What’s a reference image and when do I need one?
Last updated: 2026-11-12
Short Answer:
A reference image helps us understand your vision — it shows the look, color, or idea you’re aiming for.
What is a reference image?
A reference image is any photo you upload just to show us something — not to be edited itself.
It could be:
- A style you like
- A pose or facial expression
- A lighting tone or color treatment
A photo whose content should end up in your result (a face, a person, a sky or a background you want moved into your photo) is not a reference. Upload it as a photo to edit: it counts as one photo, 1 credit.
Think of it as your visual way of saying, “I want it like this.”
When should I use one?
Whenever you find it hard to describe what you want in words — use a reference.
For example:
“Make my hair color like it is in taylorswift.jpg.”
“Match the lighting and color tones from style-sample-3.jpg.”
“Pose us like the couple in pose-idea.jpg.”
When you upload, add it under Reference images instead of Primary photos. We’ll take care of the rest.
Is there a cost?
Reference images are free. You can upload as many as you want — you only pay for the photos we actually edit. A photo whose content is used in the finished image is one of those: “Take my face from photo #1 and place it into photo #2” means 2 photos, 2 credits.
Important: Fair use rules
A reference image should be something that doesn’t require editing itself and doesn’t appear in the result. If a photo you added as a reference has to be edited, or part of it has to go into the finished image, it counts as a photo to edit.
In those cases, we’ll let you know and adjust the price before we start.
This helps us keep the service transparent and predictable for everyone.