OpenAI launches ChatGPT Images 2.5 with Sketch, plus GPT-Image-2.5 Flare and Sunburst in the API
On Sept 8, 2026 OpenAI released ChatGPT Images 2.5, a new image model that it says gives sharper detail, keeps subjects from reference photos more faithfully, edits more precisely over many turns, and cuts latency by up to 50% versus Images 2.0. ChatGPT gained Sketch (draw a rough layout as the reference), templates, comments on images and shareable prompts. Developers got two API models: gpt-image-2.5-flare, the fast default, and gpt-image-2.5-sunburst, a slower, more precise premium model.
Key facts
- OpenAI: people create more than 3 billion images per week across ChatGPT Images and GPT-Image models in the API
- Up to 50% lower generation latency than Images 2.0; better reference-photo fidelity, targeted edits that leave the rest of the image unchanged, multi-turn edit consistency, more accurate real-world content, complex layouts incl. transparent backgrounds
- ChatGPT features: Sketch ('@Sketch' drawing surface as a visual guide), templates (e.g. Poster, Merch), comments placed directly on images, sharing the prompt with an image
- Available to all ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work and Codex users on all tiers (desktop, mobile, web)
- API: gpt-image-2.5-flare (default; higher quality than gpt-image-2 at 50% lower latency) and gpt-image-2.5-sunburst (premium, tighter control, longer generation times); snapshot gpt-image-2.5-flare-2026-09-08
- API token prices listed identically for both models and gpt-image-2 (per 1M tokens): text input $5, cached $1.25; image input $8, cached $2; image output $30 (OpenAI pricing page, per our model registry)
- Safety: prompt and image checks, C2PA metadata and invisible watermarking; a system card on OpenAI's Deployment Safety Hub
What happened
OpenAI shipped Images 2.5, the successor to Images 2.0, in ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work and Codex for all users. It focuses on faithful edits: keeping recognizable subjects from reference photos, changing only what was asked, and staying consistent across long editing sessions. New tools include Sketch, which lets users draw a rough layout that ChatGPT turns into a finished image, format templates, on-image comments and shareable prompts. In the API, OpenAI released two models: GPT-Image-2.5 Flare for most uses and GPT-Image-2.5 Sunburst for premium work that needs tighter control.
Why it matters
Image generation in chat is now mostly about editing and control rather than one-off pictures, and OpenAI's own figure of more than 3 billion images a week shows how heavily it is used. Splitting the API into a fast and a precise model matches how Google and others now tier their image models.
Changelog
- 2026-09-30: created (official-blog audit; model files gpt-image-2-5-flare / gpt-image-2-5-sunburst already existed)
Models
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare OpenAI · current
- GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst OpenAI · current
Related events
Sources (8)
- officialOpenAI: Introducing ChatGPT Images 2.5
- docsOpenAI Deployment Safety Hub: ChatGPT Images 2.5 system card
- officialOpenAI Developer Community: Introducing GPT Images 2.5 in the API and ChatGPT
- docsOpenAI API docs: gpt-image-2.5-flare
- docsOpenAI API pricing (image generation)
- pressAxios: Hands-on with ChatGPT's new image editor
- pressUnite.AI: OpenAI releases ChatGPT Images 2.5 with Sketch and two new API models
- pressDataCamp: ChatGPT Images 2.5 features, Sketch and API models
id: 2026-09-08-chatgpt-images-2-5 · updated 2026-09-30 · open in the interactive timeline