GPT Image 2.6 Flare API

About GPT Image 2.6 Flare

GPT Image 2.6 Flare is the fast tier of OpenAI's GPT Image 2.6. A medium 1K image took about 12 to 16 seconds in testing. It has the same five quality levels, sizes up to 4K, edits with up to 16 pictures, masks and marked-up copies, and looping GIFs as Sunburst. Compared with GPT Image 2.5 it adds GIF output, marked-up copies, transparent backgrounds in text to image, and an optional reasoning effort setting.

Call it with the model name openai/gpt-image-2.6-flare/text-to-image on POST /jobs/createTask, from $0.02232.

Introduction

GPT Image 2.6 Flare Text to Image produces pictures from written briefs for everyday generation and quick iteration. Flare is the faster of the two 2.6 tiers, making it useful when reviewing several visual directions.

No source picture is needed for this task: write the scene and choose the delivery settings. In our tests, Flare returned medium 1k images in about 12–16 seconds each; max quality and 4k need more time.

Key features

• Animation drafts: request output_format gif, set aspect_ratio and describe how the action repeats.
• Quick exploration: medium is the starting quality, with four other levels available when a draft needs different detail.
• Composition options: 15 ratios cover square artwork and tall or wide placements without a ratio fee.
• Size selection: choose roughly 1 MP at 1k, 3.7 MP at 2k or 8.3 MP at 4k.
• Short text in scenes: our tests produced accurate poster headlines and cafe menu lettering.

Request parameters

Pricing

Prices are in USD. The API uses a separate USD balance. Website credits cannot be used or transferred to it, and API funds cannot be transferred to website credits. When a task is accepted, we reserve the maximum quoted amount from your API balance. On completion, we charge for actual usage, never more than the hold, and release the remainder. If the task fails, the hold is released.

Billed on the tokens each request uses: $4.50 per 1M text input tokens, $7.20 per 1M image input tokens and $27.00 per 1M image output tokens. The table lists the square-image price for each tier, so other ratios usually cost less. With several output images, input tokens count once per image.

Send the same request body to POST /jobs/quote to see the estimated and maximum USD charge before running. A quote does not run the task or charge your balance.

Use cases

• Social campaign drafts: explore a seaside poster direction before choosing the image to develop.
• Cafe content planning: generate a morning chalkboard scene with a small set of quoted menu labels.
• Editorial concepts: preview a workshop portrait with natural light and a film treatment.

Prompt guide & pro tips

• Begin with a specific scene: try “lighthouse on a cliff at sunset” to establish the setting.
• Quote short labels: include “SUMMER 1958 at the bottom” when a draft needs a date line.
• Give the light a source: use “sunlight through workshop windows” to define illumination.
• Revise one idea at a time: change “bold flat colors” to a new palette while reviewing the composition.

API quick start

Call the GPT Image 2.6 Flare API in three steps

1. Create an API key. Sign in to PopNow and create a key in the API console. Keys start with sk-popnow-. API calls use your separate USD balance.
2. Send the request. POST /jobs/createTask with model openai/gpt-image-2.6-flare/text-to-image and an input object that follows the parameter table. The response returns a task ID straight away.
3. Get the result. Poll GET /jobs/recordInfo with the task ID, or pass a callBackUrl and we post the result to it. Download the output links when the task succeeds.

# 1. Create the task. Keep the Idempotency-Key if you retry after a network error.
export IDEMPOTENCY_KEY="$(uuidgen)"
curl -X POST https://api.popnow.ai/api/v1/jobs/createTask \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POPNOW_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $IDEMPOTENCY_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "model": "openai/gpt-image-2.6-flare/text-to-image",
  "input": {
    "prompt": "A ceramic teapot on a linen cloth, soft window light, muted palette",
    "aspect_ratio": "1:1",
    "resolution": "1k",
    "quality": "medium",
    "num_outputs": 1,
    "background": "auto"
  }
}'

# 2. Copy data.taskId from the response, then poll until state is succeeded, failed, canceled or expired.
TASK_ID="TASK_ID_FROM_RESPONSE"
curl "https://api.popnow.ai/api/v1/jobs/recordInfo?taskId=$TASK_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POPNOW_API_KEY"

Replace the prompt and any links with your own. The API tab has the response, polling and callback reference.

GPT Image 2.6 Flare price on other platforms

Options	PopNow	Replicate
1K · low · square · ≤100 prompt tokens	−55% vs Replicate$0.0223/ image	$0.0500/ image
1K · medium · square · ≤100 prompt tokens	−56% vs Replicate$0.0392/ image	$0.0900/ image
1K · high · square · ≤100 prompt tokens	−62% vs Replicate$0.0474/ image	$0.1280/ image
1K · xhigh · square · ≤100 prompt tokens	−66% vs Replicate$0.0843/ image	$0.2500/ image
1K · max · square · ≤100 prompt tokens	−62% vs Replicate$0.1897/ image	$0.5000/ image

Each platform's public API list price for the same model and settings, checked Nov 6, 2026.

GPT Image 2.6 Flare API questions

All GPT Image models

GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst has the same options and price and takes longer. Choose it for final images and careful revisions.

• GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst APIOpenAI's quality-first model, up to 4K with clean textFrom $0.00182 per image
• GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst APIOpenAI's precision tier for detail that holds across repeated edits, up to 4KFrom $0.02232 per image
• GPT Image 2.6 Flare APIOpenAI's fast tier for quick drafts, edits and short GIF loopsFrom $0.02232 per image
• GPT Image 2.5 Flare APIOpenAI's speed-first model with masked edits and cut-outsFrom $0.00182 per image
• GPT Image 2 APILegible in-image text and precise masked editsFrom $0.00182 per image

Other image APIs

• Qwen Image 2.1 Pro APIUp to six detailed 2K images from one promptFrom $0.036 per image
• Seedream 5.5 API4K images with small multilingual text, transparent PNGs and layer splitsFrom $0.0195 per image
• P-H3-Image APIPruna stills and edits from up to 9 pictures, in five sizes up to 4KFrom $0.024 per image
• FLUX 3 Klein Base APIFull-quality FLUX 3 Klein images and edits up to 2KFrom $0.036 per image

More about GPT Image 2.6 Flare

Try it

GPT Image 2.6 Flare AI Image Generator onlineCreate images with GPT Image 2.6 Flare in PopNow

Endpoints

GPT Image 2.6 Flare · Edit Image

Docs

GPT Image 2.6 Flare model ID and input schema in the API docsPopNow API quickstart: send your first requestImage generation guide for the PopNow APIWebhooks: get GPT Image 2.6 Flare results without polling