image 2.5?
It is an OpenAI image model family with Flare and Sunburst variants. Both support image generation and editing from text and image inputs. See the official image generation guide for the API workflow.
What is the difference between GPT Image 2.5 Flare and Sunburst?
OpenAI positions Flare for fast everyday generation and Sunburst for editing precision. In BrandGene, their mode labels are Fast and Precision. Evaluate both with the same brief if precise product details are central to your task.
Can GPT Image 2.5 edit an existing product image?
Yes. Provide a reference image and explain the requested changes. Inspect the output against the original, particularly packaging, proportions, visible text, and logos.
Does Precision mean High quality in BrandGene?
No. Precision selects Sunburst. Medium and High are separate quality controls. Set both before sending the first message in a new conversation.
Is GPT Image 2.5 free in BrandGene?
Generation uses BrandGene credits. The amount depends on output settings and effective references. Check your balance and the current credit usage details; this guide does not promise unlimited or permanently free access.
Does a detailed prompt guarantee an accurate logo or label?
No. A detailed prompt states the requirements but does not replace inspection. Compare every output with approved product and brand assets before publication.
Start With One Clearly Defined Image Task
Choose a concept to explore or a product image to edit, specify the placement and constraints, then review the result before requesting a revision. Open BrandGene Image Agent to try GPT Image 2.5 in a conversation.