GPT Image 2 API
Try GPT Image 2 before you integrate the API
Test GPT Image 2 output quality, estimate the token cost of one request, and generate a sample before you formally integrate.
Create image task
Fixed to gpt-image-2Text-to-image, image-to-image and mask-guided editing. Billed by the tokens the upstream usage object reports.
Upload source or reference images for image-to-image and editing. Each one adds image input tokens.
Pixel budget for the chosen ratio: 1K about 1.05 MP, 2K about 4.19 MP, 4K is 8.29 MP.
Rendering effort. It drives the output token count, so it is the single biggest cost lever.
Transparent keeps an alpha channel in the output. This is a Preview feature — results may be unstable.
Number of images per request (1-10). Cost scales linearly with the count.
Results are kept for 24 hours — download anything you want to keep.
Know your testing cost before you add credits
Start from the cost of a single sample, pick a testing budget, then price your own case in the calculator. The raw token rates are at the bottom.
First Test Cost
Text-to-Image - 1K - 1:1 - mediumOne 1K prompt-only image
About 208 tests with $10 in credits.
Iterate prompts on low quality at 1K to save tokens, then promote the final render to high. Each reference image in image_urls adds input tokens.
Testing Budget Guide
Pick an amount based on how many tests you expect.Good for a first validation.
Good for prompt iteration.
Good before production integration.
Common Cost Examples
Estimated cost for one generated 1:1 image. Final cost is settled against the token counts the upstream usage object reports.
Model Pricing
This page serves two models and they are billed differently. Each block states its own rule, so read the badge before comparing the numbers.
gpt-image-2Token-basedBilled by token, so there is no fixed per-image price. These are the raw rates; what a request actually costs depends on its size, quality, reference images and count. Use the calculator below to price your own case.
| Item | Rule | Rate | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image output tokens | The generated image itself. Token count grows with the resolution tier and the quality tier. | $0.027/1K tokens-10% 1.836 cr/1K tokens$0.030 official price | Output tokens |
| Image input tokens | Applied to each reference image in image_urls, and to a mask when one is sent. | $0.0072/1K tokens-10% 0.4896 cr/1K tokens$0.0080 official price | Input tokens |
| Image cached input tokens | Charged only when the upstream usage object reports cached image tokens. | $0.0018/1K tokens-10% 0.1224 cr/1K tokens$0.0020 official price | Input tokens |
| Text input tokens | Produced by the prompt itself. Typically under 1% of a request. | $0.0045/1K tokens-10% 0.306 cr/1K tokens$0.0050 official price | Input tokens |
| Text cached input tokens | Charged only when the upstream usage object reports cached text tokens. | $0.0012/1K tokens-10% 0.0765 cr/1K tokens$0.0013 official price | Input tokens |
Figures are estimates. Final charges are based on actual token usage.
gpt-image-2-betaFlat per callOne flat rate per call, whatever the aspect ratio - no token accounting and nothing to estimate. Auto or aspect-ratio sizes at the 1K tier only, one image per call. The OpenAI list price has no equivalent for this route, so no official comparison is shown.
| Item | Rule | Rate | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1K output | Any aspect ratio or auto, at the 1K tier. One image per call, regardless of prompt length or reference images. | $0.015/image 1.02 cr/image | Per call |
GPT Image 2 API at a glance
GPT Image 2 was released alongside ChatGPT Images 2.0 and is available through the API as model gpt-image-2. Use it for text-rich generation and high-fidelity editing; ChatGPT may add orchestration and tools that are separate from the raw image model.
What GPT Image 2 can create
Generate high-fidelity images from text prompts or reference images, with strong poster layouts, data-dense infographics, character sheets, product creative, and mask-guided editing workflows.
Effect Preview
Improved text legibility in data-dense layouts
Multi-panel character sheets
Poster-grade composition and typography
What You Can Do
Text-Heavy Posters & Infographics
Character Sheets & Consistent IP Art
E-commerce Product Shots & UGC-Style Ads
Batch Campaign Visuals via API
Reference Editing, Style Transfer & Masks
First Frames for AI Video Workflows
Choose an image model for the job
| Feature | GPT Image 2 | Nano Banana | Seedream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | ~$0.048 / image | Lower-cost options | Per-image tiers |
| Billing model | Token based | Per generated image | Per image by output tier |
| Output quality | Low / Medium / High x 1K / 2K / 4K | 1K / 2K / 4K by model | 1K / 1.5K / 2K |
| Reference input | Up to 16 images plus mask | Model dependent | Up to 10 images |
| Best for | Posters, infographics, in-image text | High-quality image generation | Ads, product creative, image editing |
Key Details
Size and resolution work together
In ratio mode the resolution tier sets the pixel budget (1K is about 1.05 MP, 2K about 4.19 MP, 4K is 8.29 MP). In auto or custom-pixel mode resolution is ignored.
Quality means rendering effort
Low, medium, and high change how many output tokens the model spends. Iterate prompts on low, then promote the final render to high.
Billing follows the usage object
Credits are charged against the token counts the upstream usage object reports, so a request is quoted before it runs and settled on the real numbers afterwards.
Main request parameters
The fields that shape output and cost on POST /v1/images/generations. Generation is asynchronous — poll the returned task ID or use a callback, and save results promptly since image links stay valid for 24 hours. Full schemas and code samples live in the API tab.
| Parameter | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| model | string · required | 'gpt-image-2' for the token-billed official route, or 'gpt-image-2-beta' for the flat-rate 1K route. |
| prompt | string · required | The text instruction. Prompt tokens are metered as text input on the token route. |
| size | string · default auto | 'auto', one of 15 aspect ratios such as 1:1 or 16:9, or explicit WxH pixels in multiples of 16. |
| resolution | string · 1K / 2K / 4K | Pixel budget for ratio mode; ignored when size is auto or explicit pixels. |
| quality | string · low / medium / high | Rendering effort. Drives output-token spend on the token route — iterate on low, promote the final render to high. |
| background | string · opaque / transparent | Alpha channel of the output. Defaults to opaque; transparent is in Preview and results may be unstable. |
| n | integer · 1–10 | Images per request on gpt-image-2; cost scales linearly. GPT Image 2 Beta returns one image per call. |
| image_urls | array · up to 16 | Reference images for image-to-image and editing. Each one adds image input tokens. |
| mask_url | string · optional | Alpha-channel PNG whose pixel dimensions match the reference image; transparent areas are regenerated. |
| callback_url | string · optional | HTTPS webhook that receives the task result, as an alternative to polling. |
Production limits to plan for
Text and layout still need review
Text rendering is improved, but exact placement, clarity, and structured composition can still miss the prompt.
Large output is experimental
Custom sizes can reach a 3840 px edge, but outputs with more than 3,686,400 total pixels—the pixel count of 2560x1440—are currently experimental.
Transparent background is in Preview
background: "transparent" is available, but still in Preview — results may be unstable.
Complex requests can take longer
OpenAI notes that complex prompts may take up to two minutes to process.
Why use GPT Image 2 through EvoLink
Estimate the exact cost before you generate
Token billing is the part of GPT Image 2 most teams find hardest to budget: image output tokens scale with resolution and quality tier, every reference image adds input tokens, and the prompt itself is metered. EvoLink turns that into a quoted number before you commit — the pricing calculator and the Playground both price the exact size, resolution, quality, and reference combination you are about to send.
That changes how you test. Iterate prompts on the low tier, watch what each change does to the estimate, and only promote the final render to high — instead of discovering the cost pattern on the invoice at the end of the month.
Below the OpenAI list price, line by line
The pricing section on this page lists the EvoLink rate next to the official OpenAI rate for every token type — image output, image input, cached input, and text — and shows the current savings on each line, backed by EvoLink's lowest-price guarantee.
Because the comparison is computed from live SKU prices rather than a marketing claim, you can verify it at the moment you integrate, and re-check it whenever your volume grows enough for the difference to matter.
Two billing routes on one page
gpt-image-2 and gpt-image-2-beta are served side by side: the official token-billed route with the full 1K/2K/4K, quality-tier, mask, and multi-reference surface, and a flat-rate route where every 1K image costs the same regardless of prompt length or references.
In practice, teams put drafts, prompt iteration, and bulk 1K jobs on the flat route where cost is perfectly predictable, and reserve the token route for 2K/4K finals, masks, and reference-heavy edits. Switching is a model-ID change, not a vendor migration.
One API key across image, video, audio and LLM routes
The same API key that calls gpt-image-2 also calls Seedance for video, Nano Banana 2 and Seedream for alternative image routes, and the LLM catalogue — one balance, one task history, one authentication path.
That matters for image work specifically because pipelines rarely end at a still: generate the key frame with GPT Image 2, animate it with Seedance, and fall back to another image model when a job fits it better — without maintaining separate provider accounts, keys, and billing records.
Task status you can audit before you pay
Every generation reports submitted, processing, completed, or failed, with error details in the response and the console. Failed tasks are not treated as successful billable generations, so a bad batch of jobs does not quietly become a bill.
For production systems this is the difference between "request sent" and "image delivered": poll the task, verify the final state, and reconcile spending against per-task records in the console when you need to explain a number.
GPT Image Model Family
GPT Image 1.5
Previous OpenAI image route with fixed 1024-class sizes, token billing, and settled production behaviour.
ViewOther image models on EvoLink
Nano Banana Pro
Premium Nano Banana route for higher-fidelity images and production-grade output.
View
Seedream 5.0 Pro
BytePlus image route with 1K/1.5K/2K tiers, multi-reference editing, and layer decomposition.
View
Grok Imagine Image 2.0
xAI image route where the number of input images picks the mode, with 1K/2K output and up to 10 images per request.
ViewFAQ
How is GPT Image 2 related to ChatGPT Images 2.0?
GPT Image 2 is the API-accessible image model released alongside ChatGPT Images 2.0, with model ID gpt-image-2. ChatGPT may combine image generation with reasoning, web search, or multi-image orchestration, so the raw API model should not be treated as identical to every ChatGPT product workflow.
What is the difference between GPT Image 2 and GPT Image 2 Beta?
They are separate EvoLink route variants. gpt-image-2 uses the token-billed official route with low/medium/high quality, 1K/2K/4K resolution, explicit WxH pixels, n up to 10, and an inpainting mask. gpt-image-2-beta is EvoLink's alternative fixed-price route for 1K output and one image per call; it is not an official OpenAI model ID.
How much does GPT Image 2 cost?
It is billed by token. Image output tokens dominate the bill and scale with resolution and quality tier; image input tokens are added per reference image; text input tokens come from the prompt. The Playground estimates the selected combination before you submit. If you want one fixed per-image price instead, GPT Image 2 Beta bills a flat rate per call, and the pricing calculator estimates your per-image cost.
How does EvoLink GPT Image 2 pricing compare with OpenAI?
The pricing section compares the current EvoLink rate with the OpenAI list price and shows any savings available at the time you check. Use the calculator for your exact size, quality, and reference-image combination instead of relying on a universal per-image claim.
Should I use the Image API or the Responses API for GPT Image 2?
With the Image API, choose gpt-image-2 directly for generation or editing. With the Responses API, choose a mainline model that supports the image_generation tool; the tool handles image-model selection for conversational or multi-step workflows. EvoLink provides its own unified route for direct model access.
Can I preview before integrating the API?
Yes. Use the Playground to test output quality, estimate credits, and inspect the request JSON before wiring it into your product.
What is the difference between size and resolution?
size picks the shape - auto, one of 15 aspect ratios, or explicit WxH pixels. resolution picks the pixel budget for ratio mode only, and is ignored when size is auto or explicit pixels.
Are reference images billed?
Yes. Every image in image_urls adds image input tokens. A mask is reserved as one extra input image at quote time and settled against the real upstream usage.
What are the limits on custom pixel sizes?
Width and height must be multiples of 16, total pixels must fall between 655,360 and 8,294,400, no edge may exceed 3840 px, and the aspect ratio must stay between 1:3 and 3:1. Outputs with more than 3,686,400 total pixels—the pixel count of 2560x1440—are currently experimental.
Can I generate multiple images in one request?
On gpt-image-2 yes - n accepts 1 to 10 and the cost scales linearly. GPT Image 2 Beta returns a single image per call.
How does the inpainting mask work?
mask_url takes a PNG with an alpha channel whose pixel dimensions match the reference image exactly. Transparent pixels mark the area to regenerate, opaque pixels are preserved. Sent without a reference image, the mask is dropped.
What if a generation fails?
Check the task status and error details in the response or console. Failed tasks should not be treated as successful billable generations.
What are the main GPT Image 2 limitations?
Complex prompts may take up to two minutes. Text placement, recurring-character consistency, and precise structured composition can still need iteration.
GPT Image 2 guides
API Reference
Select endpoint
Authentication
All APIs require Bearer Token authentication.
Authorization:
Bearer YOUR_API_KEY/v1/images/generationsGenerate Image
Create an image generation task using text prompts. Supports text-to-image and reference-image-assisted generation.
Asynchronous processing mode, use the returned task ID to query status.
Generated image links are valid for 24 hours, please save them promptly.
Request Parameters
modelstringRequiredDefault: gpt-image-2Image generation model name.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| gpt-image-2 | Official GPT Image 2 — token-based billing |
gpt-image-2promptstringRequiredPrompt describing the image to be generated or how to edit the reference image.
Notes
- Max 32,000 characters (counted by Unicode code points — works for CJK and other languages)
A beautiful colorful sunset over the oceansizestringOptionalDefault: autoAspect ratio or explicit pixel dimensions (WxH).
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| auto | Default — let the model decide |
| 1:1 / 1:2 / 2:1 / 1:3 / 3:1 / 2:3 / 3:2 / 3:4 / 4:3 / 4:5 / 5:4 / 9:16 / 16:9 / 21:9 / 9:21 | Aspect ratio — pixel size decided together with the resolution tier |
| 1024x1024 (or any WxH) | Explicit pixels — multiples of 16, pixel budget 655K~8.29M, edges ≤3840, aspect ≤3:1 |
Notes
- When size is explicit WxH pixels, the resolution parameter is ignored.
- In auto mode the model decides the final size; resolution has no effect.
- Combinations that exceed the 8.29 MP pixel budget are proportionally scaled down (e.g. 4K 1:1 → 2880×2880).
autoresolutionstringOptionalDefault: 1KResolution tier shortcut. Only effective when size is a ratio; ignored for explicit pixels and auto.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| 1K | Pixel budget ≈ 1024² = 1.05MP (1:1 → 1024×1024, 16:9 → 1360×768) |
| 2K | Pixel budget ≈ 2048² = 4.19MP (1:1 → 2048×2048, 16:9 → 2736×1536) |
| 4K | Pixel budget = 8.29MP / MaxPixels (1:1 → 2880×2880, 16:9 → 3840×2160 UHD) |
2KqualitystringOptionalDefault: mediumRendering quality / reasoning depth. Directly drives output token count (tile base 16/48/96 for low/medium/high).
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| low | Tile base 16 — fastest, ~0.11× cost vs medium |
| medium | Tile base 48 — balanced (default) |
| high | Tile base 96 — highest fidelity, ~4× cost vs medium |
mediumbackgroundstringOptionalDefault: opaqueAlpha channel of the output image. Transparent is a Preview feature and results may be unstable.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| opaque | Flat background, no alpha channel (default) |
| transparent | Keeps an alpha channel (Preview, may be unstable) |
opaquenintegerOptionalDefault: 1Number of images to generate (1-10). Each image is billed independently; text input tokens scale linearly with n.
1image_urlsarrayOptionalReference image URL list for image-to-image and image editing features.
Notes
- 1–16 images per request
- Each image ≤ 50 MB
- Supported formats: .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .webp
- URLs must be directly accessible by the server, or URLs that trigger direct download (typically URLs ending with image extensions like .png, .jpg)
- Reference images themselves consume additional image-input tokens in edit / image-to-image mode
https://example.com/image1.pngmask_urlstringOptionalInpainting mask image URL — marks the region of the reference image to regenerate. Only valid in image edit mode (combined with image_urls); ignored in pure text-to-image.
Notes
- Only PNG with an alpha channel is accepted — transparent pixels (alpha < 255) mark areas to regenerate, opaque pixels are preserved
- Mask dimensions must EXACTLY match the reference image dimensions (width × height in pixels)
- Requires at least one image in image_urls — mask alone has no effect
- Single mask per request
https://example.com/mask.pngcallback_urlstringOptionalHTTPS callback address after task completion.
Notes
- Triggered on completion, failure, or cancellation
- Sent after billing confirmation
- HTTPS only, no internal IPs
- Max length: 2048 chars
- Timeout: 10s, Max 3 retries
https://your-domain.com/webhooks/image-task-completed