GPT Image 2 Prompts: 5 Tested Prompts With Real Outputs (+ 8 Templates)
Five GPT Image 2 prompts we actually ran, the real first-attempt images, a head-to-head with Nano Banana 2, and eight copy-paste templates.
The formula behind every prompt below
[what it is] of [subject] [where it is], [lighting], [style or mood]
GPT Image 2 is literal. It rarely invents props or people, so whatever you leave out usually stays out. That makes it predictable for product shots and text, and means you have to ask for the atmosphere you want.
5 tested GPT Image 2 prompts with real outputs
1. Photo prompt
a cinematic photo of a red vintage bicycle leaning against a sunlit brick wall, shallow depth of field, golden hour light
What happened: Closer to the literal prompt than Nano Banana 2: just the bike, the wall and long golden shadows, no extra people or props. Very photographic.
See the same prompt on Nano Banana 2.
2. Product shot prompt
a product photo of matte black wireless headphones on a stone pedestal, soft studio lighting, gentle shadow, premium ecommerce style
What happened: Almost interchangeable with the Nano Banana 2 shot, with warmer beige tones and a lighter stone. Clean enough for a product page.
See the same prompt on Nano Banana 2.
3. Typography poster prompt
a minimalist poster that says COFFEE FIRST in bold serif type, cream background, small steaming cup icon below the text
What happened: The best typography of all ten images. A classic high-contrast serif, perfect spelling, a flat print-ready layout and a small cup icon. Exactly the brief.
See the same prompt on Nano Banana 2.
4. Illustration prompt
a detailed watercolor illustration of a fox reading a book under a giant mushroom in an autumn forest, warm colors
What happened: Softer and simpler than Nano Banana 2: a bold red mushroom, a fox curled up with a blue book, falling leaves. Less detail, more poster-like.
See the same prompt on Nano Banana 2.
5. Isometric scene prompt
an isometric illustration of a cozy home office with a wooden desk, monitor, plants and warm evening lighting, soft pastel palette
What happened: It ignored "soft pastel palette". Dark slate walls and a sunset window give a moody 3D render, not a pastel illustration. Good image, wrong brief.
See the same prompt on Nano Banana 2.
GPT Image 2 vs Nano Banana 2 on these 5 prompts
| Prompt | GPT Image 2 | Nano Banana 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Photo (bicycle) | Literal, clean composition (edge) | Added people and props |
| Product shot | Warm tones | Cool tones (tie) |
| Typography poster | Flat, print-ready layout (win) | Shown as a print on a wall |
| Illustration | Simpler, poster-like | Far more detail (edge) |
| Isometric scene | Ignored the pastel brief | Followed it (win) |
Use GPT Image 2 for text, layouts and literal product shots; use Nano Banana 2 for rich scenes and illustration. Full Google set: Nano Banana prompts.
8 copy-paste GPT Image 2 prompt templates
Built on the same formula, tuned for GPT Image 2's strengths. Swap the brackets for your own details. Note the pastel template repeats its style cue on purpose, the fix for the miss in our test.
Product on a surface
a product photo of [your product] on a [marble / wooden / stone] surface, soft studio lighting, gentle shadow, premium ecommerce style
Text-heavy flyer
a clean event flyer that says [EVENT NAME] at the top and [DATE AND PLACE] below in [serif / sans serif] type, [color] background, simple [icon]
Typography poster
a minimalist poster that says [YOUR TEXT] in bold serif type, cream background, small [icon] below the text
Infographic card
a simple infographic card titled [TITLE] with three labeled icons for [point 1], [point 2] and [point 3], flat design, [brand color] accents
Packaging mockup
a front-facing packaging mockup of a [box / bottle / bag] labeled [BRAND NAME], studio lighting, white background
Storybook illustration
a detailed watercolor illustration of a [animal] [doing something] in a [place], warm colors
Pastel isometric scene
soft pastel palette, an isometric illustration of a [room or place] with [3 key objects], clean line art, soft pastel palette
Edit: change text only (Edit mode)
change the text on this poster to [NEW TEXT], keep the font, layout and colors exactly the same
How to run these prompts
Paste any prompt into ChatGPT, or in Krater type /image, pick GPT Image 2, set High quality and paste. Full walkthrough with screenshots: How to use GPT Image 2. Found a look you want to copy? Krater's free image to prompt tool writes the prompt for you.
Running prompts in Krater means one click reruns the same prompt on Nano Banana 2 or another model, which is how we built this comparison. More on the model: GPT Image 2 on Krater.
We build Krater, so weigh the Krater parts accordingly. Every image in this post was generated by us, not pulled from a press kit.
FAQ
What is the best GPT Image 2 prompt format?
One literal sentence: subject, setting, light, style. GPT Image 2 follows instructions closely, so describe everything you want in the frame and put the most important style words first.
Do these prompts work in ChatGPT?
Yes. They are plain-language prompts. Results in ChatGPT may differ slightly because ChatGPT chooses the model version and settings for you.
How do I get perfect text with GPT Image 2?
Put the exact words in capitals or quotes, name the type style (serif, sans serif), keep it short, and use High quality. Our COFFEE FIRST poster came out print-ready on the first attempt.
Why did GPT Image 2 ignore part of my prompt?
When a prompt has many style cues, it sometimes drops one, as it did with "soft pastel palette" in our test. Move the cue to the start of the prompt or repeat it.