How to Use Nano Banana to Edit Images like a Pro (with prompts)

Updated: 30 August 2025 (AEST)

Editing with Nano Banana hero

Nano Banana (Google/DeepMind's Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is phenomenal for identity-preserving edits, multi-image fusion, and fast, iterative refinements. This guide walks you through pro-level editing workflows — with NightCafe as the fastest way to get started: NightCafe — Nano Banana

What you'll learn

  • A reliable end-to-end editing flow (load image → protect identity → refine → export)
  • Seven pro workflows: background swaps, product clean-ups, portrait grading, text-on-image, localized edits, multi-image fusion, and consistency across a series
  • Battle-tested prompt templates you can paste in and tweak
  • A compact troubleshooting and ethics & watermarking checklist

Note: UI labels vary by platform and over time. The steps below use neutral terms like Mask, Protect/Erase, Refine, and Variations so you can follow along in NightCafe or any other Nano Banana interface.

Quick start (5 minutes)

  1. Open Nano Banana on NightCafe — Go to NightCafe — Nano Banana and choose Edit an image (or similar).
  2. Upload your reference photo — Portrait, product, or scene — higher quality inputs yield better edits.
  3. Pick your goal — Examples: "keep the person, change the background," "clean up a product," "subtle color grade," "replace sky."
  4. Protect identity & critical details — Use the Mask/Protect brush over faces, logos, labels, or materials you must not alter.
  5. Write a precise prompt — Tell Nano Banana what to change and what to preserve (templates below).
  6. Generate → Review → Refine — Use short follow-ups ("warmer light," "wider shot," "reduce saturation 10%"). Branch with Variations before big changes.
  7. Export — Download the final; upscale if you need print-ready results.

Core principles (that actually matter)

  • Protect first, then direct. Mask identities and critical textures before asking for changes.
  • One nudge at a time. Smaller, sequential refinements beat one mega-prompt.
  • Describe light and material truthfully. "Soft rim light from camera-right; glossy label; matte bottle" produces believable results.
  • Lock typography. For text tasks, specify exact wording, case, line breaks, hierarchy, and alignment.
  • Branch often. Save strong candidates as Variations so you can compare and roll back.

Pro workflows & prompt templates

Below, each workflow includes (a) what to mask, (b) how to prompt, and (c) refinement nudges you can chain in NightCafe.

1) Identity-preserving background swap (portraits)

Mask: face, hair, hands, unique clothing features (logos/patterns).

Base prompt:

Keep the same person and clothing exactly. Replace background with a golden-hour city skyline. Soft rim light around hair; shallow depth of field; natural skin tones; realistic bokeh.

Fast refinements:

Shift time to blue hour; cooler white balance. Slightly wider framing; keep face untouched.

2) Product clean-up & relight (e-commerce)

Mask: brand label, embossed logos, edges you must preserve.

Base prompt:

Clean studio product photo on seamless white. Remove dust, fingerprints, and micro-scratches. Preserve label typography exactly; correct perspective; crisp but natural specular highlights.

Refinements:

Subtle top-down softbox look. Reduce hotspot intensity 20%.

3) Localized retouching (object/blemish removal)

Mask: everything except the area to change (use an Erase mask over the flaw).

Base prompt:

Remove the circled distraction and reconstruct background naturally. Match adjacent color, grain, and lighting. No over-smoothing.

Refinements:

Blend grain to match surrounding. Restore subtle texture; avoid plastic skin.

4) Color grading & mood (portraits or scenes)

Mask: optional — protect skin or product labels if needed.

Base prompt:

Apply a natural cinematic grade: gentle S-curve contrast, warm midtones, cool shadows, skin-tone–preserving. Keep details and texture; no haloing.

Refinements:

Lift shadows slightly; maintain contrast. Reduce saturation by 10%; keep skin neutral.

5) Multi-image fusion (subject + environment)

Inputs: (A) subject reference, (B) environment reference.
Mask: protect subject face/hair/clothing details that must remain.

Base prompt:

Place the subject from Reference A into the scene from Reference B. Consistent lighting and perspective; realistic contact shadows/reflections. Do not alter the subject's identity or clothing.

Refinements:

Match white balance to environment. Add subtle ground shadow; keep shoe texture.

6) Text-on-image (posters, signage, UIs)

Mask: protect background art if you're only changing text.

Base prompt:

Design a poster headline: "NANO BANANA" with subhead "Gemini 2.5 Flash Image". Use modern grotesk; uppercase headline; 1.1x tracking; left-aligned grid with 12-pt baseline. High contrast black/white with small yellow accent block.

Refinements:

Tighten kerning slightly; align subhead to baseline grid. Increase hierarchy contrast; larger headline, smaller subhead.

7) Consistent character across angles (lookbooks & storyboards)

Mask: protect face features on each panel.

Base prompt:

Create a 2x2 character sheet of the SAME person: front, three-quarter, profile, back. Auburn wavy hair, light freckles, rectangular glasses, blue denim jacket. Neutral studio background; keep identity identical across all views.

Refinements:

Unify lighting direction across all panels. Slightly soften specular hotspots on glasses.

Advanced tips for power users

  • Describe lenses & light. "35mm equivalent, f/2.8, key light 45° camera-left, softbox look" helps realism.
  • Texture words matter. Use "satin," "matte," "anodized," "brushed steel," "linen," "paper grain."
  • Constrain changes. Add "do not alter [X]" clauses to protect identity, labels, or brand colors.
  • Iterate with deltas. Prefer "+10% contrast," "-5% saturation" to wholesale restyles.
  • Branch with intent. Keep one "safe" version and one "bold" version at each milestone.

Ready-to-paste prompts for your article images

Generate these with Nano Banana on NightCafe and drop them in as illustrative figures.

A) Hero image (conceptual)

Editorial hero visual for "Editing like a Pro with Nano Banana": a banana-yellow prism morphing into a camera aperture. Minimal studio lighting, shallow DOF, subtle Google-adjacent palette, negative space for headline, 16:9.

B) Identity-safe portrait edit (before/after set)

Keep the same person exactly; replace background with soft sunset city. Natural skin, hair detail preserved, gentle rim light; 4:5.

C) Product clean-up (macro)

Stainless bottle on white sweep; remove dust/fingerprints; preserve label typography exactly. Controlled specular highlights; crisp edges; 1:1.

D) Localized object removal (street scene)

Remove the circled trash bin; reconstruct wall and sidewalk realistically. Match grain and light; no cloning artifacts; 3:2.

E) Text layout sample (poster)

Poster text: "NANO BANANA" (headline) / "Edit images like a pro" (subhead). Modern grotesk, grid-aligned, high contrast B/W with small yellow accent; print-ready A3.

F) Character consistency grid

2x2 grid of the SAME character across front, 3/4, profile, back. Keep identity and hair details identical; neutral studio, soft key light.

Export & hand-off checklist

  • Resolution & aspect: generate close to your target aspect; upscale only once at the end.
  • Color space: export sRGB for web; embed profile for print.
  • Compression: PNG for transparency/UI; high-quality JPEG/WebP for photos.
  • Compare variants: line them up and pick the most believable result (edges, shadows, hands, text).
  • Provenance: understand that Nano Banana outputs may include invisible watermarking; keep originals for auditability.

Troubleshooting (fast fixes)

  • Face looks different → Increase protection mask size; add "keep the same face identity and proportions."
  • Plastic skin / over-smooth → Add "retain natural skin texture and pores; avoid plastic look."
  • Label warping → Hard-mask the label area; include "preserve label geometry, no warping."
  • Lighting mismatch in composites → "Match color temperature and direction to environment; add subtle contact shadows."
  • Text spacing off → Specify kerning/tracking, alignment, and exact line breaks.

Where to use Nano Banana

NightCafe (comprehensive platform for hobbyists): creator.nightcafe.studio/nano-banana-ai

Also available in other Gemini surfaces and enterprise stacks, but NightCafe gives you a friendly editor, variations, and an easy place to benchmark.