---
title: "Which AI Image Model to Use for Each Product Photo Job"
canonical: https://withicarus.com/blog/which-ai-image-model-to-use
site: Icarus
description: "Which AI image model to use for packaging text, lingerie, swimwear, 4K product sets, precise edits or quick drafts, and what each one costs in Icarus."
---

# Which AI Image Model to Use for Each Product Photo Job

Which AI image model to use for packaging text, lingerie, swimwear, 4K product sets, precise edits or quick drafts, and what each one costs in Icarus.

_October 7, 2026. Written with AI from the sources listed below, and checked automatically before it went live._

![Skincare bottle, folded swimsuit, leather tote and sneakers laid out in a row on a studio table in soft window light](https://icarus.b-cdn.net/blog/which-ai-image-model-to-use/product-shoot-table-mixed-items.png)

_Made with Icarus_

Choose the AI image model by the job in front of you. Text on packaging needs a model made for text. Swimwear needs one made for on-model shots. A 4K product set needs a model that keeps the whole set consistent. In Icarus, each model is listed with the jobs it's for, and you see a shot's price before you make it.

This post matches common jobs to the Icarus model made for each one, with its starting price. It ends with a cheap way to test your pick on your own product.

**Key takeaways**

- Text on packaging, signs or posters: Qwen Image 3 or Ideogram 4.5.
- Lingerie, swimwear and on-model shots: Seedream 5 Pro, Qwen Image 3, Ideogram 4.5 or Muse.
- 4K product sets that need to match: GPT Image 2.
- Precise edits: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst. Fast everyday shots: GPT Image 2.5 Flare.

## Start with the job, not the model name

Model names don't tell you much. One model is made for text on a label, another for a garment on a body, another for changing one detail in a photo you already have. So don't ask which model is best. Ask which one fits the shot you need today.

Here's the short version. Every price is where that model starts in Icarus.

| Job | Model in Icarus | From |
| --- | --- | ---: |
| Text on packaging and signs | Qwen Image 3 | $0.05 an image |
| Posters, logos and headlines | Ideogram 4.5 | $0.04 an image |
| Lingerie and everyday on-model shots | Seedream 5 Pro | $0.08 an image |
| Garments on the body, intimates, swimwear | Qwen Image 3 | $0.05 an image |
| Fashion and creator-style shots | Muse | $0.01 an image |
| 4K product and outdoor sets | GPT Image 2 | $0.02 an image |
| Studio scenes with your product or face held true | Nano Banana Pro | $0.18 an image |
| Precise edits | GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst | $0.02 an image |
| Everyday shots, fast | GPT Image 2.5 Flare | $0.02 an image |
| Quick shots in 1K, 2K or 4K | Nano Banana 2 | $0.10 an image |
| Extra-wide and extra-tall frames | Nano Banana 2.1 | $0.10 an image |
| Brand artwork in the style of your references | Recraft V4 Styles | $0.05 an image |

Source: [Icarus pricing](https://withicarus.com/pricing)

Pick a model in the app, or name it to Icarus in your brief.

## Which model to use for text on packaging, posters and ads

If words appear in the frame, start with a model made for text. In Icarus, Qwen Image 3 is made for text on packaging and signs. Ideogram 4.5 is made for posters, logos and text, in 1K, 2K or 4K.

![Matte white skincare bottle on a wet slate stone in soft side daylight](https://icarus.b-cdn.net/blog/which-ai-image-model-to-use/skincare-bottle-slate-stone.png)

_Made with Icarus_

Google's docs say its Gemini image models can produce [legible, stylized text for marketing assets](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/image-generation). In Icarus, Nano Banana Pro is Google's flagship, made for studio scenes that hold your product or face true.

A few habits help on any model:

- Put the exact words in quotes in your brief.
- Keep the text short.
- Say where the words go: on the label, across the top, on a sign.
- Read every letter before you publish.

Here's a brief you can copy and change:

> A matte white skincare bottle on a wet slate stone, soft daylight from the left, with the words "Night Repair" printed on the label

Try this prompt in Icarus: https://withicarus.com/dashboard?prompt=A%20matte%20white%20skincare%20bottle%20on%20a%20wet%20slate%20stone%2C%20soft%20daylight%20from%20the%20left%2C%20with%20the%20words%20%22Night%20Repair%22%20printed%20on%20the%20label

For sale banners and ads with your saved product in the frame, see [ads and posters with your words](https://withicarus.com/features/ad-creatives).

## Which model to use for lingerie, swimwear and on-model shots

Clothing on a body is its own job. Fabric has to fold and stretch the way it really does, and the model has to look like a real person.

![Model in a navy one-piece swimsuit standing on a sandy beach in late afternoon light](https://icarus.b-cdn.net/blog/which-ai-image-model-to-use/navy-swimsuit-beach-model.png)

_Made with Icarus_

These are the Icarus models made for on-model work:

- **Seedream 5 Pro**: lingerie and everyday on-model shots, with smart visual reasoning. From $0.08 an image.
- **Qwen Image 3**: garments on the body, intimates and swimwear. From $0.05 an image.
- **Ideogram 4.5**: lingerie, along with posters and text. From $0.04 an image.
- **Muse**: ultra-realistic fashion and creator-style shots. From $0.01 an image.
- **Muse Cinema**: cinema-grade frames with real people. From $0.01 an image.

Start with one photo of the garment and one sharp, front-facing photo of your model's face. Face locking keeps that face the same across scenes, poses and light, so a lookbook reads as one shoot. Product pinning keeps the garment's real colour, print and stitching.

Before you make an intimates or swimwear set, read the ad policy of each place you plan to run it. Then check every result against that policy before you post.

## Which model to use for 4K product shoots

For a full set that has to match, like a product page gallery or a launch, use GPT Image 2. In Icarus it's made for 4K product and outdoor shoots that stay consistent across a set, from $0.02 an image. For reference, OpenAI's docs say custom sizes on its image API allow [no edge longer than 3840 pixels](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/image-generation).

![Tan leather tote bag on a plain white background, shot straight on as a catalog photo](https://icarus.b-cdn.net/blog/which-ai-image-model-to-use/tan-leather-tote-white.png)

_Made with Icarus_

Google lists [built-in 1K, 2K and 4K generation](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/image-generation) for its Gemini image models. In Icarus, Nano Banana 2 makes quick shots in 1K, 2K or 4K, and Nano Banana 2.1 adds extra-wide and extra-tall frames for banners and stories. Google also says [every image they make carries a SynthID watermark](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/image-generation).

When the product has to match the real one exactly, look at Wings. It makes lifelike shots that hold your own product or model exactly, shot for shot. Product pinning keeps your colour, logo and stitching from one saved photo. Read more on [keeping your exact product in every shot](https://withicarus.com/features/exact-product).

On the model Icarus starts you on, a 4K image is $0.09, or $0.11 when it holds a saved product. A set of 30 product shots at $0.11 comes to $3.30.

## Which model to use for precise edits and quick drafts

Some days you don't need a new photo. You need the jacket in denim or the background at sunset. Other days you want rough options fast so you can choose a direction.

OpenAI splits these jobs between its two gpt-image 2.5 models. It says to [choose Sunburst where editing precision matters most, and Flare for fast everyday generation](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/image-generation). Icarus has both:

- **GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst**: top quality and the most precise edits. From $0.02 an image.
- **GPT Image 2.5 Flare**: everyday shots, fast. From $0.02 an image.
- **Grok Imagine 2**: quick shots, and edits driven by photos you supply. From $0.05 an image.

To edit, open any photo, even one from your phone, and write the change in one sentence. See [how photo edits work](https://withicarus.com/features/ai-photo-editor). An image edit on the default model is $0.05, or $0.07 at 4K.

OpenAI says complex prompts [can take as long as 2 minutes](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/image-generation). For drafts, keep briefs short, make several options and take the one you like to a 4K model at the end.

## How to test a model on your own product

Model descriptions get you close. Your own product is the real test.

1. Choose your hardest product, one with fine print, a logo or a busy pattern.
2. Write one plain brief covering the scene, the light and the angle.
3. Make the same shot on two or three models from the table above.
4. Hold each result up against the real product. Check the colour, the logo and any text.
5. Keep the model that passed and make the rest of the set on it.

Ten test shots at $0.02 come to $0.20. The Generate button shows each shot's price first, and a shot that fails is given back to your balance. Plans and top ups are on the [pricing page](https://withicarus.com/pricing).

If you'd rather not choose, describe the shot to Icarus in plain words and it plans the shot for you.

## Questions

### What is the best AI image model for product photos?

There isn't one model for every job. Choose by task: a text model for packaging, an on-model model for clothing, a 4K model for matching sets and an edit model for changes. Test two or three on your own product first.

### Which AI image model is good at putting text in images?

In Icarus, Qwen Image 3 is made for text on packaging and signs, and Ideogram 4.5 is made for posters, logos and text. Put the exact words in quotes and read every letter before you publish.

### Which AI model should I use for lingerie and swimwear photos?

In Icarus, Seedream 5 Pro is made for lingerie and everyday on-model shots, and Qwen Image 3 for intimates, swimwear and garments on the body. Check each ad platform's policy yourself before you run the photos.

### Can I use different models for different shots in one set?

Yes. Pick a model for each shot in the app, or name it in your brief. Keep the same product photo and brief on each so results are easy to compare.

### Do I own the images I make with these models?

Yes. Every image and video you make in Icarus is yours for commercial use, with no licensing fees and no attribution.

## Sources

- [Image generation | OpenAI API](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/image-generation)
- [Nano Banana image generation | Gemini API | Google AI for Developers](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/image-generation)

---

Site: Icarus (https://withicarus.com)
Canonical: https://withicarus.com/blog/which-ai-image-model-to-use
Contact: tanmay@onai.studio