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
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
#27 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Where the votes landed
Recraft V4.1
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
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 photographic quality with realistic glass reflections and refractions.
- + The sphere feels more integrated into the scene's lighting.
- + The composition is clean and follows the rule of thirds effectively.
- − The sphere is floating unnaturally in the center of the cube without support.
- − The plant is pushed far to the right, barely visible through the cube itself.
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Successfully positions the plant directly behind the cube as requested.
- + The sphere is naturally resting on the bottom surface of the cube.
- + Includes nice atmospheric details like dust motes in the window light.
- − The red book has perspective issues and appears to be clipping through the top of the glass cube.
- − The reflection of the sphere on the bottom of the cube is slightly misaligned with its base.
- − The glass cube looks less like solid glass and more like a thin-walled box.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 produces a much more realistic and aesthetically pleasing image, though it takes a creative liberty by making the sphere float. Wan 2.5 (Preview) follows the spatial instructions of the prompt more literally—specifically placing the plant behind the glass—but suffers from significant technical flaws like the book clipping through the cube.
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 motion blur and bokeh in the background cars.
- + Captures the mood of a rainy day with realistic textures on the wet jacket and cap.
- + The imperfect framing feels authentically 'candid' and street-style.
- − The red bicycle is partially cropped out and less visible.
- − The man's skin texture is a bit muddy in shadows.
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Crisp details on the man's face and hands showing realistic age and skin texture.
- + Strong reflections on the wet pavement.
- + Clearer view of the 'red bicycle' and repair tools.
- − Misses the 'motion blur' request for passing cars.
- − Framing is very centered and symmetrical, lacking the 'imperfect framing' requested.
- − Lighting and rain effects feel slightly more digital and less cinematic than Model A.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 better captures the atmosphere and specific stylistic requirements of the prompt, particularly the motion blur and candid, imperfect framing. While Wan 2.5 (Preview) produces a high-quality, sharp portrait with excellent skin detail, it lacks the dynamic motion and 'street photo' grit that Recraft V4.1 provides.
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 hyper-realistic skin texture and detailed scars
- + Superior integration of ornate engraving on the plate armor
- + More naturalistic lighting and atmospheric bokeh
- − The braids and beads are a bit subtler than in Model B
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Very clear interpretation of the 'hair braided with small beads' prompt
- + Strong representation of the cloth underlayer and leather straps
- + Vibrant colors and high contrast subjects
- − The scars look a bit like smudged makeup or dirt rather than physical tissue damage
- − Image feels slightly more 'digital' and less cinematic in its lighting falloff
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 produces a much more cinematic and lifelike portrait with superior texture work on the skin and metal. While Wan 2.5 does an excellent job capturing specific elements like the beads and leather straps, its overall lighting and facial details feel slightly more artificial compared to the gritty realism of Recraft V4.1.
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
- + Exceptional text rendering with perfect spelling and logical item descriptions.
- + Clean, professional typography using bold sans-serif fonts as requested.
- + Effective use of vibrant color accents through section underlines and UI elements.
- − The photo layout is a vertical stack rather than a true grid.
- − Composition is slightly heavy on the left side with a lot of empty white space in the center.
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Excellent photographic grid layout that looks visually appetizing.
- + Strong adherence to the 'colorful food photos in grid' part of the prompt.
- + Great sense of depth and realistic lighting on the food items.
- − Text is largely nonsensical gibberish and poorly rendered.
- − Includes literal text from the prompt (e.g., 'Modern minimalist') in the header which feels like an AI error.
- − The sections for Appetizers/Pizza/Mains are confusingly mixed with the photo grid.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 produces a highly functional, production-ready menu with perfect typography and logical content, though its layout is more of a list than a grid. Wan 2.5 (Preview) creates a beautiful visual composition with a strong grid layout, but fails completely on text legibility and logical organization. Recraft V4.1 is the winner for its superior ability to handle text and follow the professional intent of the prompt.
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 fiery texture rendering on the main title text.
- + The burger patty texture is highly photorealistic and detailed.
- + Integrated the starburst element exactly as requested for the price.
- − Missing the bottom bun entirely, failing a key part of the exploded burger prompt.
- − The composition feels a bit sparse with significant empty black space in the middle.
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Perfectly captured the exploded burger assembly with all requested components including both buns.
- + Superior sense of motion and dynamic composition with flying sauce droplets and embers.
- + Highly creative interpretation of the fiery text, using a 'melting cheese' aesthetic for the glow.
- − The '€6.99' text is slightly less clean than Model A's version.
- − The glowing embers are represented as simple orange streaks rather than detailed sparks.
Verdict: Wan 2.5 (Preview) provided a much more complete response to the prompt by including every burger component and a more dynamic layout. While Recraft V4.1 had excellent texture work on the patty and fiery title, the omission of the bottom bun and the less cohesive composition make it the weaker choice for a marketing 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 with realistic grain and pressure variations
- + Perfectly followed prompt text including the third menu item
- + Letters look genuinely handwritten with natural inconsistencies
- − The cursive requirement for the title was not fully met as it appears as print-script
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Strong composition with a warm café background context
- + Better adherence to the cursive title requirement
- + Text is very legible and well-spaced
- − Text looks like a digital font rather than authentic chalk handwriting
- − Errors in text rendering including ‘...with Lemon & $28’ missing the herbs and repeating the price
- − Duplicate pricing for the cookies
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 is the clear winner because it successfully rendered all text exactly as requested and achieved a highly realistic chalk texture that looks truly handwritten. Wan 2.5 (Preview) produced a more aesthetic background, but failed significantly on text accuracy and the 'handwritten' requirement, as its letters look like a modern vector font.
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 high-detail textures on the horse and suit
- + Cinematic lighting with a clear light source and asteroid field
- + Higher overall resolution and sharpness
- − Failed to follow the negative constraint of 'horse on top'
- − The astronaut has three legs visible under the saddle
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Dynamic composition and pose for the horse
- + Smooth color gradients in the nebula and background
- + Clean rendering of the astronaut suit
- − Failed to follow the specific spatial instruction for the horse to be on top
- − Minor anatomical issues with the horse's left front leg
Verdict: Both Recraft V4.1 and Wan 2.5 failed the negative constraint to invert the typical horse/rider relationship (horse on top). Recraft V4.1 is slightly better due to its superior textural detail and cinematic asteroid environment, even though it suffered from a significant anatomical glitch (a third leg).
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
- + Natural, cinematic lighting that feels photorealistic
- + Accurate depiction of the passenger's expression and behavior
- + Excellent capybara texture and realistic paws on the steering wheel
- − The capybara is not wearing the requested jacket
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Higher creative interpretation of the driver's uniform and jacket
- + Vibrant colors and clear details on the background city lights
- − The capybara's paws look more like human hands with claws, which is slightly unsettling
- − The passenger's face is slightly blurry and lower quality than the driver
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 delivers a more grounded and photorealistic image with better integration of the passenger and realistic animal anatomy. Wan 2.5 has more vibrant colors and includes all requested clothing items, but the anatomy of the capybara's hands feels unnatural.
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 vintage gothic aesthetic with a distressed parchment texture.
- + Superior integration of text within the spooky composition.
- + Highly detailed and realistic jack-o-lantern carving.
- − The 'invite you...' text on the tiny scroll is slightly blurred and harder to read.
- − The layout is a bit bottom-heavy with wide spacing on the event details.
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Perfectly legible text for all required details and phrases.
- + Clean, vibrant artistic style with an excellent thorny border.
- + Creative addition of a spooky castle in the background.
- − The lighting feels a bit more like a modern digital illustration than a 'vintage parchment' invitation.
- − The central pumpkin graphic has some fire artifacts that look slightly disconnected from the carving.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 captured the 'vintage gothic' atmospheric prompt much better, creating an invitation that feels authentic to the dark parchment request with moodier lighting. While Wan 2.5 (Preview) produced much clearer and more legible text, its overall style is more 'bright Halloween cartoon' than the requested cinematic, dark gothic aesthetic.
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 PBR material rendering with realistic food textures and soft lighting.
- + Adheres strictly to the 45-degree isometric perspective and diorama base request.
- + Clean, professional typography and layout that feels like a completed graphic.
- − The text is a bit small compared to the scale of the base.
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Strong '3D cartoon' aesthetic with bold, rounded shapes.
- + High clarity and vibrant colors that pop against the background.
- + Large, legible typography that follows the bold text instruction.
- − Perspective is more eye-level than the requested 45-degree top-down isometric view.
- − Text and flag are floating in the air rather than being integrated into the graphic design smoothly.
- − The diorama base is very simple compared to the detailed textures in the other model.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed the technical framing requirements much better, delivering a true 45-degree isometric scene with sophisticated material textures. While Wan 2.5 (Preview) produced a charming cartoon style, it failed the perspective requirement and resulted in a more generic front-facing composition.
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 depiction of god rays and atmospheric lighting.
- + Highly detailed fur texture and realistic animal anatomy.
- + Dynamic composition with animals looking at a specific point of interest.
- − The fox kit has a slightly awkward pose tucked at the bottom.
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Successfully includes all four animals in a clear, front-facing composition.
- + Vibrant colors and clear 'dew sparkles' interpreted as large droplets.
- + Captures the 'jumping/tumbling' aspect of the prompt well.
- − The fox's eyes appear unnaturally blue and slightly distorted.
- − The floating dew drops look artificial and disconnected from the environment.
- − Fur detail is softer and less defined than in the competing image.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 produces a much more sophisticated and photorealistic image with superior lighting and fur texture. While Wan 2.5 (Preview) handles the prompt's layout well, it suffers from several anatomical oddities, particularly in the fox's eyes and the floating water droplets.
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 rendering with the correct accent on 'Caffè'.
- + Clean vector aesthetic that feels modern yet vintage.
- + High contrast and balance between the icon and text.
- − Missing the requested 'subtle texture' on the background.
- − The cloche icon is somewhat generic compared to the high-quality text.
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + Beautiful parchment texture that perfectly matches the 'vintage' prompt.
- + Excellent emblem composition inside a decorative border.
- + Text rendering is accurate and well-integrated into the banner.
- − The accent mark on 'Caffè' is stylized in a way that looks slightly like a dot.
- − The secondary 'Est. 1720' text is slightly less crisp than the primary logo.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 produces a very professional, clean vector logo with superior typography, but it ignores the request for background texture. Wan 2.5 (Preview) captures the 'vintage' and 'warm tones' atmosphere much better by incorporating a textured paper background and a more cohesive emblem style. Wan 2.5 is the preferred choice for a brand identity piece because it feels like a finished design rather than just a digital asset.
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
- + Executes a very clean, consistent flat-vector design style.
- + Perfect spelling on all labels and headers.
- + Highly legible grid layout that clearly follows the stages in order.
- − Step numbering contains a repetition error (two '04's).
- − Icons for 'Descent' and 'Landing' are identical, lacking the requested surface icon for the final step.
- − Text rendering includes some redundant sub-captions (e.g., 'Saturn Vicon' misspelled under 'Launch').
Wan 2.5 (Preview)
- + More dynamic composition that visually connects the mission stages with trajectory lines.
- + Includes more detailed and varied iconography for each specific stage.
- + Accurately represents the lunar surface for the final landing stage.
- − Fails to include distinct icons/text for the 'Descent' stage, leaving them as floating labels.
- − Includes a strange shuttle-like spacecraft icon that does not match the Saturn V or Lunar Module.
- − Text rendering is slightly less crisp with some minor alignment issues.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 produces a much more professional and consistent vector aesthetic, adhering well to the flat-design requirement and providing perfect typography for names. While Wan 2.5 (Preview) offers a more creative layout with better trajectory visualization, it lacks the polish of a finished infographic and introduces incorrect spacecraft icons. Recraft V4.1 is the preferred choice for a clean, modern poster.
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