Aspect ratio and resolution: decide before you generate

Aspect ratio is not a crop applied at the end. It is sent to the generator as a parameter before the image exists, so the composition is built for that shape: a 16:9 result places the subject for a wide frame, and a 9:16 result rebuilds the same idea for a tall one. Choosing the ratio first is the difference between a photograph composed for your banner and a square photograph with its sides cut off.

Four ratios cover almost everything

If the image has one home, pick that ratio and be done. If it has two — a hero banner and a phone story — generate it twice rather than cropping once: two credits buys two compositions that are each right, and cropping buys one that is wrong in one place.

What 1K and 2K actually change

Resolution is the second decision and it is simpler: 1K puts the long edge at about 1024 pixels, 2K doubles it. 1K is the right default — it is what a web page, a social post or an email actually needs, and the file is small enough to load quickly. Choose 2K when the image is going to be printed, cropped into afterwards, or displayed very large.

Both cost the same single credit, so the only trade-off is file size and generation time. There is no quality tier hidden behind the bigger number: 2K is the same picture with more pixels, not a better model.

A quick rule

Pick the ratio from where the image will live, pick 1K unless it will be printed or cropped, and generate a small batch rather than one image. The prompt checklist covers the framing words that make a chosen ratio pay off, and pricing confirms the part that surprises people: size does not change what an image costs.