Part 1
The Prompt Formula
GPT Image 2 works best with a single, detailed sentence covering five elements. You don't need all five every time — but including more gets you closer on the first try.
Example in practice:
Product shot prompt
A matte black ceramic coffee mug on a white marble surface, soft diffused light from the upper left, minimal shadow, studio product photography, 4K
What each element does
| Element | What to include | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Main object, person, or scene | "A glass perfume bottle with a gold cap" |
| Background | Surface, environment, mood | "On pale ivory paper with linen texture" |
| Lighting | Direction, quality, temperature | "Soft window light from the left, cool tones" |
| Style | Aesthetic reference or genre | "Commercial product photography" |
| Resolution | Output quality target | "4K" / "2K" / "print-ready" |
Part 2
Keyword Library
Style keywords
| Category | Keywords to use |
|---|---|
| Product photography | product photography, studio shot, commercial photography, flat lay, editorial product, tabletop photography |
| Photorealistic | photorealistic, hyperrealistic, DSLR, shot on 85mm, shot on 35mm, depth of field |
| Editorial / fashion | editorial, fashion photography, Vogue-style, high-end lifestyle, lookbook |
| Illustration | flat illustration, vector style, storybook illustration, children's book art, line art, ink drawing |
| Anime / manga | anime, Studio Ghibli style, manga illustration, cel-shading, soft anime |
| Architecture | architectural visualization, interior render, Scandinavian interior, minimalist architecture |
| Fantasy | fantasy art, cinematic fantasy, epic landscape, concept art, matte painting |
Lighting keywords
| Mood | Keywords to use |
|---|---|
| Clean / studio | soft diffused light, overhead studio light, white box lighting, shadowless |
| Dramatic | chiaroscuro, rim light, single-source side light, high contrast |
| Natural / warm | golden hour, morning light, soft window light, warm afternoon sun |
| Cool / moody | overcast light, blue hour, cool tones, diffused grey sky |
| Neon / night | neon glow, city lights at night, ambient urban light, backlit |
Camera & quality keywords
Part 3
E-Commerce Product Photography
Product images on Shopify, Amazon, and catalogs need clean backgrounds, accurate colors, and sharp detail. GPT Image 2 handles all three.
White background hero shot
A matte black stainless steel water bottle on a pure white background, soft overhead studio light, clean minimal shadow beneath, no props, studio product photography, 4K
Lifestyle surface shot
A ceramic pour-over coffee dripper on a light oak wood table, warm morning sunlight from the right, steam rising gently, lifestyle coffee photography, shallow depth of field
Beauty flat lay
A flat lay of skincare products — a glass serum bottle, a white cream jar, and a rose quartz roller — arranged on pale pink linen fabric, soft overhead light, beauty product photography, 4K, top-down view
Dark luxury spirits
A dark green glass gin bottle on a black slate surface, a single backlit light source, condensation droplets on the glass, premium spirits photography, moody and dramatic
Part 4
Marketing Posters and Ad Creative
GPT Image 2 renders text inside images at 95%+ accuracy. Put the exact text you want in quotation marks inside the prompt — this is the single most important rule for text-in-image generation.
Event poster
A bold event poster, dark navy background, large white geometric shapes, centered text reading 'DESIGN WEEK BERLIN', subtext reading 'June 12–18 · Free Entry', sans-serif typography, minimal layout, 4K
Product launch ad
A lifestyle marketing banner, warm coral background, product image of a white sneaker centered, bold black sans-serif text reading 'DROP NOW', subtext reading 'Limited Edition · Shop Before It’s Gone', clean modern layout
Instagram Story (9:16)
A vibrant Instagram Story graphic, gradient background from deep purple to soft coral, bold white serif text reading 'NEW ARRIVALS', subtext reading 'Tap to Explore', minimal and modern, centered layout, 9:16 aspect ratio
Part 5
Text Rendering in Multiple Languages
GPT Image 2 supports readable text in Latin script, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and Devanagari. The same quoting rule applies for all languages.
English packaging label
A glass jar with a kraft paper label, hand-drawn botanical illustration around the border, label text reading 'WILDFLOWER HONEY · Raw & Unfiltered · 250g', clean artisan product design
Chinese poster
A clean modern poster, white background, large black bold Chinese text reading '春季新品发布', subtext reading 'Spring Collection · Available Now', minimal layout, 4K
Japanese book cover
A minimalist book cover, soft cream background, centered Japanese text reading '静かな朝', small English subtext reading 'A Quiet Morning', elegant and calm aesthetic
Korean beauty label
A beauty product label, soft pink background, elegant Korean text reading '수분 크림', subtext reading 'Deep Moisture Cream · 50ml', clean cosmetics design
Part 6
Portrait and Character Prompts
For single portraits, describe the subject clearly. For a character series, include a consistent character description in brackets at the start of every prompt — this is the key to maintaining the same look across multiple images.
Professional headshot
A professional headshot of a woman in her mid-30s, soft natural light from the left, out-of-focus office background, confident expression, wearing a navy blazer, editorial portrait photography
Character series (consistent across images)
Scene 1 — establish the character
[Character: a girl, age 7, curly red hair, freckles, yellow raincoat, red rubber boots] Standing at a bus stop in the rain, overcast light, flat storybook illustration style, soft colors
Scene 2 — same character, new scene
[Character: a girl, age 7, curly red hair, freckles, yellow raincoat, red rubber boots] Jumping in a puddle on a quiet street, overcast light, flat storybook illustration style, soft colors
Part 7
Fantasy and Illustration
Epic landscape
A sweeping fantasy landscape, towering snow-capped mountains under a dramatic golden sky, a small village nestled in a valley below, cinematic lighting, digital matte painting style, 4K
Children's book illustration
A cozy illustrated scene of a small bear reading a book by a fireplace, warm orange light, soft watercolor style, autumn leaves visible through the window, children's book illustration
Sci-fi environment
A vast sci-fi hangar with spacecraft docked along the walls, holographic displays, deep blue ambient lighting from above, small human figures for scale, concept art, cinematic, 4K
Part 8
Architecture and Interiors
Scandinavian living room
A modern living room with a cream linen sofa, low walnut coffee table, indoor fiddle-leaf fig plant, large window with afternoon sunlight, clean Scandinavian interior design, architectural visualization, 4K
Luxury hotel lobby
A high-ceiling luxury hotel lobby, marble floors, gold fixtures, dramatic chandelier, warm ambient lighting, guests in soft focus, architectural visualization, wide angle, 4K
Part 9
6 Common Prompt Mistakes
1
Too vague on the subject
✗ "a nice product photo" → ✓ "a white ceramic coffee mug on dark oak wood, side lighting, studio product photography, 4K"
2
Contradictory lighting instructions
Pick one mood. "bright dramatic shadow with soft diffused light" confuses the model. Choose one: "soft diffused studio light" or "dramatic single-source side light."
3
Unquoted text
✗ "a poster with a headline about the sale" → ✓ "a poster with bold text reading 'SALE ENDS SUNDAY'"
4
Too many focal points at once
One main subject per prompt. Add complexity through editing afterward — not by cramming everything into one generation.
5
Vague color instructions
✗ "a blue and red color scheme" → ✓ "deep navy (#1B2A4A) and warm red (#C0392B) color scheme"
6
Missing style reference
✗ "a photo of a chair" → ✓ "a mid-century modern armchair on white background, soft overhead studio light, product photography, 4K"
FAQ
Common Questions
How long should my prompt be?
One to three sentences is the sweet spot — long enough to specify subject, background, lighting, and style, but short enough to stay focused. Prompts over 100 words often dilute the main intent.
Should I include the resolution in my prompt?
Adding "4K" or "2K" at the end signals output quality intent. On paid plans, the model honors this; on the free plan, output is capped at 1024px regardless of what you type.
Can I reuse the same prompt for different aspect ratios?
Yes. Set your aspect ratio in the interface settings before generating. You don't need to rewrite the prompt — the model adapts the composition to the selected ratio automatically.
What's the best way to get consistent results across multiple images?
For character series, include a bracketed character description at the start of every prompt. For product shots, keep the surface, lighting direction, and style keywords identical across all prompts in the series.
Does adding more keywords always improve results?
Not always. Contradictory or redundant keywords can confuse the model. One precise term beats three vague ones — prioritize clarity over volume.
Ready to Try Your Prompts?
Copy any template above and paste it directly into GPT Image 2. Adjust the product, surface, or style to match your project.
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