Introduction

Gen-4 References have many exciting new capabilities. This article includes a selection of use cases to help you understand how broadly powerful the model is.

We're constantly discovering new workflows not listed here: you're encouraged to use these as sparks to explore and discover new approaches for precise, controllable results in your generations.

To learn more about using the Sketch feature to draw or annotate images, please see the Creating a Sketch Reference section from our References Guide.

 

Table of Contents	Related Articles
Apply Elements with a Single Image Background Removal Bounding Box to Guide Gaze Bounding Box to Guide Composition Brand and Style Transfer Stylizing Images Stylizing Text	References Guide Gen-4 Image Prompting Guide

 

Apply Elements with a Single Image

Add the element you want to incorporate alongside your original subject. Draw an arrow connecting the element to where it should appear on the subject and include a simple text label describing the intended result.

Use this annotated reference image without additional prompting to achieve precise element placement while maintaining your subject's core characteristics.

Input image	Output

 

Background Removal

Use a Reference image of your subject with a prompt specifying to remove and replace the background with a solid color.

This technique cleanly isolates the subject from its original environment, creating a versatile asset that can be easily composited into new scenes or used in projects requiring background-free elements.

Input image	Prompt	Output
	remove background from [img] so he's in front of a solid green screen

 

Bounding Box to Guide Gaze

Add simple annotations to direct where your subject looks. Draw an arrow near the eyes and add accompanying text indicating the desired gaze direction.

Use this annotated reference image without additional prompting to achieve subtle yet precise control over your subject's attention focus.

Input image	Output

 

Bounding Box to Guide Composition

Add simple shapes and drawings to your reference image to define compositional boundaries. Draw rectangles, circles, or other shapes with labels where you want specific elements to appear or align. Complement this visual guidance with text prompts to specify style and details for each bounded area.

This technique provides structural guidance for your composition while allowing creative freedom within the established framework, resulting in more balanced and intentionally arranged scenes.

Input image	Prompt	Output
	silhouetted behind a projector screen. dark. empty theater seats in foreground

 

Brand and Style Transfer

Use Reference images to apply distinctive brand aesthetics to new scenarios.

Include an image showcasing the desired style alongside your prompt describing the target subject or setting. This technique transfers visual elements, color palettes, and thematic qualities while maintaining the integrity of the brand's unique characteristics in your new creation.

 

Input image	Prompt	Output
	take the style of [img] and create a high-fashion clothing line inspired by the brand elements. Create an editorial photograph of a man or woman wearing the clothing in a studio setting. do not include any text on the clothing.
	take the style of [img] and design a modern living room home interior inspired by the brand elements.

 

Building Worlds with Stylized Objects

References allow you to expand a single starting image into a cohesive visual world where new objects and scenes can be generated that naturally belong together.

This approach maintains consistency across all elements while enabling these new objects to interact with your original subject when reused as references, creating an immersive composition without the need for multiple source images.

Input image	Prompt	Output
	analyze the world from [img] and create a sword that would fit the style. generate the sword on a black background
	analyze the world from [img] and create a book that would fit the style. generate the book on a black background

After creating the objects, you can then prompt for your character to interact with them:

Input 1	Input 2	Prompt	Output
		we see the woman from [img_1] holding the sword from [img_2]
		we see the woman from [img_1] holding the open book from [img_2]

 

Colorizing Black and White Images

Use a black and white reference image paired with a prompt requesting colorization or restoration.

For more control, specify color preferences for key elements or request period-appropriate coloring for historical images. 

Input image	Prompt	Output
	colorize the image in [img]
	restore and colorize the photograph from [img]. bright and colorful. reminiscent of the 1900s

 

Designing Interiors

References transform home or set staging by allowing you to upload a single image of an interior space and then add furniture references to place them directly into the scene.

This streamlined approach lets you visualize different design options within a space, creating realistic and cohesive room compositions without physically moving furniture or relying on imagination alone.

Input 1	Input 2	Input 3	Prompt	Output
			generate a realistic image of [img_1] with [img_2]and [img_3]. add a table and patterned rug

Try combining this approach with bounding boxes and multiple elements in a single image for additional control.

 

Stylizing Images

Combine two reference images to transfer artistic styles between subjects or environments.

Use one image to define the desired visual aesthetic and another to provide the subject or scene structure.

Input 1	Input 2	Prompt	Output
		Analyze the art style from [img_1], then render [img_2] in the art style

 

Stylizing Text

Use two reference images to transform text presentation styles.

Include one image showing your desired handwritten or typographic style and another containing the text content you want to modify.

Input 1	Input 2	Prompt	Output
		respect the composition and draw [img_1] with the material of [img_2]