Seedream 5.5

Seedream 5.5 — Text-to-Image and Multi-Reference Editing

What is Seedream 5.5?

Seedream 5.5 is ByteDance's text-to-image and image-editing model. Write a prompt to generate an image, or attach up to ten reference images to edit, restyle, or carry a subject's identity into a new scene. It returns one image per request at 1K, 1.5K, or 2K, in aspect ratios from 1:1 to 21:9, as PNG or JPEG, with optional transparent backgrounds. It is tuned for production creative work where consistency, realism, and legible text all matter in the same shot.

Key Features

• •Consistent multi-round editing. Make targeted changes that preserve subject identity, composition, and lighting in untouched areas, holding up across many consecutive edits.
• •Native RGBA transparency. Generate stickers, UI elements, character art, and product cut-outs with a real alpha channel, with no manual background removal.
• •Greater realism. More lifelike lighting, material textures, skin detail, and natural rim light, with multi-reference blending at consistent scale and perspective.
• •Accurate text rendering. Small, dense, and multilingual type for product labels, posters, and infographics.

Best Use Cases

Seedream 5.5 fits e-commerce, where one shot becomes outfit, colour, and material variations; interior design, where décor options keep a room's layout; gaming and motion design, where transparent assets become reusable 2.5D layers; and marketing, where a poster is re-laid from 3:4 to 16:9 while brand details stay consistent. In testing, a 2K text-to-image prompt produced a photoreal workshop scene with accurate rim light, specular sequins, and believable wood and fabric textures — the realism upgrade reads clearly even at thumbnail size.

Prompt Tips and Output Quality

Name concrete subjects, materials, and one lighting cue, and put any text you want rendered in quotation marks. For cut-outs, set background to transparent and output to PNG. Use 2K for the finest detail, and add reference images to steer an edit by identity, layout, colour, or texture. Opaque backgrounds suit full scenes; simple layouts keep dense text legible.

How to Use Seedream 5.5

Seedream 5.5 turns a text prompt into an image and can edit existing images with up to ten references. Start with a clear prompt: name the subject, the materials, the composition, and one lighting cue, and put any text you want rendered inside quotation marks. For editing or style transfer, add reference image URLs and say in the prompt what to keep from each — identity, layout, palette, or texture.

Choosing Settings

• •Size sets detail: pick 2K for finished, texture-rich images, 1.5K for a balance, or 1K for quick drafts.
• •Aspect ratio shapes the frame: leave it on auto to let the model choose, or set a fixed ratio such as 3:2, 16:9, or 9:16 for predictable layouts. In an edit, auto keeps the reference's shape.
• •Background controls transparency: choose transparent for an alpha cut-out (PNG only), opaque for a filled scene, or auto to decide from the prompt.
• •Output format is PNG by default, which preserves transparency and fine detail; switch to JPEG for a smaller file on opaque images.

Recommended Settings

For a photoreal result, the tested default uses size 2K, aspect ratio 3:2, background opaque, and PNG output with no references — it produced a clean workshop scene with natural rim light and accurate material textures. For stickers, product cut-outs, or character assets, set background to transparent and keep PNG. For consistent edits, attach one or more references and describe only the change you want, while the rest of the prompt names what should stay the same. For multilingual labels and posters, write the exact text in quotes and keep the layout simple so dense type stays legible.

Seedream 5.5 rewards specific prompts: concrete nouns, named materials, and a single lighting phrase produce sharper, more believable images than long lists of adjectives.

Examples to try

Each example ran end to end at the settings shown; the prompt, size, aspect ratio and background carried straight into the output.

• •Photoreal realism (the pre-filled default). Prompt: "A seamstress guides an emerald sequined evening gown under the needle of a black cast-iron sewing machine, pinning a dart while loose silver threads trail across the oak worktable; rim light rakes along her dark hair, cheekbone and the sequins, a red felt pincushion bristling with pins beside a tall wooden spool rack." At 2K, 3:2, opaque PNG: rim light rakes hair, cheekbone and sequins over believable oak, felt and thread. Tip: name the materials and one light direction.
• •Native RGBA transparency. Prompt: "A brass-and-copper clockwork owl automaton perched on a riveted gear, wings half-spread, exposed brass cogs turning behind an open chest panel, enamel feathers in teal and bronze, a glass monocle lens over one eye; rim light along the brass edges, isolated on a fully transparent background with clean cut-out edges." At background transparent, 1K, 1:1 PNG the owl returns as a clean alpha cut-out, ready to drop onto any layout. Tip: keep the output PNG, since JPEG cannot hold alpha.
• •Small, dense, multilingual text. Prompt: "A clean flat infographic on a cream background titled 「ラーメンの構造」 with the English subtitle "Anatomy of a Shoyu Ramen Bowl". A top-down bowl of shoyu ramen sits at the center with four thin callout lines pointing to neat labels reading "Chashu pork", "Ajitama egg", "Nori sheet" and "Menma"; a small two-line note in the lower corner reads "Serve at 75°C" and 「一杯入魂」. Thin modern sans-serif type with even letter spacing and a clear size hierarchy." At 1.5K, 4:3 the Japanese headline, English subtitle and four callout labels render cleanly with a clear size hierarchy. Tip: quote each string and keep the layout simple so small type stays legible.

More to try: "recolour only the jacket to teal, keep the face and pose" (add your photo as a reference), "a die-cut sticker of a smiling dumpling mascot on a transparent background".

Does Seedream 5.5 output transparent PNGs?

Yes — set background to transparent with PNG output.

How many reference images can it use?

Up to ten, for editing, style, or identity.

What resolutions are available?

1K, 1.5K, and 2K, in aspect ratios from 1:1 to 21:9.

Can it render non-Latin text?

Yes, including Russian, Thai, Japanese, and Tagalog.

Does it keep a subject consistent across edits?

Yes, across many consecutive rounds.