Recraft's V4.1 standard tier text-to-image model — refines V4's photorealism with more natural lighting, softer gradients, and sharper illustration styles for everyday creative work
Settled by community votes across 13 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
Recraft V4.1
#53 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Recraft V4.1 Pro
#44 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Where the votes landed
Recraft V4.1
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Recraft V4.1 Pro
0%
win rate
Challenge by challenge
The strongest take from each model on every shared challenge, with the AI judge's read.
Geometric Composition
Text-to-Image“A glass cube on a wooden table. Inside the cube is a small blue sphere. On top of the cube sits a red book. A green plant is behind the cube, partially visible through the glass. Soft window light from the left.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent adherence to lighting and composition instructions.
- + The blue sphere is clearly 'small' as requested.
- + The refraction and transparency of the glass cube are very realistic.
- − The sphere is floating in the center which might feel less physically grounded.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Strong textures on the book and wooden table surface.
- + The scale of the sphere fills the space well for a more dramatic look.
- − The sphere appears more large than 'small' as requested.
- − The perspective between the book and the cube feels slightly disconnected at the points of contact.
Verdict: Both images followed the prompt remarkably well, including complex spatial relationships and refraction. Recraft V4.1 is selected as the winner because it better captured the 'small' scale of the sphere and provided a cleaner, more balanced composition that highlights the plant behind the glass more effectively than Recraft V4.1 Pro.
Candid Street Photography
Text-to-Image“A candid street photo of an elderly Japanese man repairing a red bicycle in light rain, reflections on wet pavement, shallow depth of field, 50mm lens, natural skin texture, imperfect framing, motion blur from passing cars, cinematic but realistic, no stylization.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent depiction of raindrops on the subject's jacket and hat
- + Strong adherence to cinematic lighting and shallow depth of field
- + Realistic skin texture and hand detailing
- − The motion blur on the car in the background is less pronounced than requested
- − Compromised anatomy where the hand meets the bicycle fender
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Perfect execution of motion blur from passing cars
- + Captures a very authentic 'candid' street photography aesthetic with color grading that feels like film
- + Strong adherence to the 'imperfect framing' prompt with the subject slightly cut off
- − The rain effect looks more like static streaks rather than falling drops
- − The bicycle geometry is slightly distorted where the frame meets the wheel
Verdict: Both models performed exceptionally well, capturing the atmosphere of a rainy street. Recraft V4.1 Pro is the preferred winner because it better interpreted the 'motion blur' and 'imperfect framing' requests, resulting in a more convincing candid street photograph, whereas Recraft V4.1 felt slightly more posed despite its superior water droplet detail.
Fantasy Warrior
Text-to-Image“Close portrait of a battle-worn paladin in ornate engraved plate armor, hair braided with small beads, faint scars and dirt on the skin, warm torchlight reflecting off metal, shallow depth of field, bokeh sparks, lifelike eyes, highly detailed texture on leather straps and cloth underlayer.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent rendition of the intricate engraved patterns on the plate armor.
- + The warm torchlight creates a strong sense of mood and cinematic atmosphere.
- + Very clean facial features with realistic eye reflections.
- − The hair beads are somewhat small and less distinct than requested.
- − The leather straps are partially obscured and lack some textural variety.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + High-contrast skin texture that emphasizes the battle-worn, dirty aesthetic.
- + The beads on the braids are highly visible and exactly match the prompt.
- + Outstanding detail on the leather straps and the padded underlayer of the armor.
- − The bokeh sparks are slightly overwhelming and create a noisy background.
- − The facial expression is somewhat more flattened compared to the lighting in image A.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 Pro is slightly preferred due to its superior handling of texturally complex materials like the leather straps and beaded braids. While Recraft V4.1 offers a more cinematic lighting quality, the Pro version captures the specific grit and small item details of the prompt with greater accuracy.
Modern Clean Menu
Text-to-Image“Modern minimalist restaurant menu design, white background with colorful food photos in grid, sections for appetizers/pizza/mains, bold sans-serif fonts, vibrant accents, clean professional layout for casual dining.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent typography rendering with perfect spelling.
- + Strong logical layout that follows the requested sections accurately.
- + Vibrant food photography that looks professional and appetizing.
- − The grid of images is a bit disjointed due to varying aspect ratios.
- − The large amount of whitespace on the right feels slightly underutilized.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Modern and sophisticated layout with rounded image corners.
- + Effective use of color accents to categorize menu sections.
- + Better integration of text and visuals for a balanced design.
- − Contains minor spelling errors in the descriptions like 'sraalmon'.
- − The font chosen for the body text is a serif font, which slightly deviates from the bold sans-serif request.
Verdict: Both models perform exceptionally well, but Recraft V4.1 delivers perfect text accuracy and follows the sans-serif font requirement more strictly. Recraft V4.1 Pro offers a more contemporary and balanced composition that feels like a finished brand identity, though it suffers from minor typos.
Magic Burger Explosion: Fiery Photorealism Challenge
Text-to-Image“Ad for 'Magic Burger'. Dynamic, exploded burger with all components (bun, patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce) suspended in mid-air. Emphasize photorealistic detail and a sense of motion. Dark, fiery background with glowing embers. Integrate text: 'MAGIC BURGER' as a prominent title, 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' as a secondary message, and '€6.99' in a starburst, all rendered with a fiery, glowing effect.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent typography with a large, stylized fiery font
- + Strong sense of motion with splashing sauce and embers
- + Includes all requested text elements clearly
- − The starburst element looks like a flat clip-art sticker and lacks the fiery effect requested
- − Only one half of the bun is visible
- − Composition feels a bit cluttered at the bottom
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Superior photographic detail on the burger ingredients
- + Excellent starburst implementation that looks like a fiery explosion
- + Better composition with both bun halves framing the ingredients
- − Bottom text is small and tucked away in a corner
- − The 'Magic Burger' title font is less dramatic than the one in Image A
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt well, but Recraft V4.1 Pro is the winner due to its superior photorealistic detail and better integration of the starburst as a fiery explosion rather than a flat graphic. While Recraft V4.1 has a more impressive main title, its overall composition feels more like a generic flyer, whereas the Pro version feels like a high-end food advertisement.
Chalkboard Menu
Text-to-Image“Handwritten-style chalkboard menu in a cozy café, all text rendered in the exact same realistic chalk handwriting style with natural variations in letter size, slight slant, and chalk texture — no printed or digital fonts anywhere on the board. Title at the top in elegant cursive chalk handwriting: ‘TODAY’S SPECIALS – APRIL 30, 2026’. Below it, three menu items also in the same handwritten chalk style: ‘Truffle Mushroom Risotto – $24’, ‘Grilled Octopus with Lemon & Herbs – $28’, ‘Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – $9’. At the very bottom, smaller text in the identical handwritten chalk style (slightly smaller but still clearly legible with the same handwriting characteristics): ‘All items made fresh daily • Ask about our gluten-free options’. Warm ambient café lighting, visible chalk dust and smudges, realistic handwriting imperfections, no clean printed text anywhere.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent chalk texture throughout the letters
- + Perfect spelling including the final hidden prompt item
- + Captures the 'handwritten' request with more natural letter spacing
- − The 'T' in 'Truffle' has a slightly messy smudge/artifact at the top
- − The layout is very tight to the top edge of the board
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Clean cursive style for the title text
- + Good environmental depth of field in the background
- + Very legible text with high contrast
- − The text has a slightly more digital, uniform appearance compared to Model A
- − Missed some of the chalk dust and gritty texture requested in the prompt
Verdict: Both models followed the complex text instructions perfectly, including the correct date and prices. Recraft V4.1 is the winner because the text rendering feels much more like physical chalk on a board, whereas Recraft V4.1 Pro's text looks a bit too clean and digitally rendered, losing some of that organic 'handwritten-style' requested.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent asteroid field composition that enhances the space-like feel
- + High detail in the astronaut's suit texture and the horse's mane
- − Failed the specific spatial instruction (horse on top)
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Strong cinematic lighting with vibrant planetary elements
- + Dynamic action pose of the horse
- − Failed the specific spatial instruction (horse on top)
Verdict: Both Recraft V4.1 and Recraft V4.1 Pro failed the negative/spatial constraint to place the horse on top of the astronaut, both defaulting to the common 'astronaut on a horse' trope. Recraft V4.1 is slightly better due to its more cohesive composition and more believable interaction between the astronaut and the reins.
The Capybara Taxi Driver
Text-to-Image“Photorealistic scene inside a yellow New York taxi at night. A capybara is driving, wearing a yellow taxi driver cap and a dark jacket. It has a calm, professional expression and both front paws on the steering wheel. In the back seat sits a human businesswoman in a coat, looking at her phone with a completely normal, bored expression (as if this is just another normal ride). Through the windows you can see the streets of Manhattan at night with blurred lights. Realistic taxi interior, photorealistic, detailed fur and fabric, 35mm lens, night lighting with reflections, shallow depth of field.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent photorealistic texture on the capybara's fur.
- + High clarity in the background bokeh lighting.
- + The woman's expression perfectly captures the 'bored' requirement.
- − The capybara is missing the requested dark jacket, appearing as a naked animal in a hat.
- − The perspective makes the capybara look significantly larger than it should be relative to the car.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Successfully includes the dark jacket on the capybara as requested.
- + Better overall composition and scale between the animal and the vehicle interior.
- + Perfect adherence to all prompt elements including the hat and steering wheel placement.
- − The face of the woman in the background is slightly more blurred compared to Model A.
Verdict: Both models followed the core prompt well, but Recraft V4.1 Pro is the clear winner for its superior prompt adherence regarding the capybara's clothing. While Recraft V4.1 ignored the jacket and made the capybara seem oversized, Recraft V4.1 Pro managed to dress the animal realistically while maintaining a believable scale within the taxi cab.
The Halloween Invitation
Text-to-Image“Vintage gothic Halloween party invitation. Dark parchment poster, spooky border with webs and thorns, central glowing jack-o-lantern, bats, twisted trees, moody night sky. Add elegant gothic title text saying "Halloween Party Invitation", a small scroll banner saying "You are invited to a night of frights", and event details at the bottom: Date: 30.10.2026 Time: 7pm Location: The Arches, NYC Spooky but polished, cinematic lighting, square format.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent integration of the main title into the scene's atmospheric lighting.
- + The texture of the parchment and borders feels authentically vintage and gothic.
- + The jack-o-lantern carving is detailed with realistic fiery internal lighting.
- − The scroll banner text is quite small and slightly difficult to read compared to the other text.
- − The separation between the date, time, and location at the bottom feels a bit disconnected.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Perfect text legibility for the scroll banner and event details.
- + Balanced composition with the jack-o-lantern placed clearly on a tree stump.
- + Elegant and highly readable typography that matches the requested theme perfectly.
- − The glow inside the pumpkin is a bit more uniform and less 'fiery' than Model A.
- − The parchment texture is subtler, leaning more towards a modern digital poster than vintage paper.
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt exceptionally well, producing high-quality invitations with perfect spelling. Recraft V4.1 Pro is the preferred winner because its layout is more functional as an invitation, featuring better readability and a more professional distribution of the event details.
Isometric Miniature Diorama Scenes
Text-to-Image“Create a clear, 45° top-down isometric miniature 3D cartoon scene of Japan's signature dish: sushi, with soft refined textures, realistic PBR materials, gentle lighting, on a small raised diorama base with minimal garnish and plate. Solid light blue background. At top-center: 'JAPAN' in large bold text, 'SUSHI' below it, small flag icon. Perfectly centered, ultra-clean, high-clarity, square format.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent 3D rendering with high-quality PBR material simulation.
- + Clean, modern typography and professional layout of the flag icon.
- + Higher level of detail in the food textures and chopstick rendering.
- − The diorama base is a bit large, pushing the sushi and text apart slightly.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Strong bold typography that feels integrated into the design.
- + Creative interpretation of the diorama base using a tray of loose rice.
- + Perfect adherence to the isometric perspective and centering.
- − The sushi themselves look a bit more plastic and less 'cartoon-realistic' than Model A.
- − A small visual artifact where the sushi appears to float slightly above the plate.
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt exceptionally well, producing high-clarity isometric scenes with accurate text. Recraft V4.1 is the winner due to the superior visual quality of the sushi materials and textures, whereas Recraft V4.1 Pro feels slightly more flat and less detailed in the food modeling.
Adorable Baby Animals in Sunny Meadow
Text-to-Image“Hyper-photorealistic scene of fluffy baby animals—a golden retriever puppy, tabby kitten, baby bunny, and red fox kit—with big expressive eyes and ultra-detailed soft fur, playfully chasing butterflies and tumbling together in a lush wildflower meadow, warm golden sunrise light with god rays and dew sparkles, joyful wholesome vibe, 8K masterpiece.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent rendition of god rays and atmospheric morning lighting.
- + Superior fur texture and detail on the golden retriever.
- + Very cohesive composition with all animals focused on a single butterfly.
- − Only one primary butterfly is visible, missing the 'chasing butterflies' plural aspect.
- − The puppy's open mouth has slightly messy teeth rendering.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Dynamic action-oriented composition that better reflects the 'tumbling together' prompt.
- + Accurately includes multiple butterflies as requested.
- + Fantastic 'dew sparkles' effect on the grass and flowers.
- − The fox kit's anatomy is slightly awkward, particularly the placement of its leaping legs.
- − The kitten has an extra-toed or slightly messy paw structure near its face.
Verdict: Both models delivered exceptional interpretations of the prompt with high levels of detail. Recraft V4.1 Pro is the winner because its composition feels more energetic and 'joyful' through the playful movement of all four animals, whereas Recraft V4.1 is more static. Additionally, Recraft V4.1 Pro captured the specific details of 'multiple butterflies' and 'dew sparkles' with greater fidelity.
Vintage Cafe Logo
Text-to-Image“Vintage minimalist restaurant logo for "Caffè Florian", retro cloche dome with steam and "Est. 1720" banner, classic typography, warm brown and cream tones, subtle texture on light background, vector emblem style.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent typography with a high-end vintage serif feel.
- + Clean vector execution with precise linework.
- + Well-proportioned layout between the icon and text.
- − The 'Est. 1720' text is slightly off-center within its banner.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Stronger 'vintage' feel in the steam illustration.
- + Includes a subtle paper-like texture on the background as requested.
- + Good use of negative space in the cloche design.
- − The banner appears broken or disconnected behind the cloche base.
- − The 'Est. 1720' text is very small and lacks the refinement of the main logo text.
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt accurately, but Recraft V4.1 produced a more professional-looking vector emblem with superior typography. Recraft V4.1 Pro included the requested background texture better, but the cloche and banner composition felt less cohesive and slightly clutered compared to the clean layout of the standard model.
Apollo 11: Journey to Tranquility
Text-to-Image“Create a clean, modern vector infographic poster about the Apollo 11 mission. NASA-inspired palette (navy, white, muted red, light gray). Flat-vector style, crisp lines, consistent iconography, subtle gradients only. Steps (stop at landing): 1. Launch (Saturn Vicon) 2. Earth Orbit (Earth + orbit ring icon) 3. Translunar (trajectory arc icon) 4. Lunar Orbit (Moon + orbit ring icon) 5. Descent (lunar module descending icon) 6. Landing (lunar module on the surface icon) Small supporting elements (minimal text): • Crew strip: three silhouette icons with only last names: Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins. • Landing site marker: Moon pin labeled "Tranquility" only. Layout constraints: generous margins, large readable labels, clean background with subtle stars. Vector-only, print-poster look, high resolution.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent color palette adherence using the navy background.
- + High-quality, stylized flat vector icons that look cohesive.
- + Nearly perfect text rendering for all labels including names.
- − Step numbering contains duplicates (two '04's) and skipped numbers.
- − The lunar module icons for Descent and Landing are identical.
Recraft V4.1 Pro
- + Clear visual flow with arrows connecting the mission phases.
- + Clean minimalist aesthetic that feels very professional.
- + Includes the NASA logo as a nice thematic detail.
- − Step numbering is incorrect (two '05's).
- − Missing the red color from the requested palette in almost all icons.
- − The 'Landing' icon lacks clear surface details compared to the prompt.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed the color palette and iconography style much closer than the Pro version, resulting in a more visually engaging infographic. While Recraft V4.1 Pro has a better layout with flow arrows, it failed to incorporate the red accent color effectively and had more generic iconography.
Explore each model
Recraft V4.1 Pro tier text-to-image model — supports up to 2048×2048 and ultra-wide formats for hero imagery, campaigns, and print-ready work