SeedDream 4.0: Complete How‑To (Prompts + Examples)

SeedDream 4.0 is ByteDance's latest image generation and editing model on the Seed platform. It focuses on production-quality visuals with advanced prompt-based editing, batch input/output, and high-resolution output up to 4K. This guide shows how to use SeedDream 4.0 effectively with practical prompt examples and a reliable workflow.

High-level system view for using SeedDream with Replicate in a production app (prompt builder → Replicate API → storage/CDN → delivery).

Step-by-step flow from prompt authoring to deterministic image generation, storage, and audit logging for reproducibility.

• Visit the SeedDream 4.0 model page on ByteDance Seed: seed.bytedance.com/en/seedream4_0.
• Sign in to your ByteDance Seed account.
• Start a new generation or editing session from the model page.
• Optional: prepare a storage destination (S3/GCS) for downloading and serving outputs from your app or site.

Good results start with clear, photography-aware prompts. Compose prompts with: subject, camera/lighting cues, environment, style modifiers, and optional brand text (kept short). SeedDream 4.0 also supports prompt-based editing—add an input image and describe the edit (e.g., "replace background with ocean gradient").

Controls available in SeedDream 4.0’s UI typically include: resolution presets (up to 4K), aspect ratio options, prompt/edit strength, and batch input/output for faster workflows. Start at medium resolution to validate composition, then scale to 4K for final assets.

Use structured, photography-aware prompts for consistent results.

1) Product E‑commerce Shot

• Prompt: "Minimalist 3/4 product shot of a matte black insulated bottle on seamless white background, softbox key light, rim light, ultra sharp, 4K"
• Sizes: 1:1 or 3:2 for PDP hero
• Tip: Keep brand text short; add long copy during design.

2) Lifestyle Social Image

• Prompt: "Candid photo of a trail runner carrying a stainless bottle, golden hour, backlit dust, 85mm lens bokeh, editorial style"
• Sizes: 1080×1350 portrait or 1200×1200 square

3) Prompt‑Based Edit (Background Swap)

• Upload base product photo → Edit prompt: "Replace background with ocean‑blue gradient, soft vignette, maintain natural shadows"

4) Creative Concept Board

• Prompt: "Moody light setup, reflective acrylic surface, ocean‑blue gradient backdrop, high contrast, cinematic"
• Iterate until the vibe is right, then upscale to 4K.

• Determinism: Lock a seed once you like a look to reproduce a family of consistent assets.
• Throughput: Parallelize multiple predictions with a rate limit buffer (e.g., 1–2s) to avoid throttling.
• Storage: Download result URLs to durable storage (S3/GCS) and serve via CDN.
• Costs & Latency: Higher resolutions and batches increase latency/cost. Start small; scale selectively.
• Safety: Filter prompts/outputs to protect brand guidelines (e.g., NSFW screening before publishing).
• Observability: Log prompts, seeds, params, and output URLs for audits and exact regeneration.

• Washed-out colors: Reduce guidance_scale and specify color palette (HEX) in the prompt.
• Text artifacts: Keep text minimal; render longer copy in design tools.
• Inconsistent compositions: Add camera and lighting constraints (e.g., 85mm lens, softbox key light, top-down).
• Time-outs: Retry with exponential backoff and smaller dimensions; queue jobs if you saturate concurrency.
• Version drift: Pin a specific model version if Replicate exposes one; upgrade deliberately after QA.