Prompt MAI-Image-2.6-Flash with a natural-language description of the image or edit. Describe the composition and details to preserve. Use request settings for dimensions, automatic framing, and web grounding. Microsoft's generation and editing documentation.
Microsoft introduced MAI-Image-2.6-Flash on September 4, 2026, with access through MAI Playground and Microsoft Foundry Public Preview. The announcement includes multi-image reference editing. Official release announcement.
How MAI-Image-2.6-Flash reads a prompt
MAI-Image-2.6-Flash accepts text for generation and images for editing. Microsoft's model catalog specifies a 32,000-token context, English support, JPEG or PNG editing inputs, and one PNG output. That context limit is a capacity figure, not a recommended brief length. Foundry model specifications.
My suggested order is purpose, subject, composition, appearance, then constraints. Treat this as an editorial checklist, not special model syntax or a prescribed word count.
For an edit, separate the change from protected details. Microsoft's request table has no separate negative-prompt field; put exclusions in the normal brief. Request parameters.
Prompt formula
Use this reusable template, removing clauses that do not apply:
Create [deliverable] for [purpose]. Show [subject and action] in [setting].
Composition: [viewpoint, placement, spacing, and crop].
Appearance: [materials, light direction, palette, and visual style].
Text: [exact wording and placement, or leave surfaces blank].
For an edit: change [specific attribute]; preserve [named details].
Priority: [the single feature that matters most].
Choose your priority: product shape, wording, or crop. Use it to evaluate your next revision. Browse more AI prompts for another creative direction.
12 prompts to copy
These are original briefs to adapt and evaluate. Replace bracketed text before submitting. The editing group requires the referenced images; the other examples describe new images.
Product and commercial concepts
1. Minimal product hero
Create a product hero photograph of a matte orange insulated bottle on a pale stone shelf. Show the complete bottle, centered slightly right, with open space on the left for a headline added later. Light it softly from the upper left. Keep the bottle unbranded, its silhouette clear, and the background quiet.
The deliverable names the job; placement reserves copy space; lighting describes the surface; the final clause sets the visual priority.
2. Material detail study
Create a close product photograph of a woven canvas backpack resting on a plain bench. Frame the front pocket, zipper, and shoulder strap attachment together. Emphasize coarse fabric, brushed metal, and neat stitching under broad window light. Use muted olive and warm gray. Keep all visible surfaces free of lettering and decorative badges.
The crop selects reviewable details; material words define texture; the palette limits color choices; the last clause requests plain surfaces.
3. Workspace campaign concept
Create an editorial product scene for a compact desk lamp. Place the lamp beside a closed notebook on a narrow wooden desk, photographed at seated eye level. Its warm light should form a small pool on the notebook. Leave the wall above simple and uncluttered. Make the lamp's shape the main point of attention.
The purpose establishes context; viewpoint sets framing; the light connects objects; the final sentence identifies the hero.
4. Packaging presentation
Create a packaging concept presentation for an imaginary tea brand named MOSS. Show one upright cream carton and one matching sachet on a terracotta surface. Put MOSS in dark green lettering on each package. Use a restrained botanical illustration below the name. Keep the layout spacious, with the carton larger and clearly separated from the sachet.
The fictional brand supplies exact copy; object count defines scope; relative scale and separation describe the desired arrangement.
Editorial images and visual communication
5. Workshop poster
Design a clean poster for an imaginary creative workshop. The headline reads BUILD SOMETHING SMALL. Under it, place a simple illustration of hands assembling colorful wooden shapes. Use cream, cobalt, and orange, with generous outer margins. Keep the headline above the illustration and reserve a blank strip at the bottom for event details added later.
The wording defines the headline; spatial clauses establish hierarchy; the reserved strip leaves a clear place for later production copy.
6. Article cover illustration
Create an editorial illustration about organizing a crowded idea notebook. Show loose paper shapes becoming a tidy stack beside an open notebook, viewed from above. Use cut-paper textures and a limited palette of indigo, cream, and coral. Leave the upper third visually quiet. Communicate organization through the arrangement rather than through labels or explanatory text.
The metaphor supplies the subject; overhead framing clarifies the arrangement; texture and color define a proposed visual treatment.
7. Imaginary bookshop interior
Create an architectural concept image of a small neighborhood bookshop with a curved reading bench around a central pillar. Show the whole room from the entrance. Use pale timber shelves, clay-colored upholstery, and soft daylight from the rear window. Keep a clear walking route between the entrance and bench. Leave book spines and signage without readable text.
The viewpoint frames the room; material clauses establish the interior; the walking route supplies a spatial requirement to inspect.
8. Character concept portrait
Create a fictional adult ceramic artist's editorial portrait in a quiet studio. Frame the person from the waist up beside shelves of unfinished bowls. Give them a charcoal apron, relaxed posture, and a thoughtful expression. Use side-window light and muted earthy colors. Keep the background secondary, with the face and apron clearly separated from the shelves.
The character description defines the subject; crop and posture guide composition; light and background instructions establish visual emphasis.
Focused edits and reference combinations
9. Change one product color
Edit the supplied bottle photograph. Change only the bottle body from orange to deep forest green. Preserve the lid color, bottle shape, surface finish, camera angle, background, and existing shadows. Keep any existing lettering in its original position. The priority is a color variation of the same product photograph, with the original composition retained.
The first instruction isolates the change; the preservation list names comparison points; the final clause states the intended use.
10. Replace a background object
Edit the supplied desk photograph. Replace the decorative vase at the far right with a small plain wooden pencil cup. Keep its footprint similar so the desk arrangement stays balanced. Preserve the laptop, notebook, desk surface, window light, and camera position. Match the cup's lighting to the surrounding scene and leave all other objects in place.
The location identifies the target; footprint constrains its replacement; named objects define what to compare against the source.
11. Repair one text element
Edit the supplied workshop poster. Replace only the large headline with MAKE ROOM FOR IDEAS. Keep the headline in the same upper area, using the existing color and typographic character. Preserve the illustration, background texture, outer margins, and blank bottom strip. Prioritize the exact wording and a clear separation between the headline and illustration.
The replacement text defines the edit; placement and appearance preserve continuity; the final sentence sets the review criteria.
12. Combine product and setting references
Use the first supplied image as the reference for the desk lamp and the second as the reference for the room. Place that lamp on the room's side table beside the armchair. Preserve the lamp's silhouette and material, and retain the room's furniture arrangement. Match the room's light direction. Make a coherent interior product photograph.
The opening assigns each reference a role; placement combines them; preservation and lighting clauses state the integration requirements.
Settings that change the result
These controls describe Microsoft's Foundry interface. The dimension limits come from the model catalog; automatic framing and grounding come from the request documentation.
| Control | Documented values or limits | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
width, height
|
Integers; each at least 768; product at most 1,048,576 | Generation dimensions |
| Square example | 1024 × 1024 | Square output |
| Portrait example | 768 × 1365 | Taller output within the pixel limit |
auto_aspect_ratio |
true or false
|
Lets the model choose framing from the brief and inputs |
web_grounding |
true or false
|
Enables or disables additional context from Bing Search |
Record settings beside the prompt. Change either framing or subject placement when comparing compositions, so your review has a clear focus.
Common failures and fixes
The composition misses your priority. Rewrite the brief around one visible requirement: complete bottle, clear face, or open headline area. Remove secondary props before adding more style adjectives.
An edit changes something you needed to keep. Compare against the source, then name the affected detail in the preservation clause. Microsoft presents controllable editing as a family capability, not a reason to skip visual review. MAI image family.
The text is unsuitable for use. Inspect every character. Request a focused text correction, or leave a blank area and add final copy separately. Treat exact wording as an acceptance criterion.
The result uses an unexpected frame. Check whether automatic aspect selection is enabled before rewriting the scene. Make one deliberate framing choice, then evaluate the composition again.
Where to run it
Microsoft names MAI Playground and Microsoft Foundry Public Preview as access routes. Use the playground for interactive exploration or Foundry for an application workflow. Official access announcement.
In Foundry requests, model is your deployment name. Generation and editing use separate MAI image endpoints. Deployment instructions.
For related launches, see AI model releases.
FAQ
How long should a MAI-Image-2.6-Flash prompt be?
Use the shortest brief that states your composition and priorities. The documented context is 32,000 tokens; that is not a target length. Model catalog.
Can MAI-Image-2.6-Flash edit an existing image?
Yes. Microsoft documents image editing and multi-image references. Identify what each reference contributes, then state the requested change. Release announcement.
How do I control the aspect ratio?
Choose generation dimensions or enable auto_aspect_ratio for model-directed framing. Parameter reference.
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