Nano Banana 2.1
Also known as Gemini Nano Banana 2.1
Nano Banana 2.1 is a text-to-image and image editing model from Google, built for fast, high-quality generation and natural-language editing. It generates 1K, 2K, or 4K images from a text prompt, and supports prompt-guided edits and multi-image compositing from up to 8 reference images, with optional thinking and web search.
See more
Nano Banana 2.1 is a text-to-image and image editing model from Google, built for fast, high-quality generation and natural-language editing. It generates 1K, 2K, or 4K images from a text prompt, and supports prompt-guided edits and multi-image compositing from up to 8 reference images, with optional thinking and web search.
Connect Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or Codex to Layer’s MCP server and Nano Banana 2.1 becomes a tool your agent can reach for — it picks the parameters, runs the generation, and shows you the result in the conversation.
https://mcp.app.layer.ai/mcpAsk your agent
“Use Nano Banana 2.1 to generate 4 variations of a crystal sword icon on a transparent background.”
execute_forge({
"base_model_id": "nano-banana-2.1",
"prompt": "A crystal sword icon on a transparent background, game UI art",
"batch_size": 4,
"width": 1024,
"height": 1024
})Authenticate with a personal access token, post the model’s own form, and poll the inference until it completes. Every field below is accepted by this endpoint.
# Start the generation — returns an inference id straight away.
curl -X POST https://api.app.layer.ai/api/v2/workspaces/$WORKSPACE_ID/base-models/google-nano-banana-2-1/inferences \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $LAYER_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"prompt": "A crystal sword icon on a transparent background, game UI art"
}'
# Poll until status is "complete" — the response then carries the asset URLs.
curl https://api.app.layer.ai/api/v2/workspaces/$WORKSPACE_ID/inferences/$INFERENCE_ID \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $LAYER_TOKEN"- prompt stringrequired
- Describe what to generate, or the change to make.
- aspect_ratio enumdefault SQUARE_1K40 options
- The shape and size of the output.
- thinking_level enumdefault OFFOFF, MINIMAL, HIGH
- How much the model reasons about the prompt before generating. More is slower.
- use_web_search booleandefault false
- Let the model look things up on the web to get real subjects and facts right.
- seed integer
- The starting point for the model's randomness. The same seed and settings give the same result.
- transparency booleandefault false
- Output the subject alone, with no backdrop behind it.
- guidance_file_init_image file[]
- The image to modify
- guidance_file_reference_image file[]
- Guides the edit
- prompt_language string
- The language the prompt is written in, so it reaches the model as you meant it.
Why use Nano Banana 2.1 for image?
High-quality image generation
Nano Banana 2.1 delivers production-ready outputs with clean structure, sharp detail, and strong prompt adherence. Ideal for character art, environments, and marketing assets.
Strong prompt control
The model interprets creative instructions with high accuracy, even when switching between different styles, lighting setups, or character directions.
Clean compositions for UA
Maintains stable framing, clear silhouettes, and high focal clarity. Assets read well at mobile sizes, making it strong for UA experiments and ad creatives.
Rapid character and cosmetic ideation with strong structure
Quickly explore character poses, cosmetic ideas, and early art directions. Clean silhouettes and expressive results help teams evaluate concepts before moving to heavier models.
Fast UA creative exploration and thumbnail testing
Generate clear, high-readability frames that work well for quick A/B testing across networks. Test multiple creative angles and iterate quickly based on results.
Lightweight environment and item exploration for LiveOps
Draft environments, themed content, shop items, and event visuals in a rapid loop. Ideal for early-stage direction setting before committing to final polish.
FAQ
How much does Nano Banana 2.1 cost? Is it free?+
How does Layer's pricing work?+
There are no seat fees, feature gates, or plans on Layer. Instead, our platform uses a consumption based system with Creative Units (CUs) with a flexible monthly subscription. Every generation on Layer (image, video, 3D, or audio) consumes a Creative Unit, and you only pay for what you create.
Other image models on Layer
Gemini 3.1 Flash Image
Google's fast, high-quality image generation model with multimodal reasoning.
Gemini 3 Pro Image
Google's state-of-the-art image generation and editing model.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite Image
Google's fastest, most cost-efficient Gemini image generation model.
PATINA Tileable 1.0
fal
Tileable PBR materials from a prompt or a photo: texture plus base color, normal, roughness, metalness and height.
Ideogram Layerize Text 3.0
Ideogram
Split a flat graphic into a clean background and live text layers.
PATINA 1.0
fal
Read a texture's base color, normal, roughness, metalness and height maps, packed for any game engine.