For Google’s current Nano Banana family, choose from the task constraints rather than a general leaderboard. Start simple 1K volume work on Nano Banana 2 Lite, everyday 2K composites on Nano Banana 2, and complex professional assets or generated text on Nano Banana Pro. Migrate work away from the legacy original before its dated shutdown.
That opening is a Bielfor workflow recommendation. Google documents model roles, sizes, prices, and features; it does not certify one universal Photoshop winner. Run a representative file before standardizing a team workflow.
What should you decide before choosing a model?
Ask five questions:
- What native output size must land in the document?
- Does the generated image contain text, a label, or a complex graphic layout?
- How many object, character, or style references are genuinely required?
- Does the task need current real-world information through Search grounding?
- What error would be expensive after delivery: soft detail, changed identity, wrong text, or a broken product shape?
These questions turn model selection into a repeatable production decision. They also reveal when no generative model should own the final pixels, such as a regulated label or legal line that can remain a real Photoshop layer.
Which current Google model fits each Photoshop task?
Google’s image-generation guide positions Nano Banana 2 as its general-purpose model, Lite for low-cost and low-latency 1K work, and Pro for complex professional assets. Bielfor maps those provider roles to Photoshop like this:
| Photoshop task | Starting model | Documented reason | Bielfor review gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1K concept thumbnails and simple variations | Nano Banana 2 Lite | Current low-cost 1K image model | Check whether the task needs multiple references or sequential edits |
| Background replacement and everyday composite | Nano Banana 2 at 2K | General-purpose model with native 2K | Inspect edges, light direction, perspective, and product geometry |
| Large non-text plate for cropping or print layout | Nano Banana 2 at 4K | Native 4K output at a lower listed charge than Pro | Check real detail at final placed size |
| Complex visual system or generated typography | Nano Banana Pro | Google positions Pro for professional assets and accurate text | Verify every character and rebuild critical type as real text |
| Current fact or real-world context | Nano Banana 2 or Pro with supported Search grounding | Google documents Search on these models | Verify facts and source suitability before delivery |
| Existing automation on the original model | Migrate and compare Lite plus Nano Banana 2 | Original is legacy with a shutdown date | Test prompts, size assumptions, and layer placement before cutover |
The routing table is a starting hypothesis. If a representative test contradicts it, keep the evidence and route that job differently.
What are the current Google sizes and prices?
The official pricing page listed these standard image-output equivalents on July 14, 2026:
| Model | API model ID | Resolution | Standard image output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 Lite | gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image |
1K | $0.0336 |
| Nano Banana 2 | gemini-3.1-flash-image |
0.5K | $0.045 |
| Nano Banana 2 | gemini-3.1-flash-image |
1K | $0.067 |
| Nano Banana 2 | gemini-3.1-flash-image |
2K | $0.101 |
| Nano Banana 2 | gemini-3.1-flash-image |
4K | $0.151 |
| Nano Banana Pro | gemini-3-pro-image |
1K | $0.134 |
| Nano Banana Pro | gemini-3-pro-image |
2K | $0.134 |
| Nano Banana Pro | gemini-3-pro-image |
4K | $0.24 |
| Nano Banana (original) | gemini-2.5-flash-image |
Up to 1024px | $0.039 |
Input, text or thinking output, and Search can add cost. Cost per successful deliverable also includes rerolls and retouching, so do not choose solely from the smallest number in the table.
When should you choose Nano Banana 2 Lite?
Choose Lite when the deliverable is truly 1K, cost and latency matter, and the reference workflow is simple. Google calls it the fastest and least expensive model in the family, but also says it is not optimized for multiple-reference inputs or multi-turn sequential editing.
Bielfor treats Lite as an evaluation target for high-volume concepts and migration from the legacy original. We do not assume that a lower request price means a lower finished-job cost.
When is Nano Banana 2 the practical default?
Google recommends Nano Banana 2 as its general-purpose image model. It supports 0.5K through 4K output, multiple references, and Web plus Image Search grounding.
In Bielfor’s workflow, 2K is the first test for everyday composites, background swaps, extensions, and product scenes. That recommendation is based on our file types, not a published percentage of all Photoshop work. We inspect the returned plate before deciding whether to rerun at 4K or move to Pro.
When should you test Nano Banana Pro?
Google’s Pro model card positions the model for complex instructions, professional asset production, accurate text, and high-fidelity product work. That supports testing Pro for packaging concepts, typographic layouts, diagrams, and complex compositions.
Generated text remains fallible. Preserve a real label or rebuild it with Photoshop type whenever accuracy matters. A model’s capability statement is not a guarantee that a specific wordmark, dosage line, or legal statement will survive generation.
Should you keep using the original Nano Banana?
Only as a short migration bridge for an existing workflow. Google’s deprecations table lists October 2, 2026 as the shutdown date for gemini-2.5-flash-image. It outputs up to 1024px and is no longer the least expensive Google image model.
Do not build new presets around it. Compare Lite and Nano Banana 2 on saved representative prompts, then document any changed crop, subject, or color behavior.
When should you compare another provider?
Compare outside the Google family when a task requires a capability, price structure, or editing behavior that the current Google models do not satisfy. Keep that as a separate evaluation with current first-party evidence. The dedicated GPT Image in Photoshop and Grok image in Photoshop articles cover those providers, while API versus subscription cost explains the billing structures.
For a workflow-level comparison rather than another model table, Krea vs Photoshop-native AI examines browser ideation and layered finishing.
Avoid a table that mixes a current Google price with an old OpenAI, xAI, or Adobe value. Cross-provider routing is only useful when every row shares an access date, scope, and test method.
What quality checks apply to every model?
- Keep the untouched source on a separate layer.
- Inspect masks and seams at 100 percent.
- Compare product shape, proportions, reflections, and shadows with the source.
- Verify faces, hands, and identity-sensitive details.
- Read every generated character and rebuild critical text.
- Confirm the output’s pixel dimensions before scaling.
- Record the model ID and date for reproducible client revisions.
Generated type and packaging copy fail in specific, repeatable ways that a general quality pass tends to miss. AI text rendering and label fidelity covers those checks at production detail.
Disclosure: Bielfor builds Creator MAX. That makes us an interested party in interface selection. The routing logic can still be used with AI Studio, another plugin, a script, or a node graph.
FAQ
Which Google model should you try first for a 2K composite?
Nano Banana 2. Google positions it as the general-purpose model and it supports native 2K output. Validate it against the source before standardizing the choice.
Which Google model should you test for generated text?
Nano Banana Pro, because Google positions it for accurate text and complex professional assets. The final text still requires character-by-character verification.
Is 4K exclusive to Pro?
No. Nano Banana 2 and Pro both support native 4K output. Lite is 1K only, and the original outputs up to 1024px.
Can one Nano Banana routing table replace testing?
No. Use the table to choose the first run, then keep or change the route based on the actual file and review risk.
