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Welcome to Recraft image generation and editing API. Learn the basics of the Recraft API, including raster and vector image generation, style creation, image generation in your brand style and colors, image vectorization, and background removal. Authenticate and interact with our API in a matter of minutes.

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Models

Recraft has developed four generations of proprietary models:
GenerationModels
V4.1Recraft V4.1
Recraft V4.1 Vector
Recraft V4.1 Pro
Recraft V4.1 Pro Vector
Recraft V4.1 Utility
Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro
V4Recraft V4
Recraft V4 Vector
Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4 Pro Vector
V3Recraft V3 (aka Red Panda)
Recraft V3 Vector
V2Recraft V2 (aka Recraft 20B)
Recraft V2 Vector
Recraft V4.1 models, released in mid-May 2026, are the next step beyond V4, with sharper, more polished, and more consistent results across the board. Photorealism takes a serious step forward — cleaner outputs, better object understanding, and noticeably sharper mockups. Prompt following has improved too: V4.1 reads intent more naturally, so shorter prompts produce stronger results. New illustration styles are now possible, and icons and vectors come out cleaner by default. V4.1 ships in two lines — V4.1, tuned for peak artistic and design quality, and V4.1 Utility, optimized for broader, general-purpose appeal. Each line is available in standard (1MP) versions for everyday work and fast iteration, and Pro (4MP) versions for print-ready assets and large-scale use. Recraft V4 models, released in February 2026, represent a ground-up rebuild and our most advanced generation to date. Focused on what matters for real work — design taste, prompt accuracy, and output quality at any size — V4 models deliver true design vision in composition, lighting, textures, and overall feel, along with the world’s only production-grade vector generation. Available in two versions: V4 (1MP) for everyday work and fast iteration, and V4 Pro (4MP) for print-ready assets and large-scale use. Both share the same creative capabilities, design taste, and art-directed professional results. Recraft V3 models, released in October 2024, were new state-of-the-art models trained from scratch that introduced major advances in photorealism and text rendering. V3 ranked first on the Hugging Face Text-to-Image leaderboard for five consecutive months. Recraft V2 models, released in February 2024, were the first AI models built specifically for designers. V2 enabled the creation of both raster and vector images with anatomical accuracy, consistent brand styling, and precise iteration control. All 16 models from V2, V3, V4, V4.1 generations are available in the Recraft API and within the Recraft web and mobile applications.

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Supported features

The Recraft API exposes the following capabilities. See Endpoints for full request and response schemas.
  • Generate image — create raster or vector images from a text prompt.
  • Create style — upload reference images to define a reusable custom style.
  • Image to image — generate variations of an existing image guided by a prompt.
  • Image inpainting — regenerate masked regions of an image while keeping the rest intact.
  • Image outpainting — extend an image beyond its original borders.
  • Replace background — swap the background of an image with a new one described by a prompt.
  • Generate background — generate a fresh background around a subject.
  • Vectorize image — convert a raster image into a scalable vector graphic.
  • Remove background — produce a transparent-background cutout of the subject.
  • Crisp upscale — increase resolution without altering image content.
  • Creative upscale — increase resolution while regenerating finer details.
  • Erase region — remove selected objects or regions from an image.
  • Remix image — recompose an image with adjustable variation strength.
  • Explore — generate a grid of prompt variations to explore visual directions.
  • Explore similar — generate further variations close to a chosen reference image.
  • Enhance prompt — rewrite a short prompt into a richer, more detailed one.
  • Get user information — fetch account details and remaining balance.

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Authentication

We use Bearer API tokens for authentication. To access your API key, log in to Recraft, enter your profile and hit ‘Generate’ (available only if your API units balance is above zero). All requests should include your API key in an Authorization HTTP header as follows:

Authorization: Bearer RECRAFT_API_TOKEN A user may create multiple API tokens; however, all tokens share the same API units balance.

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Swagger

Interactive API documentation is available via Swagger. You can explore all available endpoints, test API calls, and view request/response schemas directly in your browser.

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REST / Python Library

The Recraft API adheres to REST principles, allowing you to interact using any utilities (e.g., curl), programming languages, or libraries of your choice. One of the easiest of available alternatives is OpenAI Python library which is also compatible with Recraft API, but it’s important to remember that not all parameters/options are supported or implemented. Additionally, some parameters may have different meanings, or they may be quietly ignored if they are not applicable to the Recraft API. Future examples will be shown using that library, for example, once installed, you can use the following code to be authenticated: 
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url='https://external.api.recraft.ai/v1',
    api_key=<RECRAFT_API_TOKEN>,
)