Seedream4 AI Image Generator

1. What is SeeDream4?

• ⚡ Lightning-Fast Generation: 2K images in ~1.4 seconds, 4K support for professional work
• 🔧 Unified Generation + Editing: Create and edit in one model—remove, replace, or change elements via text prompts
• 🎯 Exceptional Text Rendering: Generate clear, accurate text for posters, infographics, charts, and educational materials
• 🖼️ 4K Ultra HD Output: Native high-resolution support up to 4K UHD for print and commercial use
• 🔗 Multi-Image Reference: Use multiple reference images to maintain style and structural consistency
• 📊 Knowledge-Driven Generation: Create complex charts, timelines, diagrams, and educational illustrations
• 🎨 Integrated Visual Controls: Built-in support for Canny, Depth, and Mask signals without external plugins
• 📱 Adaptive Aspect Ratio: Automatically selects optimal canvas dimensions based on your prompt
• 🎭 Multi-Image Output: Generate consistent image sequences for storyboards and design series
• 🏆 Top-Ranked Performance: Leading scores on Artificial Analysis Arena and internal benchmarks

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2. How to Use SeeDream4?

• ByteDance Seed Official Site: Visit seed.bytedance.com and click "Try Now" for instant access
• BytePlus ModelArk: Enterprise API access via BytePlus Image Generation API with free inference quota
• Volcano Engine Ark: Alpha access for enterprise users on Volcano Engine platform
• Replicate: Hosted playground at replicate.com/bytedance/seedream-4 with interactive examples

• Image Type: Define the category (photo, illustration, poster, diagram, chart)
• Main Subject: Clearly describe the central focus
• Visual Details: Specify lighting, perspective, colors, materials, composition
• Style Direction: Mention artistic style, mood, or aesthetic (photorealistic, anime, watercolor, minimalist)
• Text Content (if needed): Keep text requests short—headlines, captions, or labels work best
• Layout Cues: Add placement hints (centered subject, headline at top, symmetrical layout)

Create a professional marketing poster for a tech conference. 
Title text: "AI SUMMIT 2026" in bold modern font at top center.
Show silhouettes of diverse professionals against a gradient blue 
background with subtle circuit board patterns. Futuristic, clean, 
corporate style. Include subtitle "Innovation Starts Here" below title. 
16:9 landscape format, suitable for digital display.

• 📐 Resolution & Aspect Ratio:
  • Fast Preview: 2K (2048×2048 or equivalent)
  • Professional Output: 4K UHD for print and commercial use
  • Adaptive: Let SeeDream4 automatically select optimal aspect ratio based on content
  • Custom: Specify exact dimensions (1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 21:9)
• 🖼️ Reference Images (optional):
  • Upload multiple reference images to guide style, composition, or subject consistency
  • Great for maintaining brand identity or creating series
• 🎨 Visual Controls (advanced):
  • Canny: Edge-guided generation for precise structure
  • Depth: Depth-map guidance for spatial control
  • Mask: Area-specific editing and generation
• 📊 Output Mode:
  • Single Image: Standard generation
  • Multi-Image Output: Generate consistent sequence (for storyboards, design sets)

• 📥 Download: Save in high-resolution format (PNG/JPEG)
• ✏️ Natural Language Editing: The magic of SeeDream4—edit directly with text commands:
  • "Remove the background tree"
  • "Replace the blue car with a red one"
  • "Change text to 'NEW ARRIVALS'"
  • "Make the lighting warmer and softer"
  • "Add a coffee cup on the desk"
• 🔄 Iterate with References: Upload your generated image as reference for the next variation
• 🎬 Create Sequences: Generate multiple consistent images for presentations or storyboards
• 💾 Export Settings: Save prompt and parameters for future projects

• Multi-Reference Fusion: Combine style from image A + composition from image B + color palette from image C
• Visual Signal Control: Use Canny/Depth/Mask for surgical precision in complex compositions
• Batch Consistency: Generate multiple variations maintaining consistent style and branding

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3. SeeDream4 Use Cases & Example Prompts

3.1 Marketing & Commercial Design

Design a vibrant summer sale poster. Title: "SUMMER CLEARANCE" in bold 
yellow letters at top, "UP TO 70% OFF" in red below. Show beach scene 
with palm trees, sunglasses, and surfboard. Bright, energetic colors 
(yellow, orange, turquoise). Modern retail style. Add "Limited Time Only" 
at bottom in white. Vertical 9:16 format for social media stories.

Storyboard sequence for sci-fi short film opening. Scene 1: Wide shot of 
abandoned space station exterior, dark with single blinking red light. 
Cinematic composition, Blade Runner aesthetic, moody blue-grey tones, 
dramatic shadows. 16:9 format. Generate 3 variations showing different angles.

Product lifestyle photo of minimalist smartwatch on marble desk surface. 
Show watch displaying fitness stats, with notebook and coffee mug in background. 
Clean modern aesthetic, soft natural window light from left, shallow depth of 
field. Professional product photography style, focus on watch face, 4:3 format 
suitable for e-commerce.

3.2 Educational & Knowledge Content

Educational diagram showing "Photosynthesis Process" for high school biology. 
Include labeled components: sunlight arrows at top, chloroplast in center, 
CO2 entering left, O2 exiting right, water from roots at bottom, glucose output. 
Use clean scientific illustration style with soft green and blue color palette. 
Text labels: "Sunlight", "Carbon Dioxide", "Oxygen", "Water", "Glucose". 
Clear, simple, suitable for textbook.

Professional infographic titled "Global AI Market Growth 2020-2026". 
Show upward trending bar chart with years on x-axis (2020, 2022, 2024, 2026) 
and values in billions ($50B, $120B, $250B, $500B). Use corporate blue and 
grey color scheme. Include headline "500% Growth in 6 Years" in large text 
at top. Clean modern business style, suitable for LinkedIn post, square 1:1 format.

Technical diagram showing smartphone assembly steps. Three-panel layout: 
Panel 1 labeled "Remove Back Cover", Panel 2 "Insert Battery", Panel 3 
"Secure Cover". Use simple line-art illustration style, numbered steps (1, 2, 3), 
arrow indicators showing direction. Clean black and white with blue accent colors. 
Technical manual aesthetic, clear and instructional.

3.3 Creative & Artistic Projects

Anime-style character design: Young female mage with silver hair and purple eyes, 
wearing flowing blue robes with golden star patterns. Hold glowing magical staff. 
Standing pose, confident expression. Soft pastel color palette, detailed anime 
aesthetic inspired by Studio Ghibli. Clean white background for character sheet. 
Full body view, 2:3 portrait format.

Fantasy landscape: Ancient floating islands with waterfalls cascading into clouds 
below. Lush vegetation, glowing crystal formations, mystical atmosphere. Golden 
hour lighting with warm sunset colors (orange, pink, purple gradient sky). 
Cinematic wide composition, detailed matte painting style, epic scale. 
21:9 ultra-wide format for desktop wallpaper.

Professional portrait photography: Confident businesswoman in modern office, 
wearing charcoal grey suit, arms crossed, friendly smile. Background shows 
blurred cityscape through floor-to-ceiling windows. Natural corporate portrait 
style, professional headshot quality, soft diffused lighting, shallow depth of 
field. Shot with 85mm lens equivalent, commercial photography aesthetic, 4:5 format.

3.4 Rapid Prototyping & Iteration

Iteration 1: "Modern minimalist logo for eco-friendly brand, green leaf symbol, 
clean sans-serif text 'EcoLife'"

[Generate in 1.4s]

Iteration 2: "Change leaf to tree symbol, make text bolder"

[Edit in seconds]

Iteration 3: "Add circular border, shift to blue-green color palette"

[Refine instantly]

Transform this product photo (reference image 1) into watercolor painting style. 
Maintain exact product shape and placement from original, but apply soft pastel 
watercolor aesthetic with visible brush strokes and paper texture. Keep composition 
identical but change artistic medium. Artistic interpretation while preserving 
product recognition.

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4. Advanced Features Guide

4.1 Unified Generation + Editing Workflow

Original prompt: "Modern living room with grey sofa and coffee table"

Edit commands:
- "Remove the coffee table"
- "Replace grey sofa with a blue velvet sofa"
- "Add a floor lamp next to the sofa"
- "Change the wall color to sage green"

Original: Poster with "GRAND OPENING" text

Edit commands:
- "Change text to 'NOW OPEN'"
- "Make the text larger and bold"
- "Shift text to bottom of image"

Edit commands:
- "Make the lighting warmer and more dramatic"
- "Add sunset glow through the window"
- "Increase contrast and saturation"
- "Apply vintage film aesthetic"

4.2 Multi-Image Reference for Consistency

• Brand Campaigns: Maintain consistent style across multiple assets
• Character Consistency: Keep character appearance identical across scenes
• Style Fusion: Blend composition from image A + color palette from image B + mood from image C
• Design Systems: Create variations while preserving core brand elements

Create product photo using:
- Product shape and details from reference image 1
- Lighting style from reference image 2  
- Background setting from reference image 3
- Overall color grading from reference image 4

Show wireless headphones on wooden desk with warm afternoon sunlight, 
minimalist modern aesthetic.

Reference images:
- Image 1: Brand logo and color palette
- Image 2: Preferred photography style (lifestyle/candid)
- Image 3: Model/character reference

Prompt for Post 1:
"Create Instagram post showing person (facial features from image 3) 
holding product. Match brand colors from image 1 (coral and navy). 
Use natural lifestyle photography style from image 2. Outdoor park setting, 
genuine smile, 1:1 square format."

Prompts for Posts 2-5:
"Same person from previous image, now [different scenario], keeping 
same brand colors and photography style."

4.3 Visual Signal Controls (Canny/Depth/Mask)

Upload: Sketch/wireframe of layout
Prompt: "Transform this wireframe into modern website hero section with 
vibrant colors and professional photography. Maintain exact layout structure 
from the edge map."

Upload: Depth map showing foreground/mid-ground/background layers
Prompt: "Create forest scene with deer in foreground (close), trees in 
midground (medium distance), mountains in background (far). Match depth 
layers from provided depth map. Cinematic nature photography."

Upload: Original image + mask highlighting background area
Prompt: "Replace background only (masked area) with tropical beach scene, 
keep foreground subject unchanged."

4.4 Multi-Image Output for Sequences

Create 4-panel storyboard for product demo video:

Panel 1: Person looking frustrated at tangled cables
Panel 2: Close-up of new wireless product in packaging
Panel 3: Person unboxing and smiling
Panel 4: Person using product happily, cables gone

Maintain consistent character appearance, indoor home setting, 
natural lighting. Modern commercial aesthetic. 16:9 format for each panel.

• Storyboards: Film, video, animation pre-production
• Slide Decks: Consistent visuals across presentation slides
• Product Variants: Multiple colorways or configurations
• Social Media Series: Cohesive multi-post campaigns
• Before/After: Comparative sequences

4.5 Adaptive Aspect Ratio & 4K Output

Instead of specifying "16:9 format", simply describe your content:

"Panoramic mountain landscape with wide vista" 
→ SeeDream4 selects 21:9 ultra-wide

"Professional headshot portrait" 
→ SeeDream4 selects 4:5 or 2:3 portrait

"Social media post design" 
→ SeeDream4 selects 1:1 square

• Concept exploration (let AI optimize composition)
• When unsure of best format
• Rapid prototyping without format constraints

• Platform-specific requirements (Instagram 1:1, TikTok 9:16)
• Print specifications
• Design system compliance

Use Case	Recommended Resolution
Social media preview	2K (fast)
Website graphics	2K-4K
Print materials	4K (required)
Large format (posters, billboards)	4K (maximum quality)
Digital presentations	2K (sufficient)
Client final delivery	4K (professional standard)

4.6 Knowledge-Driven Complex Content

• Charts & Graphs: Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts with accurate data representation
• Timelines: Historical sequences, project roadmaps, event chronologies
• Chemical Structures: Molecular diagrams, periodic table visualizations
• Mathematical Formulas: Equations, geometric proofs, scientific notation
• Organizational Charts: Company hierarchies, flowcharts, process diagrams
• Maps & Geography: Simplified maps, location diagrams, route visualizations

Create a comparison bar chart titled "Smartphone Battery Life 2026".
X-axis: Phone models (iPhone 16, Galaxy S26, Pixel 10, OnePlus 13)
Y-axis: Hours (scale 0-30 hours)
Values: iPhone 16 = 22 hours, Galaxy S26 = 25 hours, Pixel 10 = 20 hours, 
OnePlus 13 = 27 hours

Use vibrant colors (each brand's signature color), include data labels 
on top of each bar, clean modern infographic style. Add legend showing 
"Under Normal Usage". Professional tech publication aesthetic.

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5. SeeDream4 FAQs

1. Speed: Generates 2K images in ~1.4 seconds—over 10× faster than previous generation models. This enables real-time creative iteration
2. Unified Generation + Editing: Unlike other tools that separate creation and editing, SeeDream4 combines both. Edit images through natural language commands without switching tools or regenerating
3. Text Rendering Excellence: Produces clear, accurate text in posters, infographics, charts, and diagrams—solving a major pain point in AI image generation
4. Knowledge-Driven Content: Creates complex structured content like charts, timelines, technical diagrams, and educational illustrations with understanding of data and relationships

• ByteDance Seed Official Site: seed.bytedance.com → Click "Try Now"
• Replicate Playground: replicate.com/bytedance/seedream-4 for interactive testing

• BytePlus ModelArk: Professional API with free inference quota and usage-based pricing
• Volcano Engine Ark: Alpha access for enterprise deployments

Prompt: "Modern office interior with desk and chair"
[Generates in ~1.4 seconds]

Edit 1: "Change the chair to a blue ergonomic chair"
[Updates instantly without full regeneration]

Edit 2: "Add a laptop on the desk"
[Adds element seamlessly]

Edit 3: "Make the lighting warmer and add window with city view"
[Adjusts atmosphere and adds new elements]

• Add/remove objects
• Change colors, materials, textures
• Modify text content
• Adjust lighting and atmosphere
• Replace elements ("replace X with Y")
• Regional changes ("change background only")

• Marketing materials and advertisements
• Product mockups and packaging design
• Social media content and campaigns
• Website graphics and digital assets
• Client work and professional services
• Print materials (posters, brochures, etc.)
• Educational and training materials
• Film/video pre-production (storyboards, concept art)

• Review ByteDance Seed's usage policies for specific restrictions
• Enterprise API access includes commercial usage rights
• For high-stakes commercial use, verify licensing through BytePlus support
• Always check if client contracts require disclosure of AI-generated content
• Avoid generating content that infringes on existing copyrights or trademarks 💡 Best Practice: For commercial projects, use the API/enterprise access (BytePlus ModelArk) rather than free playground versions to ensure proper licensing and support.

1. Use Exact Quotes: Specify text in quotes: Include text "GRAND OPENING"
2. Describe Formatting: "Bold sans-serif", "Elegant script font", "Large heading size"
3. Specify Placement: "Centered at top third", "Bottom right corner"
4. Keep It Concise: Shorter text (1-5 words per element) works better than paragraphs
5. Request Language Explicitly: For non-English, specify: Chinese text "欢迎"

Step 1: Upload reference images (brand assets, character refs, style guides)

Step 2: First generation
"Create brand post showing product with person (face from reference image 1), 
using brand colors from reference image 2 and photography style from image 3."

Step 3: Subsequent generations
"Same person and brand style, now in different setting [describe new scene]"

Generate Image 1 with desired style → Download → Upload Image 1 as 
reference for Image 2 → Repeat for entire series

Generate multiple images in one request:
"Create 3 social media posts with consistent style: 
Post 1: [description], Post 2: [description], Post 3: [description]. 
Maintain same color palette, photography style, and brand aesthetic across all."

Step 1: Generate concepts at 2K for speed
Step 2: Get client/team approval on 2K version
Step 3: Regenerate approved design at 4K for final delivery

Create bilingual welcome sign for hotel lobby.
Top text: "Welcome" in English (large, gold color)
Bottom text: "欢迎" in Chinese (large, gold color)
Use elegant serif fonts, symmetrical layout on marble background.

• English
• Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
• Japanese
• Korean
• Major European languages (Spanish, French, German, etc.)

• Standard prompts with clear descriptions work great
• Text-based editing handles most refinements
• Creative exploration and concept generation
• Social media content and marketing materials

• Architectural visualization requiring exact structure
• Product mockups needing precise shape fidelity
• Converting sketches/wireframes to finished designs

• Landscape photography with specific depth layers
• Cinematic scenes requiring precise focus planes
• 3D-like spatial arrangements

• Replacing only specific objects ("change background, keep subject")
• Regional style changes ("make left side vibrant, right side monochrome")
• Surgical edits in complex compositions

Feature	SeeDream4	Midjourney	DALL-E 3	Stable Diffusion
Generation Speed	⚡ ~1.4s (2K)	Moderate	Moderate	Variable (depends on setup)
Unified Editing	✅ Built-in	❌ Separate tools	✅ Via API	✅ With extensions
Text Rendering	✅ Excellent	❌ Limited	✅ Good	❌ Hit-or-miss
4K Output	✅ Native	✅ Upscaling	✅ Via DALL-E 3 HD	✅ Native
Multi-Image Reference	✅ Yes	✅ Limited	❌ No	✅ Yes (with setup)
Visual Controls	✅ Integrated	❌ Limited	❌ No	✅ ControlNet (external)
Knowledge Content	✅ Charts/diagrams	❌ Basic	❌ Basic	❌ Basic
Best For	Fast iteration, text-heavy, professional workflows	Artistic exploration, stylized art	API integration, ChatGPT workflows	Custom/local deployment, open-source
Access	BytePlus API, web	Discord/web	OpenAI API	Local or cloud

• Midjourney: Pure artistic exploration, stylized/aesthetic focus
• DALL-E 3: Deep ChatGPT integration, OpenAI ecosystem
• Stable Diffusion: Need full control, custom training, local deployment