GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst API

About GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst

GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst is the precision tier of OpenAI's GPT Image 2.6, built for fidelity and details that hold steady across repeated edits. It makes images in five quality levels from low to max and sizes up to 4K, edits with up to 16 pictures, and can turn a prompt into a short looping GIF. Compared with GPT Image 2.5 it adds GIF output, a marked-up copy as an edit guide, transparent backgrounds when making images from text, and an optional reasoning effort setting.

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

Introduction

GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst Text to Image creates a new picture from a written description. Sunburst is the precision tier of OpenAI’s November 5, 2026 release, built for fidelity and steady details across repeated edits.

This endpoint begins with text rather than a source image. Describe the composition, then select quality, resolution and ratio independently; in our tests, medium 1k took about 30 seconds per image.

Key features

• Five detail levels: medium is the default, with low, high, xhigh and max available to match the work.
• Larger output tiers: 1k is about 1 MP, 2k about 3.7 MP and 4k about 8.3 MP.
• Short lettering: in our tests, travel poster headlines and cafe menu entries rendered letter-perfect.
• Transparent assets: request a transparent background with PNG or WebP; low 1k PNG transparency worked in our tests.
• Multiple candidates: request 1–10 images, paying separately for each generated result.

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

• Travel artwork: develop a lighthouse poster with a short destination headline and a date line.
• Cafe signage: create a photographic chalkboard scene with quoted menu entries for review.

Prompt guide & pro tips

• Locate the words: write a phrase such as “PORTO AZUL at the top” to connect lettering with its placement.
• Specify materials: use “navy knit sweater in a woodworking shop” to give the scene concrete detail.
• Choose lighting deliberately: try “morning light outside a Paris cafe” instead of a vague mood label.
• Match the layout: use a phrase such as “vertical travel poster” and select a corresponding ratio.
• Request a cutout clearly: describe “a coffee cup on a transparent background” and select transparent with PNG or WebP.

API quick start

Call the GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst 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-sunburst/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-sunburst/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 Sunburst 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 Sunburst API questions

All GPT Image models

GPT Image 2.6 Flare has the same options and the same price per image, and it finishes sooner: about 12 to 16 seconds at medium 1K in testing, against about 30 seconds for Sunburst.

• 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

• Nano Banana 2.1 APIGoogle's newest Nano Banana, sharp text and 4K outputFrom $0.048 per image
• Nano Banana Pro APIPlans the layout first: dense text, diagrams and 4K editsFrom $0.1072 per image
• Seedream 5.0 Pro APIHigh-detail images and edits from up to ten referencesFrom $0.036 per image
• FLUX.2 Max APITop-tier FLUX: photoreal light and exact brand colorsFrom $0.07 per image

More about GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst

Try it

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

Endpoints

GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst · Edit Image

Docs

GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst 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 Sunburst results without polling