Seedream 4.5 Prompt Guide | xMode

Seedream 4.5 is the AI model that powers xMode's Face ID technology — and understanding how to prompt it effectively is the difference between generic output and professional-quality content. Whether you're creating portraits, lifestyle content, or themed photo sets, the way you write your prompts directly impacts the quality, consistency, and style of your generations.

This guide covers everything from basic prompt structure to advanced techniques: optimal prompt length, CFG scale tuning, negative prompts, Face ID optimization, MixMode workflows, and ready-to-use prompt templates. If you're new to xMode and Face ID, start with our complete Face ID guide first.

Understanding Seedream 4.5

Seedream 4.5 was developed by ByteDance and released in December 2025. It's built on a Diffusion Transformer (DiT) architecture — a transformer-based diffusion backbone combined with a high-compression Variational Autoencoder (VAE). This architecture delivers over 10x acceleration versus previous-generation models while increasing output quality.

Key technical specs:

Native 4K resolution up to 2048x2048 pixels
Cross-Image Consistency Module supporting up to 14 reference images simultaneously
94% text rendering accuracy — best-in-class for generating text within images
30+ pre-built artistic styles with adjustable blending
Flexible aspect ratios from 1:1 to 16:9 (and everything in between)

Seedream 4.5 is not open-source — it's available through API only. xMode provides the user interface, Face ID integration, prompt packs, and MixMode features built on top of the Seedream 4.5 engine. Understanding how the model interprets prompts helps you get significantly better results.

Prompt Structure Best Practices

Optimal Prompt Length

The sweet spot for Seedream 4.5 prompts is 30-100 words. Too short (under 15 words) and the model fills in too many details on its own, often producing generic results. Too long (over 150 words) and conflicting instructions start competing for the model's attention.

Seedream 4.5 has stronger natural language understanding than most AI image generators. You don't need to stack keywords or use comma-separated tags. Write descriptive sentences that clearly describe what you want to see.

Avoid: woman, professional, studio, lighting, portrait

Instead: Professional portrait of a woman in a navy blazer, shot in a studio with soft diffused lighting, shallow depth of field, neutral background.

Subject-First Prompt Order

Word order matters in Seedream 4.5 — the model gives priority to elements that appear first in your prompt. Structure your prompts with the most important elements leading:

Subject description — who or what is the main focus
Action or pose — what the subject is doing
Environment and setting — where the scene takes place
Lighting and atmosphere — mood and illumination
Style specification — artistic or photographic approach
Technical details — camera settings, resolution hints

Example: Confident woman in a red evening dress walking through a candlelit restaurant, warm golden lighting, cinematic photography style, shot on 85mm lens with shallow depth of field.

Effective Prompt Anatomy

Here's the formula that produces consistent results with Seedream 4.5:

[Subject] + [Action/Pose] + [Setting] + [Lighting] + [Style] + [Technical]

Three ai image prompt examples at increasing complexity:

Simple: Professional headshot, neutral background, studio lighting, sharp focus.

Medium: Woman sitting at a cafe terrace in Paris, afternoon sunlight, candid photography style, natural colors, shallow depth of field.

Advanced: Fashion model in a structured white blazer and gold jewelry, standing on a rooftop at golden hour, dramatic rim lighting with warm tones, editorial fashion photography, shot on 85mm lens, 4K detail, background city skyline softly blurred.

CFG Scale: Finding the Sweet Spot

CFG (Classifier-Free Guidance) scale controls how strictly the model follows your prompt. Lower values give the model more creative freedom; higher values force tighter adherence to your description.

CFG 5-7: More creative and artistic. Softer lighting, more natural compositions. Great for lifestyle content where you want a relaxed, organic feel. The model may interpret your prompt loosely.
CFG 7-9: The sweet spot for most creator content. Balanced prompt adherence with natural aesthetics. Use this range as your default starting point.
CFG 9-12: Strong prompt adherence — useful when you need very specific compositions or poses. Above 10, approximately 40% of generations show oversaturation and edge artifacts. Use sparingly.

Start at CFG 7 for your first generation, then adjust based on results. If the output feels too loose or unpredictable, increase by 1-2 points. If colors look oversaturated or edges look harsh, decrease.

For text rendering in images (logos, signage, titles), moderate CFG values of 5.5-7 produce the most accurate text.

Negative Prompts for Quality Control

Negative prompts tell Seedream 4.5 what to avoid in the generated image. They're essential for maintaining professional quality and preventing common AI generation artifacts.

Essential Negative Prompt Template

General quality: blurry, low resolution, noisy, jpeg artifacts, overexposed, underexposed, watermark, logo, signature

Anatomy: extra fingers, distorted hands, deformed eyes, asymmetrical face, blurry face, bad anatomy, missing fingers, mutated limbs

Quality refinement: pixelated, plastic skin, unrealistic shading, exaggerated proportions, oversaturated colors, unnatural reflections

Common Negative Prompt Mistakes

Being too vague — "bad quality" doesn't help much. Be specific about what "bad" means (blurry, noisy, pixelated).
Adding too many negatives — can confuse the model. Keep to 15-25 terms for best results.
Contradicting your positive prompt — don't put "realistic" in negatives if you want photorealism.

A well-crafted negative prompt is just as important as your main prompt. It prevents the most common quality issues before they appear.

Face ID Optimization Techniques

Photo Selection for Best Face ID Results

The quality of your Face ID depends on the photos you upload. Here's what produces the best results:

Start with a clear, sharp headshot — frontal or three-quarter view
Good lighting is critical — natural daylight or studio lighting, no harsh shadows across the face
Neutral expression produces the most versatile Face ID; specific expressions (smile, serious) bias all generations toward that expression
Upload 3 photos from slightly different angles for the best cross-angle consistency
Avoid: sunglasses, heavy shadows across the face, extreme angles (looking straight down/up), heavy filters or effects

One clean, well-lit frontal photo produces good results. Three photos from different angles produces excellent results.

Maintaining Identity Across Styles

One of Face ID's strengths is preserving your facial identity even when applying dramatically different styles. Whether you generate a professional headshot, a fantasy cosplay scene, or a casual lifestyle photo, your Face ID maintains the same recognizable facial features.

Prompt packs on xMode are specifically optimized for Face ID consistency — they're engineered to apply style transformations without degrading facial identity. For custom prompts, keep facial identity stable by avoiding conflicting style instructions (e.g., don't combine photorealistic and cartoon styles in the same prompt).

Multiple Face IDs in One Image

Seedream 4.5's Cross-Image Consistency Module supports multiple reference identities in a single generation. This enables group shots with different Face IDs — each person in the image maintains their distinct facial identity.

When creating multi-identity images, specify positioning in your prompt: Person A standing on the left, Person B sitting on the right. Clear spatial descriptions help the model place each identity correctly.

MixMode Techniques and Object Combining

Reference Photo Mixing

MixMode combines a reference photo with your Face ID model. Upload any reference image — a pose you want to recreate, an outfit you want to wear, a scene you want to appear in — and MixMode blends your facial identity into it.

Three creativity levels control the blend:

100% (Maximum AI interpretation): The model takes the most creative liberty. Your Face ID is applied, but the scene, clothing, and composition are heavily interpreted by the AI. Best for creative exploration.
75% (Balanced blend): A middle ground — the reference photo's composition and key elements are preserved while the AI adds creative touches. This is the most commonly used level.
50% (Closest to reference): The output stays close to the original reference photo. Pose, outfit, and scene are largely preserved, with your Face ID seamlessly integrated. Best for recreating specific looks.

Start at 75% and adjust based on results. If you need more creative variation, go to 100%. If you want a closer match to the reference, try 50%.

Style Blending with Seedream 4.5

Seedream 4.5 includes 30+ pre-built artistic styles that you can reference in your prompts. You can also blend multiple styles by combining style descriptors:

Cinematic photography with soft film grain — combines cinematic and analog styles
Editorial fashion with dramatic lighting — combines fashion photography with moody lighting
Lifestyle photography with warm, golden tones — combines casual style with color grading

The best approach is dominant + accent: apply one primary style at full strength and add a secondary style as a subtle modifier. Equal blending of two strong styles often produces visual confusion.

Advanced Techniques

Lighting and Composition Keywords

Seedream 4.5 is particularly responsive to photography terminology. Using specific lighting and composition terms significantly improves output quality.

Lighting terms that work well:

golden hour lighting — warm, directional sunset light
studio lighting — clean, controlled professional lighting
rim light — backlight that creates an outline glow around the subject
soft diffused light — gentle, even illumination
dramatic side lighting — high-contrast directional light
natural window light — soft indoor lighting from a window

Composition terms:

rule of thirds — subject placed off-center for balanced composition
close-up portrait — head and shoulders frame
full body shot — complete figure in frame
three-quarter view — subject turned slightly from camera
shallow depth of field — background blur (bokeh effect)
overhead shot — camera looking straight down

Resolution and Quality Optimization

Seedream 4.5 supports native 4K output up to 2048x2048 pixels. To get the sharpest results:

Always generate at 1024x1024 or higher — sub-1K resolutions produce noticeably softer output
Add quality modifiers to your prompt: "highly detailed", "sharp focus", "professional photography", "4K detail"
Match aspect ratios to your platform: 1:1 for Instagram, 9:16 for stories/reels, 4:5 for feed posts, 16:9 for banners
Simplify complex scenes — fewer subjects in frame produces cleaner results with better anatomy

Ready-to-Use Prompt Templates for Creators

Here are five ai image prompt examples optimized for Seedream 4.5 with Face ID integration. Copy, customize, and generate.

1. Professional Portrait

Professional portrait, [your style description], studio lighting with soft shadows, neutral gray background, sharp focus, shallow depth of field, high-end corporate photography style.

2. Lifestyle / Casual

Candid lifestyle photo at [location], wearing [outfit description], natural afternoon sunlight, warm color tones, relaxed composition, editorial photography style.

3. Fashion / Outfit Showcase

Fashion editorial, wearing [outfit description], standing in [setting], dramatic lighting with [light type], full body shot, 4K detail, high-fashion photography.

4. Themed / Cosplay

[Character or theme description], [costume details], [setting/background], cinematic lighting, detailed costume textures, fantasy photography style, sharp focus.

5. Travel / Location

Portrait at [location landmark], wearing [outfit], golden hour lighting, travel photography style, [location] in the background slightly blurred, warm tones, 4K detail.

Each template works with Face ID — your facial identity is automatically applied to all generations. Customize the bracketed sections to match your creative vision, or use the prompt packs for instant themed content.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best prompt length for Seedream 4.5?

The optimal prompt length is 30-100 words. Use natural language descriptions rather than comma-separated keywords. Start with your main subject, then add setting, lighting, and style details. Prompts under 15 words tend to produce generic results, while prompts over 150 words may include conflicting instructions that reduce output quality.

What CFG scale should I use?

Start at CFG 7 — it's the best balance of prompt adherence and natural aesthetics for most content. For more creative, artistic output, decrease to 5-6. For tighter prompt matching, increase to 8-9. Avoid going above 10 unless you need very specific compositions, as approximately 40% of generations at CFG 10+ show oversaturation artifacts.

How do negative prompts work?

Negative prompts tell the model what to exclude from the generated image. They're essential for quality control. A basic negative prompt should include: "blurry, low resolution, artifacts, distorted, deformed, extra fingers." Add specific terms based on your content type. Keep negative prompts to 15-25 terms for best results.

Can I use multiple Face IDs in one image?

Yes. Seedream 4.5's Cross-Image Consistency Module supports multiple reference identities in a single generation. Specify the positioning of each person in your prompt (e.g., "Person A on the left, Person B on the right") for accurate placement. This enables group shots, couple content, and multi-character scenes.

What resolution does Seedream 4.5 support?

Seedream 4.5 supports native 4K resolution up to 2048x2048 pixels. Available aspect ratios range from 1:1 to 16:9 and beyond. For best results, always generate at 1024x1024 or higher. Add quality modifiers like "sharp focus" and "4K detail" to your prompts. Match the aspect ratio to your distribution platform for optimal display.

Start Creating

Effective prompting is a skill that improves with practice. Start with the templates above, experiment with CFG scale and negative prompts, and build a library of prompts that work for your content style. The combination of Seedream 4.5's architecture with Face ID's identity consistency gives you a reliable foundation for professional AI content creation.

For themed content without prompt writing, explore the prompt pack library. For an overview of Face ID technology and getting started, see our complete Face ID guide.

Start creating at xMode.ai — full commercial rights on every generation.