Image creation is one of Gemini’s most advanced and differentiated capabilities. As of February 2026, Gemini’s Nano Banana Pro is widely regarded as the leading publicly accessible image generation model. This distinction is based on its consistency, prompt adherence, and ability to render highly detailed, photorealistic, and stylistically controlled visuals.
This guide walks you through:
- How to prompt for better results
- Technical details of image creation within Gemini
How to create an image
To create an image in Gemini, ensure the “Image” tool is selected. Activate this tool using the "+" or by clicking the "Create image" button.
Prompting Best Practices
1. If you need a brand-aligned photo, be very strict with the design rules.
Example: “All generated visuals must use ONLY LearnAIR’s brand colors:
-Light Blue: #a0d5f9
-Dark Raspberry: #a52756
-Charcoal: #333333
-Light Gray: #f2f2f2
No additional colors, gradients, or hues may be introduced unless explicitly requested by the user.
When generating images, you must:
-Specify these colors directly in the image generation prompt.
-Avoid approximations (e.g., “light blue” or “pink”).
-Avoid introducing any new color accents unless the user approves.
2. Use hierarchical prompting when necessary. Tell the model what matters most and least so it prioritizes correctly.
Example: “Priority 1: brand colors.
Priority 2: clean, minimalist layout.
Priority 3: realistic lighting.”
3. Be as detailed as you need in the prompt. This means specifying things like the photo’s setting, photography rules, inclusions and exclusions, mood, lighting, desired style, or even the camera framing… whatever is relevant to you.
Example: “Please generate a photorealistic overhead shot of a tidy desk setup in natural light. Include a notebook and pen, exclude people, use a calm mood, neutral colors, and balanced composition.”
4. Gemini excels with consistency. This allows it to maintain the look of a person across images, seamlessly blend photos, reproduce a rough sketch, and make local edits.
Example: “Replicate this technical sketch exactly, using only my brand colors: #a0d5f9, #a52756, and #333333.
AIRHack: Prompt Gemini to “Act like a lead graphic designer with expertise in articulating designs, so that your subdesigners nail your vision, every time. Now enhance my image generation prompt below [insert prompt].”
This process of prompting the to generate, evaluate, or refine prompts as an output is called metaprompting!
Technical Details
File Format
- Gemini exports images as PNG files by default.
- PNG = lossless, ideal for graphics, logos, text overlays, and clean lines.
- Gemini cannot convert image file types.
Resolution & Size
- Image creation outputs are 1024×1024 pixels by default, and cannot be upscaled.
- The current integration forces all image outputs to a 1:1 aspect ratio, ignoring prompts for 16:9 or other dimensions.
Image Editing Capabilities
- You can upload an image and request:
- Object additions or removals
Nano Banana Pro can also be used within NotebookLM to generate fantastic visuals.
