Generate images with Gemini

The following Gemini models support the ability to generate images in addition to text:

Gemini 3.1 Flash Image
Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, otherwise known as Gemini 2.5 Flash (with Nano Banana)
Gemini 3 Pro Image (preview), otherwise known as Gemini 3 Pro (with Nano Banana)

For more information about Gemini model capabilities, see Gemini models.

Generate images

The following shows how to generate images using either Vertex AI Studio or using the API.

For more information about best practices for prompting, see Design multimodal prompts.

Console

To generate images with Gemini, do the following:

Open Vertex AI Studio > Create prompt.
Click Switch model and select one of the following models from the menu:
- gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview
- gemini-2.5-flash-image
- gemini-3-pro-image-preview
In the Outputs panel, select Image and text from the drop-down menu.
Write a description of the image you want to generate in the text area of the Write a prompt text area.
Click the Prompt () button.

Gemini generates an image based on your description. This process takes a few seconds, but can be comparatively slower depending on capacity.

Python

Install

pip install --upgrade google-genai

To learn more, see the SDK reference documentation.

Set environment variables to use the Gen AI SDK with Vertex AI:

# Replace the `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT` and `GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION` values
# with appropriate values for your project.
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION=global
export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=True

import os
from io import BytesIO

from google import genai
from google.genai.types import GenerateContentConfig, Modality
from PIL import Image

client = genai.Client()

response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-3-pro-image-preview",
    contents=("Generate an image of the Eiffel tower with fireworks in the background."),
    config=GenerateContentConfig(
        response_modalities=[Modality.TEXT, Modality.IMAGE],
    ),
)
for part in response.candidates[0].content.parts:
    if part.text:
        print(part.text)
    elif part.inline_data:
        image = Image.open(BytesIO((part.inline_data.data)))
        # Ensure the output directory exists
        output_dir = "output_folder"
        os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)
        image.save(os.path.join(output_dir, "example-image-eiffel-tower.png"))

Go

Learn how to install or update the Go.

To learn more, see the SDK reference documentation.

Set environment variables to use the Gen AI SDK with Vertex AI:

# Replace the `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT` and `GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION` values
# with appropriate values for your project.
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION=global
export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=True

import (
	"context"
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"os"

	"google.golang.org/genai"
)

// generateMMFlashWithText demonstrates how to generate both text and image outputs.
func generateMMFlashWithText(w io.Writer) error {
	ctx := context.Background()

	client, err := genai.NewClient(ctx, &genai.ClientConfig{
		HTTPOptions: genai.HTTPOptions{APIVersion: "v1"},
	})
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create genai client: %w", err)
	}

	modelName := "gemini-2.5-flash-image"
	contents := []*genai.Content{
		{
			Parts: []*genai.Part{
				{Text: "Generate an image of the Eiffel tower with fireworks in the background."},
			},
			Role: genai.RoleUser,
		},
	}

	resp, err := client.Models.GenerateContent(ctx,
		modelName,
		contents,
		&genai.GenerateContentConfig{
			ResponseModalities: []string{
				string(genai.ModalityText),
				string(genai.ModalityImage),
			},
			CandidateCount: int32(1),
			SafetySettings: []*genai.SafetySetting{
				{Method: genai.HarmBlockMethodProbability},
				{Category: genai.HarmCategoryDangerousContent},
				{Threshold: genai.HarmBlockThresholdBlockMediumAndAbove},
			},
		},
	)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to generate content: %w", err)
	}

	if len(resp.Candidates) == 0 || resp.Candidates[0].Content == nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("no candidates returned")
	}
	var fileName string
	for _, part := range resp.Candidates[0].Content.Parts {
		if part.Text != "" {
			fmt.Fprintln(w, part.Text)
		} else if part.InlineData != nil {
			fileName = "example-image-eiffel-tower.png"
			if err := os.WriteFile(fileName, part.InlineData.Data, 0o644); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to save image: %w", err)
			}
		}
	}
	fmt.Fprintln(w, fileName)

	// Example response:
	// I will generate an image of the Eiffel Tower at night, with a vibrant display of
	// colorful fireworks exploding in the dark sky behind it.
	// ....
	return nil
}

Node.js

Install

npm install @google/genai

To learn more, see the SDK reference documentation.

Set environment variables to use the Gen AI SDK with Vertex AI:

# Replace the `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT` and `GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION` values
# with appropriate values for your project.
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION=global
export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=True

const fs = require('fs');
const {GoogleGenAI, Modality} = require('@google/genai');

const GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT = process.env.GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT;
const GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION =
  process.env.GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION || 'us-central1';

async function generateImage(
  projectId = GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT,
  location = GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION
) {
  const client = new GoogleGenAI({
    vertexai: true,
    project: projectId,
    location: location,
  });

  const response = await client.models.generateContentStream({
    model: 'gemini-2.5-flash-image',
    contents:
      'Generate an image of the Eiffel tower with fireworks in the background.',
    config: {
      responseModalities: [Modality.TEXT, Modality.IMAGE],
    },
  });

  const generatedFileNames = [];
  let imageIndex = 0;

  for await (const chunk of response) {
    const text = chunk.text;
    const data = chunk.data;
    if (text) {
      console.debug(text);
    } else if (data) {
      const outputDir = 'output-folder';
      if (!fs.existsSync(outputDir)) {
        fs.mkdirSync(outputDir, {recursive: true});
      }
      const fileName = `${outputDir}/generate_content_streaming_image_${imageIndex++}.png`;
      console.debug(`Writing response image to file: ${fileName}.`);
      try {
        fs.writeFileSync(fileName, data);
        generatedFileNames.push(fileName);
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(`Failed to write image file ${fileName}:`, error);
      }
    }
  }

  // Example response:
  //  I will generate an image of the Eiffel Tower at night, with a vibrant display of
  //  colorful fireworks exploding in the dark sky behind it. The tower will be
  //  illuminated, standing tall as the focal point of the scene, with the bursts of
  //  light from the fireworks creating a festive atmosphere.

  return generatedFileNames;
}

Java

Learn how to install or update the Java.

To learn more, see the SDK reference documentation.

Set environment variables to use the Gen AI SDK with Vertex AI:

# Replace the `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT` and `GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION` values
# with appropriate values for your project.
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION=global
export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=True


import com.google.genai.Client;
import com.google.genai.types.Blob;
import com.google.genai.types.Candidate;
import com.google.genai.types.Content;
import com.google.genai.types.GenerateContentConfig;
import com.google.genai.types.GenerateContentResponse;
import com.google.genai.types.Part;
import com.google.genai.types.SafetySetting;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import javax.imageio.ImageIO;

public class ImageGenMmFlashWithText {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
    // TODO(developer): Replace these variables before running the sample.
    String modelId = "gemini-2.5-flash-image";
    String outputFile = "resources/output/example-image-eiffel-tower.png";
    generateContent(modelId, outputFile);
  }

  // Generates an image with text input
  public static void generateContent(String modelId, String outputFile) throws IOException {
    // Client Initialization. Once created, it can be reused for multiple requests.
    try (Client client = Client.builder().location("global").vertexAI(true).build()) {

      GenerateContentConfig contentConfig =
          GenerateContentConfig.builder()
              .responseModalities("TEXT", "IMAGE")
              .candidateCount(1)
              .safetySettings(
                  SafetySetting.builder()
                      .method("PROBABILITY")
                      .category("HARM_CATEGORY_DANGEROUS_CONTENT")
                      .threshold("BLOCK_MEDIUM_AND_ABOVE")
                      .build())
              .build();

      GenerateContentResponse response =
          client.models.generateContent(
              modelId,
              "Generate an image of the Eiffel tower with fireworks in the background.",
              contentConfig);

      // Get parts of the response
      List<Part> parts =
          response
              .candidates()
              .flatMap(candidates -> candidates.stream().findFirst())
              .flatMap(Candidate::content)
              .flatMap(Content::parts)
              .orElse(new ArrayList<>());

      // For each part print text if present, otherwise read image data if present and
      // write it to the output file
      for (Part part : parts) {
        if (part.text().isPresent()) {
          System.out.println(part.text().get());
        } else if (part.inlineData().flatMap(Blob::data).isPresent()) {
          BufferedImage image =
              ImageIO.read(new ByteArrayInputStream(part.inlineData().flatMap(Blob::data).get()));
          ImageIO.write(image, "png", new File(outputFile));
        }
      }

      System.out.println("Content written to: " + outputFile);
      // Example response:
      // Here is the Eiffel Tower with fireworks in the background...
      //
      // Content written to: resources/output/example-image-eiffel-tower.png
    }
  }
}

REST

Run the following command in the terminal to create or overwrite this file in the current directory:

curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(gcloud auth print-access-token)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  https://${API_ENDPOINT}:generateContent \
  -d '{
    "contents": {
      "role": "USER",
      "parts": [
        {
          "text": "Create a tutorial explaining how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in three easy steps."
        }
      ]
    },
    "generationConfig": {
      "responseModalities": ["TEXT", "IMAGE"],
      "imageConfig": {
        "aspectRatio": "16:9",
      },
     },
     "safetySettings": {
      "method": "PROBABILITY",
      "category": "HARM_CATEGORY_DANGEROUS_CONTENT",
      "threshold": "BLOCK_MEDIUM_AND_ABOVE"
    },
  }' 2>/dev/null >response.json

Note: Gemini 3.1 Flash Image and Gemini 2.5 Flash Image support the following aspect ratios: 1:1, 3:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, and 21:9.

Gemini generates an image based on your description. This process takes a few seconds, but can be comparatively slower depending on capacity.

Generate interleaved images and text

Gemini 3.1 Flash Image and Gemini 2.5 Flash Image support generating interleaved images with text responses. For example, you can generate images for each each step of a generated recipe without having to make separate requests to the model.

Console

To generate interleaved images with text responses, do the following:

Open Vertex AI Studio > Create prompt.
Click Switch model and select one of the following models from the menu:
- gemini-3.1-flash-image-preview
- gemini-2.5-flash-image
- gemini-3-pro-image-preview
In the Outputs panel, select Image and text from the drop-down menu.
Write a description of the image you want to generate in the text area of the Write a prompt text area. For example, "Create a tutorial explaining how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in three easy steps. For each step, provide a title with the number of the step, an explanation, and also generate an image, generate each image in a 1:1 aspect ratio."
Click the Prompt () button.

Gemini generates a response based on your description. This process takes a few seconds, but can be comparatively slower depending on capacity.

Python

Install

pip install --upgrade google-genai

To learn more, see the SDK reference documentation.

Set environment variables to use the Gen AI SDK with Vertex AI:

# Replace the `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT` and `GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION` values
# with appropriate values for your project.
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION=global
export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=True

from google import genai
from google.genai.types import GenerateContentConfig, Modality
from PIL import Image
from io import BytesIO

client = genai.Client()

response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-3-pro-image-preview",
    contents=(
        "Generate an illustrated recipe for a paella."
        "Create images to go alongside the text as you generate the recipe"
    ),
    config=GenerateContentConfig(response_modalities=[Modality.TEXT, Modality.IMAGE]),
)
with open("output_folder/paella-recipe.md", "w") as fp:
    for i, part in enumerate(response.candidates[0].content.parts):
        if part.text is not None:
            fp.write(part.text)
        elif part.inline_data is not None:
            image = Image.open(BytesIO((part.inline_data.data)))
            image.save(f"output_folder/example-image-{i+1}.png")
            fp.write(f"![image](example-image-{i+1}.png)")

Java

Learn how to install or update the Java.

To learn more, see the SDK reference documentation.

Set environment variables to use the Gen AI SDK with Vertex AI:

# Replace the `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT` and `GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION` values
# with appropriate values for your project.
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION=global
export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=True


import com.google.genai.Client;
import com.google.genai.types.Blob;
import com.google.genai.types.Candidate;
import com.google.genai.types.Content;
import com.google.genai.types.GenerateContentConfig;
import com.google.genai.types.GenerateContentResponse;
import com.google.genai.types.Part;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.io.BufferedWriter;
import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import javax.imageio.ImageIO;

public class ImageGenMmFlashTextAndImageWithText {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
    // TODO(developer): Replace these variables before running the sample.
    String modelId = "gemini-2.5-flash-image";
    String outputFile = "resources/output/paella-recipe.md";
    generateContent(modelId, outputFile);
  }

  // Generates text and image with text input
  public static void generateContent(String modelId, String outputFile) throws IOException {
    // Client Initialization. Once created, it can be reused for multiple requests.
    try (Client client = Client.builder().location("global").vertexAI(true).build()) {

      GenerateContentResponse response =
          client.models.generateContent(
              modelId,
              Content.fromParts(
                  Part.fromText("Generate an illustrated recipe for a paella."),
                  Part.fromText(
                      "Create images to go alongside the text as you generate the recipe.")),
              GenerateContentConfig.builder().responseModalities("TEXT", "IMAGE").build());

      try (BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(outputFile))) {

        // Get parts of the response
        List<Part> parts =
            response
                .candidates()
                .flatMap(candidates -> candidates.stream().findFirst())
                .flatMap(Candidate::content)
                .flatMap(Content::parts)
                .orElse(new ArrayList<>());

        int index = 1;
        // For each part print text if present, otherwise read image data if present and
        // write it to the output file
        for (Part part : parts) {
          if (part.text().isPresent()) {
            writer.write(part.text().get());
          } else if (part.inlineData().flatMap(Blob::data).isPresent()) {
            BufferedImage image =
                ImageIO.read(new ByteArrayInputStream(part.inlineData().flatMap(Blob::data).get()));
            ImageIO.write(
                image, "png", new File("resources/output/example-image-" + index + ".png"));
            writer.write("![image](example-image-" + index + ".png)");
          }
          index++;
        }

        System.out.println("Content written to: " + outputFile);

        // Example response:
        // A markdown page for a Paella recipe(`paella-recipe.md`) has been generated.
        // It includes detailed steps and several images illustrating the cooking process.
        //
        // Content written to:  resources/output/paella-recipe.md
      }
    }
  }
}

Go

Learn how to install or update the Go.

To learn more, see the SDK reference documentation.

Set environment variables to use the Gen AI SDK with Vertex AI:

# Replace the `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT` and `GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION` values
# with appropriate values for your project.
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION=global
export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=True

import (
	"context"
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"os"
	"path/filepath"

	"google.golang.org/genai"
)

// generateMMFlashTxtImgWithText demonstrates how to generate an illustrated recipe
// combining text and image outputs into a markdown file.
func generateMMFlashTxtImgWithText(w io.Writer) error {
	ctx := context.Background()

	client, err := genai.NewClient(ctx, &genai.ClientConfig{
		HTTPOptions: genai.HTTPOptions{APIVersion: "v1"},
	})
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create genai client: %w", err)
	}

	modelName := "gemini-2.5-flash-image"
	contents := []*genai.Content{
		{
			Parts: []*genai.Part{
				{Text: "Generate an illustrated recipe for a paella. " +
					"Create images to go alongside the text as you generate the recipe."},
			},
			Role: genai.RoleUser,
		},
	}

	resp, err := client.Models.GenerateContent(ctx,
		modelName,
		contents,
		&genai.GenerateContentConfig{
			ResponseModalities: []string{
				string(genai.ModalityText),
				string(genai.ModalityImage),
			},
			CandidateCount: int32(1),
		},
	)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to generate content: %w", err)
	}

	if len(resp.Candidates) == 0 || resp.Candidates[0].Content == nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("no candidates returned")
	}

	outputFolder := ""

	// Create the markdown file
	mdFile := filepath.Join(outputFolder, "paella-recipe.md")
	fp, err := os.Create(mdFile)
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create markdown file: %w", err)
	}
	defer fp.Close()

	for i, part := range resp.Candidates[0].Content.Parts {
		if part.Text != "" {
			if _, err := fp.WriteString(part.Text); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to write text: %w", err)
			}
		} else if part.InlineData != nil {
			imgFile := filepath.Join(outputFolder, fmt.Sprintf("example-image-%d.png", i+1))
			if err := os.WriteFile(imgFile, part.InlineData.Data, 0644); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to save image: %w", err)
			}
			if _, err := fp.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("![image](%s)", filepath.Base(imgFile))); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to write image reference: %w", err)
			}
		}
	}

	fmt.Fprintln(w, mdFile)

	// Example response:
	//  A markdown page for a Paella recipe (`paella-recipe.md`) has been generated.
	//  It includes detailed steps and several images illustrating the cooking process.
	return nil
}

Node.js

Install

npm install @google/genai

To learn more, see the SDK reference documentation.

Set environment variables to use the Gen AI SDK with Vertex AI:

# Replace the `GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT` and `GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION` values
# with appropriate values for your project.
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT
export GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION=global
export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=True

const fs = require('fs');
const {GoogleGenAI, Modality} = require('@google/genai');

const GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT = process.env.GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT;
const GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION =
  process.env.GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION || 'us-central1';

async function savePaellaRecipe(response) {
  const parts = response.candidates[0].content.parts;

  let mdText = '';
  const outputDir = 'output-folder';

  for (let i = 0; i < parts.length; i++) {
    const part = parts[i];

    if (part.text) {
      mdText += part.text + '\n';
    } else if (part.inlineData) {
      if (!fs.existsSync(outputDir)) {
        fs.mkdirSync(outputDir, {recursive: true});
      }
      const imageBytes = Buffer.from(part.inlineData.data, 'base64');
      const imagePath = `example-image-${i + 1}.png`;
      const saveImagePath = `${outputDir}/${imagePath}`;

      fs.writeFileSync(saveImagePath, imageBytes);
      mdText += `![image](./${imagePath})\n`;
    }
  }
  const mdFile = `${outputDir}/paella-recipe.md`;

  fs.writeFileSync(mdFile, mdText);
  console.log(`Saved recipe to: ${mdFile}`);
}

async function generateImage(
  projectId = GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT,
  location = GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION
) {
  const client = new GoogleGenAI({
    vertexai: true,
    project: projectId,
    location: location,
  });

  const response = await client.models.generateContent({
    model: 'gemini-2.5-flash-image',
    contents:
      'Generate an illustrated recipe for a paella. Create images to go alongside the text as you generate the recipe',
    config: {
      responseModalities: [Modality.TEXT, Modality.IMAGE],
    },
  });
  console.log(response);

  await savePaellaRecipe(response);

  return response;
}
// Example response:
//  A markdown page for a Paella recipe(`paella-recipe.md`) has been generated.
//  It includes detailed steps and several images illustrating the cooking process.

REST

Run the following command in the terminal to create or overwrite this file in the current directory:

curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $(gcloud auth print-access-token)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  https://${API_ENDPOINT}:generateContent \
  -d '{
    "contents": {
      "role": "USER",
      "parts": [
        {
          "text": "Create a tutorial explaining how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in three easy steps. For each step, provide a title with the number of the step, an explanation, and also generate an image, generate each image in a 1:1 aspect ratio."
        }
      ]
    },
    "generationConfig": {
      "responseModalities": ["TEXT", "IMAGE"],
      "imageConfig": {
        "aspectRatio": "16:9",
      },
    },
    "safetySettings": {
      "method": "PROBABILITY",
      "category": "HARM_CATEGORY_DANGEROUS_CONTENT",
      "threshold": "BLOCK_MEDIUM_AND_ABOVE"
    },
  }' 2>/dev/null >response.json

Note: Gemini 2.5 Flash Image and Gemini 3 Pro Image support the following aspect ratios: 1:1, 3:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, and 21:9.

Gemini generates an image based on your description. This process takes a few seconds, but can be comparatively slower depending on capacity.

What's next?

See the following links for more information about Gemini image generation:

Generate images with Gemini Stay organized with collections Save and categorize content based on your preferences.

Generate images

Console

Python

Install

Go

Node.js

Install

Java

REST

Generate interleaved images and text

Console

Python

Install

Java

Go

Node.js

Install

REST

What's next?

Generate images with Gemini