GPT Image 1.5 Review: Best AI Image Generator for Text?
By sora2hub | Last updated: January 2025
TL;DR: GPT Image 1.5 finally cracks AI image generation's hardest problem—text that actually looks right. After 200+ test generations across client projects, it's become my go-to for marketing graphics and branded content. Free access available at sora2hub.org if you want to test it yourself.
"SAEL EDNS FRDAIY."
That's what Midjourney gave me when I asked for "SALE ENDS FRIDAY" on a promotional banner. Three regenerations later, I got "SALE ENDS FRLDAY." Close enough? Not for a client paying real money.
GPT Image 1.5 nailed it on the first try.
Released in late 2024, this model tackles the exact frustrations that made me want to throw my laptop out the window. Mangled text. Ignored composition instructions. That special AI talent for turning "red sports car on mountain road" into "blue sedan in parking lot."
I've put it through serious testing—marketing campaigns, social content, UI mockups—and here's what you actually need to know.
What Makes GPT Image 1.5 Different
Skip the marketing speak. Three things matter:
Text that doesn't look like a toddler wrote it. Headlines, brand names, CTAs—they come out spelled correctly and actually readable. I tested "BREW CO. — Est. 2019" with an em dash and period. Perfect. Every time.
Instructions that stick. Ask for "logo top-left, product centered, tagline bottom" and that's what you get. Not "creative interpretation." Not the AI deciding it knows better. The actual layout you requested.
Complex scenes that hold together. Six elements in one image? Multiple text blocks? Different lighting sources? The model handles it without turning your composition into visual soup.
Generation takes 15-45 seconds depending on complexity. Slower than some competitors, but the trade-off is worth it when you're not burning 10 attempts to get something usable.
Where It Actually Excels
Social Media Graphics
This is the sweet spot. Quote graphics, announcements, promotional posts—anything with text embedded in the image.
I ran a test: same prompt across GPT Image 1.5, DALL-E 3, and Midjourney.
Prompt: Instagram square, gradient purple to midnight blue, centered white text "NEW COLLECTION DROPS FRIDAY" in bold sans-serif, subtle sparkle effects, luxury minimalist aesthetic
Results:
- GPT Image 1.5: Text perfect, layout exact, sparkles tasteful
- DALL-E 3: Text readable but font choice ignored, sparkles overdone
- Midjourney: "NEW COLLECTOIN DROPS FIRDAY" — unusable
For anyone creating regular social content, this alone justifies switching.
Marketing Materials
Product shots, ad creative, email graphics—GPT Image 1.5 handles the commercial aesthetic well.
A prompt that actually works:
Professional product photo: matte black coffee tumbler centered on marble countertop, steam rising, small potted succulent to the left, morning window light from right creating soft shadows, "BREW CO" embossed on tumbler, clean white background fading at edges
The model maintains lighting consistency across all elements. The text embossing looks natural. The spatial relationships make sense.
Reality check: For hero images on major campaigns, you'll probably still want refinement. But for social ads, email headers, secondary placements? Production-ready output.
UI Mockups and Infographics
Surprised me here. The layout precision makes it useful for:
- App screen concepts
- Simple data visualizations
- Presentation graphics
- Process flow diagrams
Won't replace Figma for pixel-perfect work. But for quick concepts and client presentations? Saves hours.
Text Rendering: The Details
Since this is the headline feature, let's get specific.
What works every time:
- Headlines up to ~15 words
- Brand names with punctuation (periods, ampersands, apostrophes)
- Numbers, dates, pricing ("$29.99" renders correctly)
- Multiple text elements in different positions
- Basic font style requests (bold, serif, sans-serif)
What needs careful prompting:
- Longer text blocks (accuracy drops after ~30 words)
- Highly stylized or script fonts
- Text at extreme angles
What still fails sometimes:
- Very small text in complex scenes
- Unusual characters or symbols
- Text that needs to wrap naturally
Pro tip that saves regenerations: Put exact text in quotation marks. Don't write "add a motivational quote"—write: Include the text "Your only limit is you" in bold sans-serif at bottom center.
The difference in accuracy is dramatic.
How to Access GPT Image 1.5
Free Option: sora2hub.org
Best starting point. No account required, no credit card, just test the model and see if it fits your workflow.
I'd recommend generating 10-15 images here before committing to any paid option. You'll quickly learn what prompts work and where the model's limits are.
ChatGPT Plus ($20/month)
If you're already subscribing, GPT Image 1.5 is built in. The conversational interface is genuinely useful—you can say "make the background darker" or "move the text up" without reprompting from scratch.
Daily limits apply, but plenty for most individual creators.
ChatGPT Pro ($200/month)
For heavy users. Higher limits, priority access during peak times. Only worth it if you're generating 50+ images daily.
API Access
For developers and production workflows. Pay-per-use pricing, no daily caps, programmatic integration.
Skip this unless you're building tools or generating at serious volume. The complexity isn't worth it for typical creator use cases.
GPT Image 1.5 vs The Competition
vs DALL-E 3
DALL-E 3 is OpenAI's previous flagship. The comparison:
| GPT Image 1.5 | DALL-E 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Text accuracy | Excellent | Good (occasional errors) |
| Instruction following | Excellent | Good |
| Photorealism | Excellent | Very good |
| Speed | Medium | Fast |
| Artistic styles | Very good | Excellent |
Bottom line: GPT Image 1.5 wins for anything with text. DALL-E 3 is faster and sometimes better for purely artistic work.
vs Midjourney
Midjourney still produces stunning artistic imagery. But for commercial content with text? Not close.
I love Midjourney for mood boards, concept art, creative exploration. I use GPT Image 1.5 when the output needs to be usable without Photoshop surgery.
vs Flux
Flux offers open weights, local deployment, and lower costs at scale. If you're technical and generating thousands of images monthly, it's worth exploring.
For most creators? GPT Image 1.5's convenience and text handling make it the better choice.
Quick Decision Guide
Use GPT Image 1.5 when:
- Text accuracy matters
- You need specific layouts
- Commercial/professional aesthetic
- You want reliable results without prompt engineering
Use alternatives when:
- Pure artistic exploration (Midjourney)
- Maximum cost efficiency at scale (Flux)
- Heavy image editing needed (dedicated editing tools)
Prompt Templates You Can Steal
These work. Copy, modify, use.
Quote Graphic
Instagram square format, [COLOR] gradient background, centered white text reading "[YOUR QUOTE]" in [bold/light] [serif/sans-serif] font, [subtle glow/shadow/sparkle] effect around text, [aesthetic style] vibe
Product Shot
Professional product photo: [PRODUCT DESCRIPTION] centered on [SURFACE], [LIGHTING DESCRIPTION], [BACKGROUND], brand text "[BRAND NAME]" [location on product], [overall mood/style]
Event Announcement
[PLATFORM] [orientation] format, [BACKGROUND STYLE], headline "[EVENT NAME]" in [font style] at top, date "[DATE]" below in smaller text, [decorative elements], [color scheme], [aesthetic]
Testimonial Graphic
Clean [PLATFORM] graphic, [BACKGROUND], quote marks framing text "[TESTIMONIAL]", attribution "— [NAME], [TITLE]" below in smaller font, [brand colors], professional minimalist style
Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Vague prompts get vague results.
Don't: "A nice image for my coffee shop"
Do: "Cozy coffee shop interior, morning light through large windows, steaming latte on wooden table in foreground, blurred customers in background, warm color grading, text 'OPEN DAILY 7AM' in cream serif font on window"
Overloading single generations.
The model handles complexity well, but there's a limit. If you're trying to create an entire brand kit in one image, break it into pieces.
Forgetting aspect ratios.
Specify upfront. "Vertical 9:16 for Instagram Stories" or "horizontal 16:9 for YouTube thumbnail." Otherwise you'll get square images that need cropping.
Giving up after one attempt.
First generation rarely perfect. Plan for 2-3 iterations. Use the first output to refine your prompt—what's close? What's off? Adjust and regenerate.
Real Cost Comparison
Let's do actual math.
Scenario: 50 social media graphics per month
| Method | Monthly Cost | Per Image |
|---|---|---|
| sora2hub.org (free tier) | $0 | $0 |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20 | $0.40 |
| Stock images + editing | $30-100+ | $0.60-2.00+ |
| Freelance designer | $200-500+ | $4-10+ |
Even at ChatGPT Plus pricing, you're looking at 80-90% savings versus traditional options. And the free tier at sora2hub.org makes testing completely risk-free.
Limitations Worth Knowing
Not a photo editor. GPT Image 1.5 generates from scratch. If you need to modify existing images—remove backgrounds, swap elements, fix specific areas—you need different tools.
Photorealism has limits. Excellent for product shots and lifestyle imagery. But if you need images indistinguishable from professional photography, you'll still want a camera for hero content.
Long text degrades. Paragraphs of text in images? Accuracy drops significantly. Stick to headlines, taglines, and short phrases.
Style consistency across batches. Generating 10 images for a campaign? They won't automatically match perfectly. You'll need to refine prompts or do light editing for cohesive series.
No real-time editing. You can iterate through conversation, but there's no brush tool or selective editing. Each generation is a fresh image.
Getting Started This Week
Day 1-2: Head to sora2hub.org. Generate 10 images using the templates above. Note what works, what doesn't.
Day 3-4: Take your best-performing prompts and create variations. Build a small library of prompts that reliably produce what you need.
Day 5-7: Run a real project through the workflow. One social campaign, one set of marketing graphics, whatever fits your work. Time it. Compare to your current process.
By week's end, you'll know exactly whether GPT Image 1.5 fits your workflow—and you won't have spent a dollar finding out.
The Bottom Line
GPT Image 1.5 isn't perfect. Generation speed is moderate. Long text still struggles. You can't edit images after creation.
But for the specific problem of "I need professional graphics with accurate text and I needed them yesterday"—nothing else comes close right now.
The text rendering alone changes what's possible without a design team. Add reliable composition control and you've got a tool that handles 80% of typical content creation needs.
Start with the free tier at sora2hub.org. Test it against your actual use cases. The barrier to trying it is literally zero.