How to Use GPT Image 2.5 to Create and Edit Images

If you are learning how to generate images with GPT Image 2.5, begin with an output whose success criteria are easy to name. A product scene can be checked for product shape, surface, light, camera angle, and copy space. A reference-led edit can be checked against the original for the exact details you asked to keep.

This GPT Image 2.5 tutorial for beginners keeps every stage observable: one source decision, one prompt, one settings group, and one review checklist. Once that sequence works, you can reuse it for a different visual instead of guessing which change produced the result.

1. Step 1

   Choose a model and generation mode

   Select Flare or Sunburst, then decide whether the image starts from words or visual references.

   Open the GPT Image 2.5 generator and choose Flare or Sunburst. Select Text to image when you want a new scene from a prompt. Select Image Edit when uploaded images must influence the subject, pose, style, composition, or background. The generator calculates credits from the selected model, quality, and resolution.

   For a first text-to-image attempt, use one clear subject and one intended asset type. For example: “Create a horizontal editorial product image of a frosted glass skincare bottle on dark stone, with wet green leaves and soft side light. Leave clean negative space on the left. No logo, no watermark.” A concrete brief is easier to evaluate than a stack of unrelated style words.

   Before moving on, write down where the image will appear. A website header, product card, presentation slide, and vertical story need different composition. Knowing the destination now will make the ratio decision in step three much easier.

   

2. Step 2

   Add references and write the prompt

   Give each reference a job, then separate change, keep, and avoid instructions.

   In Image Edit mode, upload at least one reference image. The current workspace accepts up to 16 references. Use only images that have a clear purpose. Too many unrelated sources make it harder to explain which subject, pose, light, colors, or layout should guide the final result.

   Identify each role in the prompt. A practical structure is: “Use Image 1 as the product reference. Use Image 2 as the lighting reference. Place the product in a dark stone setting. Change the background only. Keep the bottle shape, label position, camera angle, and proportions unchanged. No extra objects.” This structure tells GPT Image 2.5 what to borrow and what to protect.

   Put exact visible wording in quotation marks and describe where it belongs. Keep requested text short enough to inspect. For edits, use separate Change, Keep, and Avoid sentences. If the first result is close, change one instruction at a time so you can identify which revision improved the image.

   

3. Step 3

   Choose ratio, quality, resolution, and format

   Match the canvas to its destination and the output settings to the stage of work.

   Choose the ratio before generation because the canvas affects subject placement and empty space. The current interface includes fifteen ratios: 1:1, 3:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, 21:9, 2:1, 1:2, 3:1, 1:3, and 9:21. Use 16:9 for a wide header, 1:1 for a square placement, and 9:21 for an extra-tall composition.

   Next select Low, Medium, High, XHigh, or Max quality, choose 1K, 2K, or 4K resolution, and set the file to PNG, JPEG, or WebP. Start with Low and 1K when testing the subject, framing, or prompt direction. Move to a higher setting only after the layout is close.

   The Generate button displays the required credits for the selected model, quality, and resolution. Read that amount again after changing any of those fields. The live button is the final source of truth for the run you are about to start.

   

4. Step 4

   Generate, inspect, refine, and download

   Review the full preview before saving the result or spending credits on another version.

   Sign in, read the credit amount on the button, and select Generate. When the task completes, the image appears in the preview area. Open the larger preview and check the main subject, composition, small objects, hands, edges, reflections, shadows, required text, and details taken from your references.

   If the image is close, revise one issue instead of rebuilding the prompt. Try: “Move the bottle slightly right. Keep the lighting, stone surface, plant leaves, colors, and camera angle unchanged.” A narrow follow-up is easier to compare and reduces accidental changes to details that already work.

   When the image passes your review, use Download. The file extension follows the returned asset type handled by the current download flow. If a cross-domain file cannot download directly, the interface tells you to open the result in a new tab and save it manually. Keep the image, prompt, and settings together when you may need to reproduce the asset.