How to Use Nano Banana 2 for Image Editing with Prompts
Nano Banana 2, Google’s next-generation image model, edits photos from a text instruction and keeps the same subject across multiple outputs. That consistency is what separates it from older text-to-image tools. You can try it inside Google’s AI tools or through the API with a few lines of code.
What is Nano Banana 2?
It is a multimodal image generation and editing model. You give it an input image plus a prompt, and it returns an edited version — change the background, restyle an object, add a character in a consistent look. It also generates from scratch. The headline feature is identity preservation: the same face or product stays recognizable across edits.
How do you edit an image with it?
The workflow is short:
- Upload the source image as the reference.
- Write an instruction that names what changes and what stays.
- Ask for a specific output aspect ratio and style.
Prompts that work name the subject and the change separately: “keep the woman’s face and jacket; replace the street background with a plain studio wall.” Vague prompts like “make it nicer” produce generic results.
How do you keep a character consistent?
- Generate one strong reference image and keep it.
- Reuse that image as input for every subsequent scene.
- Change only the scene description, never the subject description.
- Lock the style wording — if you say “cinematic” once, say it every time.
This is the practical trick behind consistent storyboards and product shots. Narrative consistency does not happen automatically; it comes from holding the reference fixed.
What does Nano Banana 2 cost?
Access depends on the surface. Inside Google’s consumer tools it is bundled with a subscription. Through the API, image generation is billed per image, typically in the cents range per output depending on resolution. Reusing an input reference in an edit is metered similarly to a fresh generation.
Where does it fall short?
Fine text inside images is still unreliable — expect occasional misspelled signage. Hands and fine jewelry remain a weak spot. And heavy edits can drift a subject’s likeness, so for brand-critical work, generate several candidates and pick. It is a strong tool for iteration, not a replacement for a careful retoucher on final assets.
Quick Summary
- Nano Banana 2 is Google’s image generation and editing model.
- Edits take an input image plus a text instruction.
- Identity consistency comes from reusing a fixed reference image.
- API pricing is per-image, typically cents per output.
- Weak on in-image text and hands; iterate and pick the best result.
Last updated September 2026.
