AI stock photo generator: stock-style images made to order

An AI stock photo generator makes the generic image you would otherwise search a stock library for: describe the scene the way a stock search reads (subject, setting, light, and empty space for a headline), set the aspect ratio for where it will run, and ask for several options in one call. On Sume, commercial use of the results comes with paid plans, and the terms bar submitting a person's likeness or another company's brand assets without permission.

Below is how it works with Sume's Image API and the Terms of Service, both read on 2026-09-29. This post is about images for your own site, ads, and slides; selling generated images through a stock agency depends on that agency's contributor rules, which are not covered here.

How do I write a stock photo prompt?

Write it like a caption on a stock photo, then add what the layout needs. AI image prompt examples has a general template; for stock-style images:

• Subject and action: “two coworkers reviewing a laptop screen”, “a hand holding a coffee cup”.
• Setting and time: a bright open-plan office, a kitchen at morning, a city street at dusk.
• Light and camera: soft natural light, shallow depth of field, eye-level, wide shot.
• Copy space: “empty space on the right third for text”, so a headline fits without covering the subject.
• What to leave out: “no text, no logos, no brand names”, so nothing in the frame belongs to someone else.

How do I generate stock photos with the API?

Send the prompt to POST /v1/images with a ratio and n for several options. The docs' catalog example for Seedream 4.5 lists 16:9 and an n range of 1 to 4; read each model's ranges from GET /v1/images/models.

curl -X POST "https://api.sume.com/v1/images" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SUME_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "bytedance-seed/seedream-4.5",
    "prompt": "Two coworkers reviewing a laptop screen in a bright open-plan office, soft natural window light, shallow depth of field, eye-level wide shot, empty wall space on the right third for text, no text, no logos",
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "n": 4
  }'

What sizes can I generate?

Pick the ratio from the placement, and a higher tier when the image fills a large screen or goes to print. A model only accepts the values its catalog descriptors list.

Can I use AI stock photos commercially?

On Sume, yes with a paid plan: the terms say paid plans include commercial use as described on the pricing page, and that you are responsible for reviewing outputs before publication or commercial use. AI image generator for commercial use covers the rest of the terms, including the Free plan question. This is not legal advice; other laws and your own contracts can still apply.

What can't I do with AI stock photos?

A stock library licenses a finished photo; with a generator, Sume's acceptable-use rules set what you may submit and how you may use the result:

• Don't submit likenesses or voices you don't have permission to use, such as a photo of a real person as a reference.
• Don't submit brand assets you don't have permission to use, such as another company's logo.
• Don't use the images to mislead people about the origin or authenticity of generated media, such as a generated scene presented as a photo of a real event.

How much does an AI stock photo cost?

Each completed image is billed at the model's endpoint price, the pricing line of GET /v1/images/models/{model_id}/endpoints, and cost_usd × n is what you pay, so four options cost four images. Failed or cancelled generations are not billed. Plan prices are on the pricing page.