Recraft V4.1
Recraft V4.1 is the expressive standard tier of Recraft's V4.1 generation. It refines V4's photorealism with more natural lighting, dreamier gradients, and sharper illustration styles for everyday creative work.
import { experimental_generateImage as generateImage } from 'ai';
const result = await generateImage({ model: 'recraft/recraft-v4.1', prompt: 'A red balloon on a wooden table.'});Playground
Try out Recraft V4.1 by Recraft. Usage is billed to your team at API rates. Free users (those who haven't made a payment) get $5 of credits every 30 days.
Providers
Route requests across multiple providers. Copy a provider slug to set your preference. Visit the docs for more info. Using a provider means you agree to their terms, listed under Legal.
P50 throughput on live AI Gateway traffic, in tokens per second (TPS). Visit the docs for more info.
P50 time to first token (TTFT) on live AI Gateway traffic, in milliseconds. View the docs for more info.
More models by Recraft
| Model |
|---|
| — | — |  | 05/14/2026 | ||||||||||
| — | — | | 05/14/2026 | ||||||||||
| — | — | | 02/17/2026 | ||||||||||
| — | — | | 02/17/2026 | ||||||||||
| — | — | | 10/01/2024 | ||||||||||
| — | — | | 03/01/2024 |
About Recraft V4.1
Recraft V4.1 is the expressive standard tier of Recraft's V4.1 generation. It carries forward the visual sensibility of V4 and pushes it further across every dimension that designers notice.
Photorealism feels more natural. Skin, fabric, and material textures show fewer synthetic artifacts. Gradients are smoother and more atmospheric. Illustration output renders with sharper lines and cleaner color separation, which makes it useful for concept work, editorial illustration, and stylized marketing imagery.
Recraft V4.1 is the most expressive variant in the V4.1 lineup. It's the right pick when you want the model to bring composition and aesthetic choices to the prompt rather than producing strictly literal output. For controlled, mockup-style generation, the utility variant is a better fit. For final production fidelity at a higher resolution, the Pro tier extends the output ceiling.
What To Consider When Choosing a Provider
- Configuration: Recraft V4.1 targets expressive, varied output. Per-image pricing is $0.04; confirm rates on this page. If your workflow needs flat lighting and predictable mockup-style results, evaluate
recraft-v4.1-utility. For higher-fidelity production renders, evaluaterecraft-v4.1-pro. - Zero Data Retention: AI Gateway does not currently support Zero Data Retention for this model. See the documentation for models that support ZDR.
- Authentication: AI Gateway authenticates requests using an API key or OIDC token. You do not need to manage provider credentials directly.
When to Use Recraft V4.1
Best For
- Exploration and concepting: Creative work where varied compositions and aesthetic surprise are useful
- Editorial illustration: Marketing imagery and creative direction that benefit from sharper illustration output
- Natural photorealism: Scenes with realistic skin, fabric, and atmospheric lighting
- Iterative design cycles: Generation runs where per-image cost matters
Consider Alternatives When
- Predictable mockups:
recraft-v4.1-utilityproduces flat lighting and front-facing composition for product shots - High-fidelity production:
recraft-v4.1-proextends resolution and fidelity for final assets - Style preset workflows: Recraft V3 supports 20+ named style presets
- Budget comparison: Compare Recraft V4 and V4.1 per-image rates before switching
Conclusion
Recraft V4.1 is the expressive standard of the V4.1 generation. Natural photorealism, dreamier gradients, and sharper illustration output suit exploration, concepting, and everyday creative work. Pair it with recraft-v4.1-utility for mockup-style output and recraft-v4.1-pro for production fidelity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What changed between Recraft V4 and Recraft V4.1?
V4.1 refines V4's visual aesthetic across every dimension. Photorealism feels more natural, gradients are dreamier, and illustration styles are sharper. The core sensibility is the same; the execution is pushed further.
How does Recraft V4.1 differ from the utility variant?
Recraft V4.1 is the expressive variant and brings composition and aesthetic choices to the prompt. The utility variant focuses on flat lighting, front-facing composition, and predictable scenes for mockups and product shots.
When should I choose Recraft V4.1 over
recraft-v4.1-pro?Use Recraft V4.1 for exploration, concepting, and iterative work where per-image cost matters. Switch to
recraft-v4.1-prowhen you need higher fidelity for final production renders.Does Recraft V4.1 handle text rendering in images?
Yes. Recraft V4.1 carries forward the text rendering accuracy of earlier Recraft generations. Text within generated images stays legible.
Is Recraft V4.1 a multimodal LLM?
No. Recraft V4.1 is a dedicated image generation model. It doesn't process conversation history or maintain a context window. Use
generateImagefrom the AI SDK to send requests.How do I use Recraft V4.1 on AI Gateway?
Pass
recraft/recraft-v4.1togenerateImagefrom the AI SDK. AI Gateway routes the request to available providers and handles retries and failover automatically.What does Recraft V4.1 cost?
Per-image pricing is $0.04. See the pricing section on this page for the current rate.
Does Recraft V4.1 support zero data retention?
Zero Data Retention is not currently available for this model. Zero Data Retention is offered on a per-provider basis. See https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/capabilities/zdr for details.