GPT Image 2.5 Hands-on Guide: Flare, Sketch & Sunburst Polish

This tutorial is for marketers, operations, and designers who have used GPT Image 2, or who are new to gptimage generation. Goal: in 60 minutes, run the standard GPT Image 2.5 campaign pipeline—Flare explore → Sketch lock composition → comment local edits → Sunburst final. No coding required; ChatGPT / API both work (on the API, explicitly select gpt-image-2.5-flare or gpt-image-2.5-sunburst).

Before you start: confirm you are on Images 2.5

1. Open ChatGPT (desktop / web / mobile) or your gptimage API console.
2. Consumer side: open Images and confirm the UI has rolled to ChatGPT Images 2.5 (gradually opened across tiers from 2026-09-08).
3. Developer side: when creating a request, choose GPT-Image-2.5 Flare (default volume) or GPT-Image-2.5 Sunburst (polish).
4. If you still only get old Image 2 behavior (obvious multi-turn subject drift, no Sketch), refresh or switch to the latest image model, then continue.

Know the three tiers / controls first

ChatGPT consumer UI usually does not show Flare / Sunburst names; you can still use Images 2.5 with a “fast iterate first, polish later” rhythm.

Lab 1: Write your first Banner with a Flare mindset

Paste in ChatGPT Images or the API (Flare):

Use GPT Image 2.5 (volume tier / Flare).
Generate a 16:9 landscape e-commerce promo Banner.
Headline in quotes: "GPT Image 2.5 Launch Week"
Subtitle: "Faster drafts · Cleaner edits"
Right product zone: pearl-white wireless earbuds; copy on the left; light gray background #F1F5F9,
soft studio light, modern minimal, readable text, no real trademarks.

After the image appears: do not immediately full re-roll. Record this frame as Master-Draft-v1.

Self-check checklist (S.T.T.R.):

• Subject: earbuds product
• Type: 16:9 Banner
• Text: is the quoted headline correct?
• Ratio: is it truly 16:9?

Lab 2: Lock composition with @Sketch

1. In the ChatGPT input box, type @Sketch.
2. Quickly sketch: left 40% copy rectangle, right 60% product oval, bottom safe line.
3. Send:

Strictly follow sketch proportions and zones.
Generate a Hero matching Master-Draft-v1 style from the sketch,
headline still "GPT Image 2.5 Launch Week", product still pearl-white earbuds,
upgrade to photo-grade commercial poster, no real logos.

Success criteria: left/right zones match the sketch; text remains readable. If composition drifts, simplify the line sketch and try once more.

Lab 3: Comment—change only one thing

Open the previous image:

1. Pin a comment on the product metal hinge: “Clearer metal highlight; color and shape unchanged”.
2. Submit; confirm the earbud silhouette did not drift—only material clarity improved.
3. Then comment the background: “Crush overall ~8%; subject exposure unchanged”.

Principle: change only one dimension at a time. Avoid “make the whole thing nicer”.

Lab 4: Sunburst (or polish round) for the final

API users switch to GPT-Image-2.5 Sunburst; ChatGPT users keep polishing on the same image:

On the current composition, polish product mesh texture and headline edge sharpness,
keep subject identity and layout unchanged, output campaign-final 16:9,
suitable for site Hero preview, no real trademarks.

Export PNG; suggested filename: 2026_Image25_Sunburst_KV16x9_v1.png.

5-minute migration checklist from GPT Image 2

FAQ

Next steps

1. Read the blog: GPT Image 2.5 what’s new — understand Flare / Sunburst choice
2. Thinking mode in practice — series images and complex layouts
3. Social media poster sets — multi-size extension

After this tutorial, you should independently deliver campaign drafts ready for design polish with gptimage / GPT Image 2.5, and control speed vs cost with a tiered strategy.