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Create image variation

Deprecated
images.create_variation(**kwargs) -> ImagesResponse
POST
/images/variations

This endpoint is retired and no longer available. Use the image edits endpoint with a GPT Image model and a prompt to create a variation of an image. The request and response schemas below describe the legacy contract.

Parameters
image: FileTypes

The image to use as the basis for the variation(s). Must be a valid PNG file, less than 4MB, and square.

model: Optional[Union[str, ImageModel, null]]

The legacy model used by the retired image variations endpoint. This endpoint no longer accepts requests.

Deprecated values:

  • “gpt-image-1”: GPT Image 1 was shut down on October 23, 2026. Use gpt-image-2.5-sunburst or gpt-image-2.5-flare instead.
  • “dall-e-2”, “dall-e-3”: This model was retired on May 12, 2026. Use a GPT image model instead.
n: Optional[int]

The number of images to generate. Must be between 1 and 10.

minimum1
maximum10
response_format: Optional[Literal["url", "b64_json"]]

The format in which the generated images are returned. Must be one of url or b64_json. URLs are only valid for 60 minutes after the image has been generated.

size: Optional[Literal["256x256", "512x512", "1024x1024"]]

The size of the generated images. Must be one of 256x256, 512x512, or 1024x1024.

user: Optional[str]

A unique identifier representing your end-user, which can help OpenAI to monitor and detect abuse. Learn more.

Returns
class ImagesResponse: …

The response from the image generation endpoint.

created: int

The Unix timestamp (in seconds) of when the image was created.

formatunixtime
background: Optional[Literal["transparent", "opaque"]]

The background parameter used for the image generation. Either transparent or opaque.

data: Optional[List[Image]]

The list of generated images.

output_format: Optional[Literal["png", "webp", "jpeg", 2 more]]

The output format of the generated or edited image.

quality: Optional[Literal["low", "medium", "high", 2 more]]

The quality of the image generated. One of low, medium, high, xhigh, or max.

safety_identifier: Optional[str]

The effective safety identifier used for safety monitoring and abuse detection. This is the non-empty safety_identifier from the request, or the deprecated user value when safety_identifier is omitted, null, or empty.

size: Optional[Union[str, Literal["1024x1024", "1024x1536", "1536x1024"], null]]

The image dimensions as a WIDTHxHEIGHT string, for example 1536x864.

svg_usage: Optional[SvgUsage]

Token usage for SVG authoring, separate from image rendering usage.

usage: Optional[Usage]

Token usage information for image generation with GPT Image models.

Create image variation

from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI()

response = client.images.create_variation(
  image=open("image_edit_original.png", "rb"),
  n=2,
  size="1024x1024"
)
Response example
{
  "created": 1589478378,
  "data": [
    {
      "url": "https://..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://..."
    }
  ]
}
Returns Examples
Response example
{
  "created": 1589478378,
  "data": [
    {
      "url": "https://..."
    },
    {
      "url": "https://..."
    }
  ]
}