Inspiration
GPT Image 2.6 vs 2.5: Animated GIFs, SVG Export & 20 Copy-Paste Prompts (2026)
November 6, 2026
• 10 min read
OpenAI quietly dropped ChatGPT Images 2.6 on November 4, 2026 — and it is a bigger jump than the version number suggests. The headline additions are four: animated GIF generation, SVG export, markup-guided editing, and generation speeds more than twice as fast as GPT Image 2.5. This post breaks down exactly what changed, when to use Flare vs Sunburst, and gives you 20 copy-paste prompts you can use right now.
---
What is new in GPT Image 2.6?
GPT Image 2.6 ships as two API models — gpt-image-2.6-flare (speed) and gpt-image-2.6-sunburst (precision) — plus a consumer update to ChatGPT Images. Here is what is new versus 2.5:
| Feature | GPT Image 2.5 | GPT Image 2.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Animated GIF output | No | Yes — from text or photo |
| SVG export | No | Yes — clean vector paths |
| Markup-guided editing | No | Yes — draw on the reference |
| Complexity parameter | No | Yes — unlocks higher fidelity |
| Saved reference photos | Yes | Yes — improved consistency |
| Generation speed | Baseline | 2× faster at Medium quality |
| Minimum latency (Flare) | ~12s | 6s at Low quality |
---
Flare vs Sunburst: which should you use?
Flare is the speed model. Use it for:
Sunburst is the precision model. Use it for:
[Complexity: high] to the prompt---
20 copy-paste prompts for GPT Image 2.6
All prompts below work in ChatGPT Images 2.6 (web or API). Paste as written.
Animated GIF prompts
1. Candle flame loop (Flare)
Animated GIF: a single white pillar candle centred on a dark walnut surface, flame burning in a 3-frame loop — frame 1: flame upright; frame 2: flame slightly bent left; frame 3: flame recovering to centre. Seamless loop, 0.4 seconds per frame. Cosy, intimate mood.
2. Neon sign flicker (Flare)
Animated GIF: a neon sign reading 'OPEN' in cursive hot-pink tube typeface on a dark brick wall, 6-frame flicker loop — frames 1–2: full brightness; frame 3: 60% brightness; frame 4: full brightness; frame 5: 20% brightness; frame 6: full brightness. Seamless loop, 0.15 seconds per frame. Night scene.
3. Coffee pour overhead (Flare)
Animated GIF: overhead close-up of a white espresso cup, a thin stream of hot espresso pouring in a 5-frame loop — the crema swirling as the cup fills from half to three-quarters full. Warm amber light, dark background. Seamless loop, 0.25 seconds per frame.
4. Snow globe shake (Flare)
Animated GIF of a snow globe in an 8-frame loop: a miniature red-roofed house under a bare winter tree. Frames 1–2: snow settled. Frames 3–6: snow particles suspended mid-air in increasing density. Frames 7–8: snow beginning to settle. Soft warm overhead light. Seamless loop, 0.3 seconds per frame.
5. Logo reveal (Flare)
Animated GIF brand logo reveal: 8 frames, 0.1 seconds per frame. Frames 1–2: white background, nothing visible. Frame 3: a thin horizontal line appears centred in deep navy. Frame 4: line expands upward to form the bottom stroke of a capital 'A'. Frames 5–7: the full 'A' resolves as a geometric sans-serif. Frame 8: below the 'A', the wordmark 'AXIOM' appears in spaced small-caps. Loop: plays once and holds on frame 8.
---
SVG export prompts
6. Brand mountain icon (Flare)
SVG-ready minimal brand icon: a single continuous-line mountain peak — the line rises steeply to a sharp apex then descends at a shallower angle. 3px line in deep slate-blue (#1E3A5F), no fill. Centred in a 200×200px artboard with 20px padding. Output as SVG with clean vector paths.
7. Event poster (Flare)
A2 portrait poster in Bauhaus-inspired vector style ready for SVG export: solid black background; a large coral-red circle (#E84040) in the upper 60%; inside the circle, 'DRIFT FESTIVAL' in Helvetica Neue Heavy condensed all-caps white, 2 stacked lines; below the circle, 3 performer names in smaller white condensed all-caps: 'CASSINI / POLAR FRONT / GALE'; at the foot: 'APRIL 2027 · ROTTERDAM' in small light-grey. All clean vector paths, no raster effects.
8. Weather icon set (Flare)
3 minimal weather icons, each 48×48px, clean vector SVG paths in ocean-blue (#0066CC), 2px stroke, no fill, transparent background: (1) sun — 20px circle with 8 radial lines 8px; (2) cloud — rounded organic shape with flat bottom; (3) rain — same cloud with 3 diagonal downward lines below. Horizontal row on a white preview background. SVG artboards remain transparent.
---
Markup-guided editing prompts
9. Product label placement (Sunburst)
[Markup-guided edit] Reference image: a brown kraft-paper coffee bag standing upright on cream linen. Using the markup, place a 9cm × 6cm white matte label centred on the front face, 4cm from the top edge. Label text: 'ALTITUDE ROAST' in bold condensed sans-serif black capitals, centred, and below it in smaller regular weight: 'Single Origin · Ethiopia · 250g'. All other bag elements — creases, texture, lighting, background — stay identical to the reference.
10. Room restyling (Sunburst)
[Markup-guided edit] Reference image: a bare living room, white walls, natural oak floor, one sofa on the left, one window opposite. Using the markup overlay: (1) cover the right wall with floor-to-ceiling built-in white painted bookcases; (2) place a round Moroccan-style low coffee table at the centre; (3) swap the sofa upholstery to dusty rose velvet. Keep room proportions, floor, window and ceiling height identical to the reference. Architectural interior photography. 4K.
---
Precision photo prompts (Sunburst)
11. Luxury watch editorial
Ultra-precision product editorial of a rose-gold dress watch laid flat on midnight-blue silk, camera directly overhead. Applied gold Roman numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 sharply resolved. A raking light from the left at 20 degrees creating micro-relief shadow across the sunburst-guilloche dial texture. Deep shadow on the right side of the case. Luxury catalogue photography, 4K.
12. Fine art portrait
Fine art editorial portrait of a woman in her mid-40s with silver-streaked hair in a loose chignon, seated in a dark forest-green velvet armchair, wearing a black silk blouse. Rembrandt lighting from camera-right: strong key light at 45 degrees, triangular highlight on the left cheek, deep shadow on the right face, barely visible rim light from behind. Dark charcoal studio seamless paper background. 4:5 portrait ratio. No retouching — natural skin texture fully resolved.
13. Sapphire engagement ring macro
Luxury jewellery macro of a platinum sapphire engagement ring tilted at 35 degrees with the oval sapphire facing camera, the stone a deep royal blue with a vivid internal star-burst catch-light from an overhead spot, the platinum prongs and band sharply resolved — every micro-millimetre of metal surface texture visible. A hairline reflection of the ring on dark navy velvet beneath it. Background fades to pure black. Macro lens at f/4, 4K, luxury advertising quality.
14. Cosmetics perfume campaign
Luxury perfume campaign: a faceted crystal bottle with a brushed-gold domed cap, centred on white Carrara marble, label reading 'LUMIÈRE' in embossed gold italic. A single white gardenia stem leans against the left side of the bottle. Narrow overhead spot creating a sharp specular highlight on the bottle's left facet. The bottle's reflection fully visible in the marble surface. No other props. 4K, luxury fragrance advertising.
15. Architecture render — twilight
Photorealistic architectural exterior render at deep twilight: a contemporary two-storey residence with flat roof, full-height floor-to-ceiling glazing across the ground floor, interior lights warm and on creating a soft amber glow through the glass. Upper storey in dark charcoal fibre-cement panels. A single specimen Japanese maple tree at the left edge, its leaves a deep burgundy silhouette against the cobalt-to-amber twilight sky. Camera at lawn level, slight low-angle, 28mm equivalent. 16:9 landscape. 4K.
---
High-complexity scenes
16. Sci-fi command centre (Sunburst)
[Complexity: high] Cinematic wide-angle establishing shot of a subterranean space station command centre: a circular room 40 metres in diameter, domed ceiling with a rotating galaxy projection in cool blue and white, 20 consoles in concentric arcs each staffed by one operator in gunmetal-grey flight suits, polished dark carbon floor reflecting the ceiling display, a central holographic tactical table in pale cyan, ambient underlit cool blue floor strips. All operators engaged with consoles, no one looking at camera. Single overhead spot on the tactical table. Cinematic ratio 2.39:1. 8K.
17. E-commerce sneaker shot (Flare)
E-commerce hero shot of a pair of forest-green low-top leather trainers on a white seamless background. One shoe upright in side profile facing right, the other slightly behind at 20 degrees showing the front toe cap. Laces neatly tied. A clean shadow directly below both shoes. Warm directional light from upper-left at 45 degrees. Every stitch, perforated dot and outsole tread resolved. Square 1:1, product catalogue photography.
18. Scandinavian living room interior (Sunburst)
Interior architectural photograph of a Scandinavian-minimalist living room: bleached oak herringbone floor, white plaster walls, a low-profile cream bouclé sofa against the left wall with a linen throw folded over its right arm, an organic curved travertine side table with one black ceramic vase and a single dried pampas plume, floor-to-ceiling window on the far wall showing a snowy birch forest, flat grey winter sky outside. Interior lit only by the window's diffuse north light. Architectural Digest editorial, 4K.
19. Fashion campaign — Paris autumn (Flare)
Lifestyle fashion campaign: a man in his mid-30s wearing a loose camel-coloured overcoat over a black turtleneck, hands in pockets, walking towards camera on a tree-lined Paris boulevard in autumn, fallen orange leaves on wet pavement, dappled overcast light, motion blur on legs and coat hem, face sharp and looking slightly off-camera right. Moody editorial colour grade (desaturated, warm shadows). Wide-angle street photography. 3:4 portrait ratio.
20. Instagram Story autumn lifestyle (Flare)
Vertical 9:16 Instagram Story lifestyle photograph: a young woman in a burnt-orange oversized knit jumper holding a large ceramic mug of coffee with both hands, standing beside a floor-to-ceiling window, the window showing rain-speckled glass with an autumn park behind — amber and rust oak leaves, overcast grey sky. Soft indoor window light on her face, 3/4 angle. Subject occupies centre-left, window the right half. No text overlays. Cosy, calm autumn weekend mood.
---
Tips for getting the best results from GPT Image 2.6
For animated GIFs:
For SVG export:
For markup-guided editing:
Avoid:
---