What is Krea 1?
Krea 1 is Krea’s own in-house AI model, and their answer to the “AI look” problem. Most AI-generated images suffer from soft textures, blown-out contrast, and a sameness to their compositions and styles that makes them instantly recognizable as artificial. Krea 1 was built specifically to fix that. It produces highly realistic, crisp textures across a wide variety of styles, drawing on deep artistic knowledge to make images that simply don’t look like AI anymore. Krea 1 is publicly available to all users. You can start generating at krea.ai/imageGetting Started
- Go to Image Generation — Navigate to krea.ai/image and select this model from the dropdown.
- Select Krea 1 — Open the model picker and choose Krea 1. It appears under Fast Models.
- Write your prompt — Describe what you want to see. Include subject, setting, mood, lighting, and style for best results.
- Choose your aspect ratio — Select the format that fits your use case: portrait, landscape, or square.
- Add style references (optional) — Upload up to 3 reference images to guide the visual style. Use the style weight slider to control their influence.
- Generate — Click Generate. Krea 1 will return up to 4 image variations in around 6 seconds.
- Iterate — Choose your best result and refine it in the Edit or Enhancer tool, or adjust your prompt and generate again.
At a Glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Speed | Fast (3/3) — one of the quickest models available |
| Generation time | ~6 seconds per batch |
| Batch size | Up to 4 images generated simultaneously |
| Native resolution | 1.5K (upscalable to 4K) |
| Credits | 6 per generation |
| LoRA support | Yes — apply custom trained styles |
| Style reference system | Yes — upload images to transfer their style to your prompt |
Overview
Krea 1 excels at artistic photorealism. Think stylized photography, editorial looks, and creative compositions that feel intentional rather than generated. It supports LoRAs, which are custom style add-ons that let you apply a specific aesthetic or character consistently across your images. It also includes a Style Reference System. Because words can be limiting when describing a visual style, you can upload a reference image and Krea 1 will transfer its style to your prompt, giving you a much more precise way to direct the output than text alone. At 6 credits per image with a ~6-second generation time, Krea 1 offers strong value for creative and professional work alike.When to Use Krea 1
| Use When | Avoid When |
|---|---|
| You want artistic, editorial, or stylized images that don’t look AI-generated | You need very precise, structured compositions with exact anatomical accuracy |
| You’re applying a custom LoRA style | You need photographic realism with no artistic interpretation |
| You want to use a reference image to define the visual style | Your prompt requires highly literal, technical output |
| You want fast results without spending many credits | |
| You’re exploring creative directions and iterating quickly |
Common Use Cases
- Product Photography: Ecommerce and marketing visuals
- Concept Art: game and film pre-production
- Architectural Visualization: photorealistic renders
- Fashion & Beauty: editorial and campaign imagery
- Stock Photography: commercial-grade image creation
Performance & Resolution
Speed
Krea 1 generates a batch of up to 4 images in approximately 6 seconds, among the fastest generation times available for a model of this quality. You’ll see a real-time preview as your image is being created.Resolution
Krea 1 supports 1.5K native resolution. For final outputs and professional work, you can upscale to 4K using Krea’s Enhancer. For rapid iteration and drafting, starting at 1K is recommended to keep generation fast and credit-efficient.Supported Aspect Ratios
| Category | Aspect Ratio | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape | 4:3 | Classic photography ratio |
| Landscape | 3:2 | Professional camera standard |
| Landscape | 16:9 | Widescreen and video format |
| Landscape | 2.35:1 | Cinematic widescreen |
| Square | 1:1 | Social media optimized |
| Portrait | 4:5 | Instagram portrait |
| Portrait | 2:3 | Standard portrait photography |
| Portrait | 9:16 | Mobile and Stories format |
Prompting Tips
Writing effective prompts
- Be specific about lighting, composition, and style — vague prompts produce generic results
- Use technical photography or art direction terms for more precise output, e.g. “shallow depth of field,” “golden hour,” “shot on 35mm”
- Combine abstract mood with concrete visual details — “melancholic, overcast afternoon, empty parking lot, muted palette” works better than “sad photo”
- Krea 1 is more creative than literal — lean into mood and atmosphere rather than rigid technical specs
Using style references
- Upload up to 3 reference images for visual style guidance
- Adjust the style weight slider to control how strongly the reference influences the output
- Try mixing different artistic styles across multiple references for unique hybrid results
Resolution tips
- Start at 1K for rapid iteration — it’s faster and uses fewer credits
- Switch to 4K for final outputs and professional deliverables
- Keep batch size and file size in mind when generating at higher resolutions