Chinese text, done right
Hanzi on menus, signs and scrolls come out as real characters, next to correct English. Our chef's board and the calligrapher's 福 both did.
Qwen Image · by Alibaba
Qwen Image AI image generator
Qwen Image is Alibaba's image model family, known above all for writing Chinese characters and English text correctly in the same picture, from menu boards to calligraphy, around natural-looking people. Describe an image below, or add a photo to edit, and it opens in Image Studio on Qwen Image 3.
Example image
Opens in Image Studio with the model you picked. You see the price in credits before anything runs.
What Qwen Image is known for
Long, detailed prompts
Qwen Image 3 takes very long prompts, Alibaba says, and holds small text down to about 10 pixels high in a dozen languages.
Edits that keep the person
Moved from a Tokyo street to a conference stage, our vlogger kept the face, the hair and even the logo on the jacket.
An open-weights original
The first Qwen Image is open weights under Apache 2.0, and it stays on Affogato as the cheapest option in the family.
Where it's weaker
- Testers found misspellings in some languages (Korean among them) and wrong numbers in charts; check text and data before publishing.
- Qwen Image 3 is closed: no weights, licence or technical report have been published.
- On-screen text can end up hidden behind the subject; leave room in the layout for it.
- Prompt expansion is on by default and can add details you did not ask for.
- Maker
- Alibaba Qwen · Qwen Image 3 July 2026
- Versions on Affogato
- Qwen Image 3 · 2 Pro · 2 · original (+ Edit rows)
- Resolution
- Up to 2048 × 2048
- Modes
- Text to image · edit with 1–3 images
- Text
- Chinese and English, plus other languages
- Aspect ratios
- 9:16 · 3:4 · 1:1 · 4:3 · 16:9
Made with Qwen Image on Affogato
Every image below was generated with the prompt shown, unedited. Load any prompt into the generator and make your own version.
Chinese and English textA chef's menu board in Chengdu
Prompt
A young chef in a white jacket in a small Chengdu restaurant holds up a chalkboard menu that reads "麻婆豆腐" in large Chinese characters and, below it, "Mapo Tofu · House Special" in English. Steam from the kitchen, warm tungsten light, he smiles at the camera.
CalligraphyA calligrapher writing 福
Prompt
A portrait of an elderly calligrapher with a white beard writing the character "福" in black ink on red paper with a large brush, in a sunlit studio full of hanging scrolls. Shallow depth of field, real skin texture.
Creators on cameraA vlogger on a rainy Tokyo street
Prompt
Candid vertical photo of a 24-year-old creator with a short wolf-cut filming a vlog on a rainy Tokyo street at night, holding a small camera at arm's length and grinning into it. Neon reflections on wet pavement, natural skin texture, shot on a phone.
Same face, new sceneThe Tokyo vlogger, moved on stage
Prompt
Keep the exact same person from the first image: same face, haircut and smile. Now they are on stage at a tech conference, holding a microphone and presenting, a large screen glowing behind them.
Poster with a personA jazz night poster
Prompt
A concert poster featuring a jazz saxophonist in a sharp burgundy suit mid-solo under a single spotlight. The headline at the top reads "BLUE HOUR SESSIONS". Below the image: "Friday 12 December · Doors 8 PM · The Velvet Room". Bold modern typography, film-grain texture.
Fashion on a personCobalt trench in Paris
Prompt
Full-body street-style photo of a woman in her fifties with silver hair in a tailored cobalt-blue trench coat, wide cream trousers and loafers, crossing a sunlit Paris boulevard mid-stride. Framed like a fashion-week street photographer's shot.
UGC with a labelA protein shaker selfie
Prompt
UGC-style vertical selfie of a man in his twenties at a gym holding a matte black protein shaker up to the camera. The bottle reads "FORGE" and, below it, "30g PROTEIN" in bold white letters. Natural sweat, overhead gym lighting, slightly crooked phone framing.
Group photosFive friends on a rooftop
Prompt
Five friends in their twenties laughing on a rooftop at sunset, one pouring lemonade from a glass jug, string lights overhead. Candid documentary style, every face distinct and natural.
Which Qwen Image to pick
Start here
Qwen Image 3
Most images, and bilingual text
The newest Qwen: long prompts, small text, edits that keep the person. Start here.
8 credits per image
Open with Qwen Image 3Option 2
Alibaba Qwen Image
The cheapest option
August 2025, open weights under Apache 2.0. Strong on Chinese and English text for its price.
4 credits per image
Open with Alibaba Qwen ImageQwen Image 2 and Qwen Image 2 Pro (February to June 2026) are also in the studio's model menu. Credits are read from the live catalog; the Standard plan ($24/month) includes 2,000 credits, about 250 Qwen Image 3 images.
Prompting Qwen Image well
- Write Chinese or other non-Latin text in quotes exactly as it should appear, then the English below it.
- Say where text sits in the frame so the subject does not cover it.
- Use the long prompt budget for layout: what goes where, sizes, colours.
- For edits, give one change and list what stays the same.
- Turn prompt expansion off in the studio when every detail is already in your prompt.
From prompt to image
Describe the image or add a photo
Write what you want in the box at the top of this page, or start from an example. Add a photo to edit it.
Sign in and land in Image Studio
Your prompt, photo, format and the Qwen version you picked carry over. Nothing runs until you press Generate.
Check the price, then generate
The credit price shows under the Generate button before anything is spent.
Check every character
Zoom in on any text before you publish, and fix a wrong word with an edit.
Questions about Qwen Image
What is Qwen Image best at?
Writing Chinese and English text correctly in the same image, long detailed prompts, and edits that keep a person the same.
Is Qwen Image open source?
The original Qwen Image is open weights under Apache 2.0. Qwen Image 2 Pro and Qwen Image 3 are closed models.
Which Qwen Image should I use?
Qwen Image 3 for most work and anything with text. The original Qwen Image when price matters most.
Who makes Qwen Image?
Alibaba's Qwen team, which also makes the Qwen language models. Alibaba's Wan video models are on Affogato too.
Is Qwen Image free on Affogato?
No. Every image costs credits, shown before you generate. Credits come with a monthly plan and unused credits roll over up to the plan's cap.
Can I use Qwen Image images commercially?
Yes. Paid Affogato plans include a commercial license, within our terms of service.
Keep exploring
Facts checked November 15, 2026. Sources: Unite.ai: Qwen Image 3.0 launch · Build Fast with AI: Qwen Image 3 review · GIGAZINE: Qwen Image 2.0 · fal: Qwen Image 3 · fal: Qwen Image 3 Edit · Hugging Face: Qwen-Image