Text to Image AI

Text-to-image AI is the technology that converts written descriptions into visual images. You type a prompt — a sentence or paragraph describing what you want to see — and an AI model generates a unique image matching your description. It’s the most accessible and widely used form of AI image generation, and the quality in 2026 is extraordinary.

Apefx offers 9 text-to-image models from different providers, each with unique strengths. From instant-preview generators that cost 1 credit to ultra-premium models that produce print-quality output, you have the full spectrum available in one interface.

How Text-to-Image AI Works

At a high level, text-to-image models work in two phases:

1. Text encoding: Your prompt is converted into a mathematical representation (embedding) that captures the semantic meaning of your description. The model understands not just individual words but their relationships — “a cat sitting on a red chair” is understood as a spatial relationship, not just three separate concepts.
2. Image generation: Starting from random noise, the model iteratively refines the image, guided by the text embedding. Each step reduces noise and adds detail, producing a coherent image that matches your description. This process takes anywhere from fractions of a second (Flux 2 Klein) to several seconds (Nano Banana Pro).

Different model architectures handle this differently. Diffusion models (Flux, Seedream) progressively denoise. Autoregressive models (BitDance) generate image tokens sequentially, like how GPT generates text. Hybrid models (Nano Banana) combine language model understanding with image synthesis. Learn more in our technical guide to understanding AI image models.

Prompt Engineering: The Art of Describing What You Want

The prompt is the single most important factor in text-to-image generation. A well-crafted prompt can produce stunning results even with a basic model, while a vague prompt wastes credits on mediocre output. Here is a systematic approach to prompt engineering.

The Prompt Framework

Structure your prompts with these elements, roughly in order of importance:

1. Subject: What is the main focus? Be specific. “A weathered fisherman mending nets” not “a person.”
2. Action/Pose: What is the subject doing? “Looking up at the camera with a subtle smile” not just “standing.”
3. Setting/Background: Where is this? “In a cozy coffee shop with warm ambient lighting” not “indoors.”
4. Style/Medium: What does it look like? “Professional product photography, studio lighting” or “oil on canvas, impressionist style.”
5. Lighting: One of the most impactful elements. “Golden hour rim lighting,” “dramatic Rembrandt lighting,” “soft diffused overcast light.”
6. Color Palette: “Warm earth tones,” “cool blue and silver,” “vibrant saturated primaries.”
7. Camera/Composition: “Close-up portrait, shallow depth of field,” “aerial drone shot,” “wide establishing shot.”
8. Mood/Atmosphere: “Moody and contemplative,” “bright and joyful,” “eerie and unsettling.”

Example Prompts: Before & After

Basic: “a mountain landscape”

Engineered: “A dramatic alpine landscape at golden hour, jagged snow-capped peaks catching the last warm light, a crystal-clear lake in the foreground reflecting the mountains, scattered wildflowers in the meadow, atmospheric haze in the valleys, wide-angle composition, nature photography, 4K detail”

Basic: “a robot”

Engineered: “A sleek humanoid robot with brushed titanium plating and glowing blue optical sensors, standing in a pristine white laboratory, soft studio lighting creating subtle reflections on the metallic surfaces, three-quarter view, sci-fi concept art style, highly detailed, cinematic composition”

Apefx’s Prompt Enhancer

Don’t want to manually engineer prompts? Apefx includes a built-in prompt enhancer that automatically expands simple descriptions into detailed prompts. Type “a mountain landscape” and the enhancer adds appropriate lighting, composition, style, and detail descriptions based on what produces the best results for each model.

Model Comparison for Text-to-Image

Advanced Prompting Techniques

Negative Space Awareness

Modern models understand composition implicitly, but you can guide them. Terms like “rule of thirds,” “leading lines,” “negative space,” and “centered composition” actively influence how the model arranges elements in the frame.

Style Mixing

Combine multiple style references for unique results: “Art Nouveau poster design with cyberpunk elements” or “Baroque lighting with minimalist composition.” The AI interpolates between styles in interesting and often surprising ways.

Camera Terminology

Photography terminology is highly effective in prompts. Use specific lens references (“shot on 85mm f/1.4, bokeh background”), camera positions (“low angle hero shot,” “bird’s eye view”), and photographic techniques (“long exposure light trails,” “tilt-shift miniature effect”).

Text Rendering

Text within images has historically been a weakness of AI models, but Nano Banana 2 (powered by Google Gemini) handles text rendering well. If you need text in your image (logos, signs, titles), use Nano Banana 2 and place the text in quotes within your prompt: “a neon sign reading ‘OPEN 24/7’ in a rainy alley.”

Best Practices for Text-to-Image

• Iterate fast, refine slow. Use cheap models (Flux 2 Klein, 1 credit) for exploration, then switch to premium models for finals.
• Be specific about what matters. Detailed descriptions of your subject and lighting matter more than long prompts about irrelevant details.
• Use the prompt enhancer. It is trained on thousands of successful prompts and often produces better results than manual engineering.
• Try multiple models. The same prompt produces different results across models. What Flux Pro handles well might not be Grok Imagine’s strength, and vice versa.
• Save successful prompts. When you find a prompt that works well, save it as a template. Small modifications to a proven prompt are more reliable than starting from scratch.

From Text to Image to Video

One of Apefx’s most powerful workflows is text → image → video. Generate a perfect still image using text-to-image, then animate it into video using image-to-video models. This gives you far more control over the final video’s appearance than text-to-video alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best text-to-image AI model?

For overall quality, Nano Banana Pro leads in 2026 with ultra-quality output and character consistency. For speed and value, Flux Pro and Seedream 5.0 deliver high quality at 5 credits. For instant previews, Flux 2 Klein costs just 1 credit. Apefx offers all of these in one platform so you can choose per project.

How do I write better AI image prompts?

Follow the framework: Subject → Action → Setting → Style → Lighting → Color → Camera → Mood. Be specific about what matters most, use artistic and photographic terminology, and let Apefx’s prompt enhancer fill in the gaps. Check our best prompts guide for examples.

Can text-to-image AI create text within images?

Yes, particularly Nano Banana 2 (powered by Google Gemini 3.1 Flash) which excels at text rendering. Place desired text in quotes within your prompt for best results. Other models handle simple, short text reasonably well.

How many images can I generate for free?

Apefx’s free tier provides 50 credits/month. That’s 50 images with Flux 2 Klein, 10 with Flux Pro/Seedream, or 6 with Nano Banana 2. Paid plans start at $12/month with 500 credits.

What resolution can text-to-image generate?

Resolution depends on your plan: free tier generates at 720p, Creator plan at 2K, Pro at 4K, and Studio at 4K+. You can also upscale any image to 4K+ using Bria Creative Upscale for 5 credits.