Editing is where Seedream 4.5 — ByteDance's flagship image model, now joined by the newer Seedream 5.0 Pro (released July 8, 2026) — pulls ahead of the pack. It edits a single image in Edit mode, fuses up to about six references into one photo, and holds faces, clothing, and product shapes faithful to whatever reference you feed it. Every prompt below is written as plain descriptive English, because Seedream reads sentences, not comma-separated tags, and has no --flags.

They all follow the same editing pattern — Action + Object + Attributes — and each spells out what to keep identical (pose, lighting, face, background) and what to change. For multi-image prompts, every reference gets a labeled role, in the order that works best: identity first, then style, then palette, then material or layout. New to the model? Start with the best Seedream prompts roundup and the Seedream portrait prompts, and read how to prompt Seedream for photorealism for the lighting and skin language these edits lean on.

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Background swaps & scenes

Put the same subject in a new place. Keep the person and their lighting on the subject fixed; change only the environment behind them, and match the new light direction so the composite reads as one photo.

1. Studio-to-street background swap

Using the supplied photo, replace only the plain studio backdrop with a sunlit European cobblestone street with soft bokeh shopfronts behind the subject. Keep the person, their pose, facial features, hair, outfit, and the soft key light on their face exactly the same. Match the new background's warm afternoon light direction to the existing shadows so it reads as one natural photograph. 4:5 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Best for: lifting a studio portrait into a lifestyle context without a reshoot.

2. Golden-hour beach backdrop

Take the attached portrait and change only the background to a wide golden-hour beach with gentle waves and a warm hazy horizon. Preserve the subject's face, expression, skin tone, clothing, and body position precisely. Add soft warm rim light along the subject's hair and shoulders to sit them in the new scene, but do not alter their features or pose. 3:2 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Best for: travel and lifestyle looks from an indoor shot.

3. Clean e-commerce white sweep

From the provided product photo, replace the cluttered background with a seamless pure-white studio sweep and a soft natural contact shadow beneath the product. Keep the product's shape, label text, color, material, and reflections exactly as in the original. Do not change the product's angle or crop; only the background and floor shadow should change. 1:1 square, 4K resolution.

Best for: turning a messy shot into a marketplace-ready listing image.

4. Cozy café scene replacement

Using the supplied image, swap the background for a warm, blurred café interior with hanging pendant lights and a wooden counter out of focus. Keep the subject, their pose, gaze, clothing, and the existing soft window light on their face identical. Blend the new warm ambient tones into the background only, leaving the subject's color and exposure unchanged. 4:5 aspect ratio, 2K resolution.

Why it works: naming the new light and keeping the subject's exposure fixed prevents the classic pasted-in look.

Object add / remove / replace

Surgical changes to one element. State the Action, the Object, and its Attributes, then lock everything else — the model only touches what you name.

5. Remove background clutter

In the attached photo, remove the parked cars, trash bin, and power lines from the background and rebuild the wall and pavement behind them cleanly. Keep the subject, their pose, the foreground, the lighting, and the overall composition exactly the same. Reconstruct the erased areas so textures and perspective match the surrounding scene seamlessly.

Best for: cleaning distractions out of a strong shot you don't want to reframe.

6. Delete a person from the frame

Using the supplied image, remove the second person on the right and fill the space with a natural continuation of the beach and sky behind them. Keep the main subject's face, pose, clothing, and the existing lighting completely unchanged. Match sand texture, wave lines, and horizon so the repaired area is invisible.

Best for: saving a photo where one person needs to go.

7. Add a prop to the scene

In the attached photo, add a steaming white ceramic coffee cup on the table in front of the subject's right hand, casting a soft shadow consistent with the room's light. Keep the subject, the table, the background, and all existing lighting identical. The new cup should match the scene's warm color temperature and camera angle so it looks like it was always there.

Why it works: tying the new object's shadow and color temperature to the existing light is what sells the addition.

8. Swap the product on the table

Use image 1 as the base scene and image 2 for the replacement product. Replace the water bottle on the table in image 1 with the skincare bottle from image 2, keeping image 2's label text, cap color, and glass shape exact. Preserve image 1's table, background, hands, and lighting completely, and match the new bottle's reflections and shadow to the scene. 4:5 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Best for: dropping a real product into an existing lifestyle set.

Outfit, hair & color changes

Recolor and restyle a subject while their identity stays locked. Always name the face and pose in the keep-list so the person doesn't drift.

9. Change jacket color only

In the supplied photo, change only the subject's jacket to bright red leather with a subtle sheen. Keep the face, hair, pose, background, and all lighting exactly the same, and preserve the natural fabric folds and how the light falls across the jacket. Do not alter any other clothing, skin, or the scene.

Best for: fast color variants of the same outfit shot.

10. Restyle the outfit entirely

Using the attached portrait, replace the subject's casual t-shirt with a tailored charcoal blazer over a crisp white shirt, fitted naturally to their posture. Keep the face, hairline, skin texture, pose, and background identical, and match the studio lighting so the new fabric drapes and shades realistically. Change only the clothing on the upper body. 4:5 aspect ratio, 2K resolution.

Best for: upgrading a casual snapshot into a professional headshot.

11. Change hair color and length

In the supplied photo, change the subject's hair to a shoulder-length warm copper style with soft natural waves. Keep the face, features, expression, skin, clothing, and background exactly the same. Ensure the new hair casts realistic soft shadows on the shoulders and matches the existing light direction, and do not change the hairline shape near the face.

Why it works: locking the hairline and features keeps the person recognizable through a big hair change.

12. Recolor the whole wardrobe palette

Using the attached full-length photo, recolor the entire outfit to a monochrome sage-green palette while keeping each garment's fabric texture, folds, and highlights intact. Keep the face, hair, pose, background, and lighting unchanged. Only the clothing hue should shift; shadows and material realism must stay natural. 2:3 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Best for: testing a brand color story on an existing lookbook frame.

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Retouch & restoration

Repair and clean without erasing what makes a photo real. Preserve texture and identity; fix only the damage or blemish you describe.

13. Skin retouch, keep texture

In the supplied portrait, gently reduce temporary blemishes and even the skin tone while keeping natural pores, fine lines, and skin texture fully visible. Keep the face shape, features, expression, hair, clothing, lighting, and background identical. Do not smooth the skin into plastic; the result should look like a real, well-lit photograph. 4:5 aspect ratio, 2K resolution.

Why it works: explicitly protecting pores and lines stops Seedream from over-smoothing into an artificial look.

14. Restore a faded old photo

Restore the attached faded vintage photograph: remove dust, creases, and yellowing, recover lost contrast, and sharpen soft detail. Keep the original composition, every face, expression, clothing, and the era's authentic look exactly as they are — do not add or invent new features. Rebuild only damaged areas to match the surrounding grain and tone. 4K resolution.

Best for: reviving a family scan without changing who is in it.

15. Colorize a black-and-white portrait

Colorize the supplied black-and-white portrait with natural, period-accurate tones: realistic skin, believable hair color, and muted clothing hues true to the era. Keep the composition, facial features, expression, and every detail identical; add only color, never new content. Preserve the original film grain and lighting so it stays authentic. 4K resolution.

Best for: bringing an archival portrait to life while staying faithful.

16. Remove scratches and tears

In the attached damaged photo, repair the vertical tear across the left side and remove the white scratches and stains, reconstructing the missing image content to match the surrounding detail, texture, and perspective. Keep all faces, poses, clothing, background, and the original tonality exactly the same. Do not stylize or modernize the image. 4K resolution.

Why it works: asking it to match surrounding detail keeps reconstruction plausible instead of invented.

Style & era transforms

Reinterpret a photo's whole look. State the target style and grade, and keep the subject's identity and composition intact underneath it.

17. 1970s film-era transform

Transform the supplied photo into a 1970s film-era look: warm faded colors, soft golden cast, gentle halation on highlights, and fine analog grain. Keep the subject's face, pose, clothing shapes, and composition identical; change only the color grade and film texture. The result should feel shot on vintage 35mm stock, not repainted. 3:2 aspect ratio, 2K resolution.

Best for: a nostalgic grade on a modern portrait.

18. Cinematic teal-and-orange grade

Regrade the attached image with a cinematic teal-and-orange color palette: warm skin tones against cool teal shadows, deep contrast, and a subtle filmic bloom. Keep the subject, pose, background, and composition exactly the same; adjust only color and contrast. Maintain natural skin and avoid crushing detail in the shadows. 21:9 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Best for: giving a flat frame a movie-poster mood.

19. Watercolor illustration transform

Reinterpret the supplied portrait as a soft watercolor illustration with visible paper texture, bleeding edges, and a limited pastel palette. Keep the subject recognizable — same face structure, pose, and composition — while rendering everything in loose painted washes. The likeness should stay clear beneath the illustrative style. 4:5 aspect ratio, 2K resolution.

Why it works: asking to keep the face structure recognizable stops a style transform from losing the person.

Multi-image fusion (product + model + scene)

Composite several references into one photo. Label each reference's role in identity-then-style-then-palette order, and name exactly what to carry from each.

20. Product on model, new scene fusion

Fuse three references into one photo. Use image 1 for the product — keep its label, cap color, and bottle silhouette exact. Use image 2 for the model — keep her face, skin tone, and hair identical. Use image 3 for the background scene — a sunlit marble bathroom. Place the product naturally in the model's hand, match lighting across all three, and blend into a single believable image. 4:5 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Best for: a hero shot pairing a real product with a real model in a chosen set.

21. Face swap onto styled body

Combine two references. Use image 1 for the identity — keep the face, skin texture, and hairline exactly. Use image 2 for the body, outfit, and pose. Place the face from image 1 onto the figure in image 2 with correct perspective, matching skin tone and the scene's lighting so the join is seamless. Do not restyle the features from image 1. 2:3 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Why it works: putting identity first and forbidding restyling is what keeps the face faithful in a swap.

22. Three-reference brand campaign key visual

Build one campaign key visual from four references, in this order: image 1 for the product (keep its exact shape and label), image 2 for the model's face and identity, image 3 for the wardrobe style, and image 4 for the color palette and mood. Compose a clean editorial studio shot, keep the face and product faithful, and apply image 4's palette only to the grade and set. 4:5 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Best for: assembling a controlled brand image from separate identity, style, and palette refs.

Consistent character & product sets

Reference-faithful editing is how you keep a character or product on-model across a batch. Feed the same identity reference into every generation and vary only the scene.

23. Consistent character set across shots

Using image 1 as the fixed character reference, generate the same person in a new scene: seated at an outdoor café table, holding a book, soft morning light. Keep her face, skin texture, hairstyle, and body proportions from image 1 exactly identical so she stays on-model across the set. Change only the environment, pose, and lighting. Keep a consistent editorial photographic style. 4:5 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Best for: building a repeatable character for a storyboard, catalog, or brand mascot.

Run the same prompt with a new scene each time — same reference, different environment — and Seedream holds the character steady. The best Seedream prompts roundup collects more consistency-first setups.

Upscale & relight

Push a finished frame to print resolution and change its light without redoing the shot. Preserve identity and composition; add only detail and lighting.

24. Upscale and relight to 4K

Upscale the attached portrait to crisp 4K, recovering fine detail in the eyes, hair, and fabric without over-sharpening. Relight the scene with soft Rembrandt key light from the left and a gentle rim light, keeping the face, pose, outfit, and background composition exactly the same. The relight should feel natural, not painted on. 4:5 aspect ratio, 4K resolution.

Why it works: pairing an upscale with a described relight upgrades resolution and mood in one pass while the subject stays put.

Once your edits are dialed in, keep the photorealism guide nearby for the skin and lighting language, and browse the portrait prompts for identity-first setups you can feed straight into these fusion and consistency workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many reference images can I use in one Seedream prompt?

Seedream 4.5 accepts text, a single image, or up to about six reference images in one prompt. Label what each one is for so the model does not blend them — for example, "use image 1 for the product, image 2 for the model's face, image 3 for the background." A reliable reference order is identity first, then style, then palette, then material or layout, because elements named earlier get priority.

How do I keep a face consistent across edits in Seedream?

Supply a clear reference photo of the face and tell Seedream to preserve it word-for-word: "keep the face, skin texture, and hairline from image 1 identical; do not restyle the features." Reference-faithful editing is what lets Seedream hold a face steady across a set, so feed the same identity image into every generation and only change the scene, outfit, or lighting around it.

Should I edit an existing image or regenerate from scratch?

Edit when the image is already about 80 percent right — a background swap, a color change, or one removed object. Edit mode keeps everything you already like and changes only what you name, using the Action + Object + Attributes pattern. Regenerate only when the composition itself is wrong, because a fresh render loses the pose, lighting, and framing you were happy with.

What is the Action plus Object plus Attributes editing pattern?

It is Seedream's editing formula: state the Action (change, remove, add, recolor), the Object (the jacket, the background, the coffee cup), and the Attributes (bright red leather, matte finish). Then explicitly list what must stay identical — pose, lighting, face, and background — so the model only touches the one thing you named and leaves the rest of the photo untouched.

Can Seedream restore and colorize old photos?

Yes. Feed the damaged scan as your reference and describe the repair: remove scratches, creases, and dust, rebuild missing detail, and colorize with natural, period-accurate tones. Tell it to keep the original composition, faces, and expressions unchanged so restoration does not invent new features. Ask for 4K output when you plan to print the restored image.

How do I fuse a product, a model, and a scene into one image?

Give Seedream up to three references and assign each a role: "use image 1 for the product, keep its label and shape exact; use image 2 for the model, keep the face and skin from it; use image 3 for the background scene." Multi-image fusion composites them into one photo, so state the aspect ratio and 4K when you want a finished, print-ready key visual.

Does Seedream keep clothing and product details faithful to the reference?

Reference-faithful editing preserves faces, clothing, logos, and product shapes when you supply a clean reference and instruct it to hold those details. Name the parts that matter — "keep the label text, cap color, and bottle silhouette from image 1 exactly" — and Seedream carries them through the edit, which is how you build consistent character and product sets across a campaign.

Do I need to set an aspect ratio and resolution when editing?

For a pure edit that keeps the original frame, you usually do not need to. State an aspect ratio and 2K or 4K whenever the edit produces a full new render — a fused key visual, a re-scened product shot, or an upscale — because that is when Seedream is composing a fresh canvas. Write it in plain words, such as "4:5 aspect ratio, 4K resolution."

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