AIREITER
What GPT-Image 2.6 is
GPT-Image 2.6 is OpenAI's image model family released on November 4, 2026. Like 2.5 it ships as two models, Flare and Sunburst, and both are on this page.
Two models, one page
Flare is the fast one for drafts and volume. Sunburst is slower and built for detail and for edits that should leave the rest of the image alone. There is no single gpt-image-2.6 ID.
Text to image and reference editing
Write a prompt, or add up to 10 reference images to edit a photo or combine several into one.
1K to 4K, 14 ratio options
Pick 1K, 2K, or 4K and auto or one of 13 fixed aspect ratios. Each request returns one image.
Animated GIF output
Switch Output to GIF for a short looping animation: 2 to 9 frames, 100 to 500 ms per frame, in auto or 7 aspect ratios. GIFs are made from the prompt alone, without reference images.
What changed from GPT-Image 2.5
Same two-model split, same endpoints. The changes are speed on Flare, planning control, and new output types on OpenAI's API.
Flare got much faster
OpenAI says Images 2.6 generates about 50% faster, and that Flare can return a low-quality image in as little as six seconds. In an independent 80-image test on launch night, 2.6 Flare finished every prompt about twice as fast as 2.5 Flare at the same size and quality.
Sunburst is about consistency, not speed
OpenAI positions Sunburst for keeping details consistent from one edit to the next at medium or high quality. The same independent test found 2.6 Sunburst no faster than 2.5 Sunburst, so pick it for control, not for wait time.
Complexity is a new dial
2.6 plans the image before rendering. OpenAI's default is the highest planning level; lower levels suit focused edits, higher levels suit posters, infographics, and scenes with many objects.
GIF here, SVG and markup still on OpenAI's side
2.6 adds animated GIF output, and you can use it on this page today. OpenAI's Image API also returns SVG vectors and accepts a drawn markup layer to point at the area to change; those two are not available in this playground yet.
Flare or Sunburst
Flare — many candidates, short wait
Social crops, product-page drafts, posters you will iterate on, anything you generate many times before keeping one. ID: gpt_image_2_6_flare.
Sunburst — one change, everything else held
Brand stills, pack shots, character art that goes through several edits. Figma Weave's creative director described 2.6 as keeping characters, products, and brand details intact while generating and editing. ID: gpt_image_2_6_sunburst.
A/B before switching
Keep the prompt, references, and size the same. If Flare is good enough, stay on it. Move to Sunburst only when the edit still drifts.
What to make with GPT-Image 2.6
Posters, menus, and infographics
Put the headline in quotes and describe the layout. Higher planning helps when a page has many text blocks; check spelling in the result.
Product shots that stay the same product
Upload the photo, name the one thing to change (color, label language, background), and list what must not move. Start on Sunburst.
Characters and mascots across edits
Generate the character once, then keep editing pose, outfit, or scene with the same reference so the face and colors hold.
Looping stickers and mascots
Pick GIF, describe the motion and the loop, and get a short animation such as a mascot waving or a product turning. Keep the motion simple: 9 frames at 200 ms is under two seconds.
How to generate with GPT-Image 2.6
The same steps work in the playground and through the API.
Pick Flare or Sunburst, then Image or GIF
Flare for drafts and volume, Sunburst for detailed edits. Choose GIF for a looping animation.
Write the prompt, add references if editing
Up to 10 reference images. Say what changes and what stays.
Set size or frames
For images, 1K, 2K, or 4K and auto or a fixed ratio. For GIFs, the frame count, frame duration, and one of the GIF ratios.
Generate and compare
Run the same inputs on the other model if the result is not right.
Call GPT-Image 2.6 through the AIReiter API
One asynchronous contract for both models.
Model IDs
gpt_image_2_6_flare or gpt_image_2_6_sunburst.
Submit
POST /api/openapi/submit with model, a unique out_task_id, and params: prompt, optional image_url (up to 10), resolution, aspect_ratio, or size as WIDTHxHEIGHT. For a GIF, add output_format gif with frame_count (2 to 9) and frame_duration_ms (100 to 500).
Query
POST /api/openapi/query with the same out_task_id until the status is completed or failed. Completed responses include the image URL.
Related AI image models
GPT-Image 2.5
The previous Flare and Sunburst pair. Stay here until a same-prompt test on 2.6 wins.
GPT-Image 2
OpenAI's single-model line with 1K to 4K output and 14 ratio options.
Nano Banana Pro
Google's image model for editing and multi-image composition up to 4K.
Seedream 5.0 Pro
ByteDance stills with large reference sets.
GPT-Image 2.6 FAQ
Common questions about the two models, what changed, and the API.
/ 01What is GPT-Image 2.6?
OpenAI's image model family released on November 4, 2026, offered as two API models: Flare for speed and Sunburst for detail and consistent edits.
/ 02Flare or Sunburst — which one?
Flare for drafts and volume. Sunburst when an edit must leave the rest of the image alone or fine detail matters. There is no plain gpt-image-2.6 ID.
/ 03Is 2.6 faster than 2.5?
Flare is. OpenAI reports about 50% faster generation, and an independent launch-night test measured 2.6 Flare about twice as fast as 2.5 Flare. Sunburst was not faster in that test.
/ 04Should I move from GPT-Image 2.5 now?
Run the same prompt and references on both first. If 2.6 Flare matches the quality, you get shorter waits. GPT-Image 2.5 stays available at /image/gpt-image-2-5.
/ 05Can I make an animated GIF?
Yes. Set Output to GIF, or send output_format gif through the API. You get 2 to 9 frames at 100 to 500 ms each, in auto, 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, or 2:3. GIFs are made from the prompt only; reference images are not supported for GIF.
/ 06Can I get SVG vectors here?
Not yet. OpenAI's Image API supports SVG for 2.6, but this playground and our API return PNG images and GIFs for now.
/ 07How many reference images can I add?
Up to 10 per request. Use one to edit a photo, or several to combine products, characters, or styles into one image.
/ 08Which API model ID should I use?
gpt_image_2_6_flare or gpt_image_2_6_sunburst with POST /api/openapi/submit, then poll POST /api/openapi/query with the same out_task_id.