OpenRouter Image Generation: A Code-First API Tutorial

Adding image generation to an app gets harder when you need to support more than one provider. Dozens of image models across many providers use different endpoints, data formats, controls, and billing models, with charges calculated per image, megapixel, or token. We address this integration problem with a dedicated Image generation API that uses one request format and one key across supported models. One API and one key reach supported image models through POST /api/v1/images. Buffered responses place the generated image in data[0].b64_json, which you decode and save locally. Compatible models accept an optional reference image through input_references. In this guide, you’ll build runnable Python and JavaScript flows that send a prompt, decode and…