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Question

Should I regenerate an image or edit it?

Edit when the image is mostly right and one or two things are wrong; regenerate when the composition, subject or style is wrong. An edit keeps what already works, while a new generation starts the whole image over and can lose it.

OpenAI's prompting guide recommends refining one thing at a time and inspecting the result, which is the editing route. When an image needs many changes at once, a rewritten prompt is often simpler than a long chain of edits.

In ImageQuarry both routes stay in one project: a new generation and an edited version sit side by side, so you can compare before you choose.

SituationBetter choice
Lighting, background or one object is offEdit
Text or a small detail is wrongEdit, naming only that detail
The layout or pose is wrongRegenerate, or edit an earlier version
The style or subject is wrongRegenerate with a rewritten prompt
Several rounds of edits have driftedReturn to the last good version

Sources: OpenAI image prompting guide; ImageQuarry homepage. Checked October 20, 2026. The table is editorial guidance.

Next step

When should I start over instead of editing again?Signs that a fresh start beats another edit.Read more

Related questions

What are image variations in AI?Alternative results for the same request, side by side.Read more Can I edit an earlier version instead of the latest one?Yes. Branch from it and the later versions stay.Read more When should I start over instead of editing again?When the subject, layout or style is wrong.Read more Can you edit a photo by describing the change in words?Yes. Say what to change and what to keep.Read more

Last reviewed October 20, 2026 by ImageQuarry

Create an image. Edit it with words. Keep refining.

Keep what works, change what does not

Edit the parts that are off in plain words, or generate again, and keep both results in one ImageQuarry project.

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