How to Choose the Right Image Quality Tier
Choose the tier by the job. Draft on Light at 3 credits until a direction works. Finish on Standard (10 credits, up to 2K) for everyday artwork, on Ultra (15, 22 or 40 credits at 1K, 2K or 4K) for crisp edges, or on Ultra Max when the print needs a real transparent PNG. An edit costs the same as a new image, so refine the draft instead of starting over.
An image quality tier sets how DesignGen renders an image and what one image, new or edited, costs in credits.
Follow one bakery tee from a 3-credit Light draft to a transparent Ultra Max final, and see what every tier makes from the same brief.
- Real production outputs
- Draft 3 credits, final 20
- An edit costs the same as a new image
Start With a Draft on Light
Set the model to Light in Creative Studio's Generation settings and try the idea. Light costs 3 credits an image at any size and renders one size, about 2.5 MP (1600 × 1600 at 1:1). It is flat and simpler than the other tiers, so judge the concept, the layout and the wording, not the finish. When Light is the right call.
- Try several concepts before you spend credits on a finish
- Judge the layout and the lettering, not the texture
- Write down what to keep: layout, palette and wording
- Light returns a solid background
See What Each Tier Makes From the Same Brief
We ran one bakery tee brief on every tier in production on October 16, 2026. Light is flat and clean. Standard (10 credits, up to 2K) adds print texture such as halftone. Ultra (15, 22 or 40 credits at 1K, 2K or 4K) gave the crispest, most vector-like edges, and added a grey ground the brief did not ask for. Ultra Max has the most detail and texture. Compare them on the image quality tiers page.
- Standard tops out at 2K: a 4K request runs, and is priced, at 2K
- HighRes (2K) needs a paid plan; UltraRes (4K) needs Pro or Enterprise
- If Ultra adds a frame, ask for "no border, no frame" or edit it out
Edit the Draft Instead of Starting Over
When the layout is right and one thing is wrong, edit it. An edit costs the same as a new image at the same tier, size and detail, and it keeps what already works. Here the edit asked to keep the exact layout, loaf and sunburst, add crisper edges and richer screen-print texture, and change the top lettering to RISE & SHINE. It ran on Ultra Max at Medium detail and HighRes (2K) for 20 credits, the same as a new Ultra Max image at those settings, and came back as a transparent PNG.
- Say what to keep as well as what to change
- Choose the tier for the edit as you would for a new image
- Generate again only when the whole idea is wrong
Finish on Ultra Max When the Print Needs Transparency
Ultra Max is the only tier that makes a real transparent PNG. The RISE & SHINE final came back at 2048 × 2048 with a true alpha channel: the checkerboard shows through around the art, and the loupe shows it between the sun rays at 1:1. Ultra Max is priced by size and detail level, from 15 to 130 credits; Medium detail at 2K costs 20. Ultra Max settings and Signature.
- Signature costs 1.5× the matching Ultra Max price, rounded up
- Ultra High detail and Signature need a paid plan; MAX needs Pro or Enterprise
- Pro art direction runs only on Ultra Max
Check for Real Transparency Before You Print
We ran the same sticker brief on every tier. Light returned a white background, and Standard and Ultra put the sticker on a teal square even though the brief asked for transparency. Only Ultra Max came back transparent. Over a checkerboard the difference is plain: a solid square covers it, real transparency lets it show through. Check before a file goes to DTF or sticker print.
- Open the file over a checkerboard, not a white page
- A solid square means a solid background, whatever the prompt said
- Need a cut-out from another tier? Make the final on Ultra Max instead
Check the Credit Total Before You Generate
The Generation settings panel in Creative Studio shows the credit total for the batch before you select Done. These are real captures: Light shows 3 credits for one image, and Ultra Max at Medium detail and HighRes shows 20. The total follows the model, size, detail and image count. Each tier has one price everywhere in DesignGen, including Image Studio, the editors and the mobile app.
- The total updates as you change the model, size or image count
- Batches multiply: four Ultra images at 2K cost 4 × the 2K price
- Compare plans on the pricing page before a big month
From a Light Draft to an Ultra Max Final
Drag to compare. Left: the Light draft, 3 credits, on a solid background. Right: the edited Ultra Max final, 20 credits, transparent around the art. Same layout, new lettering, more finish.
A Solid Square or Real Transparency
The same sticker brief on Standard and on Ultra Max, both over a checkerboard. Standard covers it with a teal square. Ultra Max lets it show through around the die-cut edge.
Which Tier Fits Which Job
The price is for one image, new or edited, and it is the same on every DesignGen surface.
| The job | Tier | Credits per image |
|---|---|---|
| Exploring concepts, layouts and wording | Light | 3 at any size |
| Everyday tees, social posts and flyers | Standard | 10, up to 2K |
| Crisp lettering and edges, up to 4K | Ultra | 15 / 22 / 40 at 1K / 2K / 4K |
| Transparent PNGs, fine or dense detail | Ultra Max | 15 to 130, by size and detail |
| The most refined finish | Ultra Max Signature | 1.5× the matching Ultra Max price |
Draft to Final in Five Steps
Spend credits on the version you keep, not on finding the idea.
Related Resources
Image Quality Tier Questions
Draft on Light, Then Finish on the Tier the Job Needs
Compare real outputs on every tier, then open Creative Studio and check the credit total before you generate.