Image generators do not compete on one axis. Some follow a detailed brief precisely; others produce more beautiful images that ignore half of what you asked for. Knowing which you need saves a lot of wasted generations.
The test
A deliberately awkward brief with multiple subjects, specific spatial relationships, two pieces of text and an unusual colour palette. Then a second brief judged purely on visual appeal.
Results by dimension
- Instruction following. Models built into chat products handled the complex brief best, though their safety filters blocked some legitimate compositions.
- Visual quality. The stylised model produced the most attractive single image of the set.
- Text rendering. Improved substantially across the field, but still unreliable beyond a few words.
- Control. Open-weight tools with pose and depth guidance allowed the tightest composition control, at a real setup cost.
Practical guidance
If you need a specific image for a specific slot, choose control over polish. If you need something attractive and the exact content is negotiable, choose the aesthetic model. Most production teams end up using both.
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