Seedream 5.5 is ByteDance’s image-generation and editing model, now available in ChatCut, with upgrades to multi-turn editing, native transparency, realism and small text. ByteDance released it on November 9, 2026, and this guide walks through the upgrades and a ChatCut workflow from a starting image through four revisions to a video overlay. Official release announcement
Key Takeaways
- Feed each approved image into the next edit and compare the details you want to preserve.
- Check a transparent asset’s alpha channel and preview its edges over light and dark footage.
- Give the model exact menu or label copy, then proofread the result at its final viewing size.
- In ChatCut, generate the still, refine it and place the accepted asset in the same video project.
What’s new in Seedream 5.5?
1. More stable multi-turn editing
ByteDance demonstrates 100 successive edits, with each output becoming the next input, and describes improved preservation of areas outside the requested change. Its launch demonstration gives us a useful task to reproduce on a smaller scale. Official editing demonstration
Use the following exercise to check a portrait through four revisions. Keep the endpoint and output settings fixed throughout. Compare each image with both its immediate input and the starting image, focusing on her face, pose, framing, shadow and reserved headline area.
The images below are Seedream 5.5 results from ChatCut. Each round used the previous round’s output as its only reference image, at 1.5K and 16:9 throughout. For your own run, select Seedream 5.5 and check the available size, aspect ratio and credit estimate before generating, then keep those settings consistent across revisions.
Starting image · P01
Inspect her face, hands and the shadow on the wall before accepting the starting image.
In this result, she sits left of center on the white step with a pair of sunglasses hooked on her top, her hard shadow falls across the blue wall, and the right third of the wall is clear for a headline.
Round 1 · Recolor the suit · P02
Use portrait-base as the input.
Compare her face, pose, crop and wall color with the starting image.
In this result, the suit turns tomato red while her face, pose, the sunglasses on her top, the white step, the blue wall and her shadow stay where they were; the framing matches the starting image.
Round 2 · Add a sun hat · P03
Use portrait-edit-01, the accepted output of round 1, as the input.
Check the hat’s fit and her face, suit color, scale and position.
In this result, a natural straw hat sits on her head and her shadow on the wall now includes the brim; the red suit, pose, sunglasses, step and framing are unchanged from round 1.
Round 3 · Add a lemon tree · P04
Use portrait-edit-02 as the input.
Inspect where the pot meets the step and compare her pose and hat with round 2.
In this result, a terracotta pot with a small fruiting lemon tree sits on the upper step on the viewer’s left, casting a soft shadow on the wall. Her suit, pose and the empty wall on the right carry over from round 2, though the hat’s brim is a little narrower.
Round 4 · Recolor the wall · P05
Use portrait-edit-03 as the input.
Compare her face and pose with the baseline and check whether the hat and lemon tree survived the final revision.
In this result, the wall turns mint green while the red suit, hat, lemon tree, step and shadows stay in place. Compared with the starting image, her face, pose, position and the framing are unchanged after four rounds.
For more starting briefs, use our Seedream 5.5 prompts.
2. Native transparent assets
Seedream 5.5 supports native RGBA generation, including full and partial transparency. An alpha channel lets footage show through around a sticker and through softer details such as steam. The official gallery includes cutouts and reusable graphic elements. Seedream 5.5 model showcase
For the video exercise, use P06 to request a separate sun sticker with a transparent background. Check the available background options before generating, then inspect the downloaded file’s format and alpha channel before using it as an overlay.
Place the file over a dark surface and a light surface. Inspect the soft glow, the gaps between the rays and the outer paper edge, then use the accepted asset in step 3 below.
In this result, the PNG has a real alpha channel: the background is fully transparent, the paper rays have clean edges, and the warm glow around the sun fades out through partial transparency, so it sits over dark and light footage without a box.
3. More realistic images and clearer small text
The release also targets more natural lighting, materials and skin texture, along with clearer dense text and complex characters. Use the following briefs to inspect material detail, highlight transitions and exact copy. Official quality and text examples
Photographic detail · P07
Her face, hands, linen shirt and the peach put several materials under the same sunlight. Inspect highlight transitions, hand anatomy and the boundary between skin and fruit.
In this result, sunlight picks out freckles and fine lines on her face, the peach shows a soft fuzz and red blush, and both hands, one holding the peach and one resting on the crate, look natural.
Small-text menu · P08
Use supplied copy so every line can be checked against the prompt. The menu is a fictional design exercise. Check the headline, section order, item descriptions and footer at full size, then preview the image at the size it will occupy in your video.
In this result, all nine supplied lines are spelled correctly and in the requested order, with the item lines left-aligned and a small lemon drawing below the hours. The model also added a large drink illustration and a lemon branch that the prompt did not ask for, and set the hours across two lines.
Keep frequently revised wording, such as captions or promotional offers, in the editor’s text layers so you can update it directly.
Seedream 5.5 vs 5.0 Pro at a glance
Seedream 5.0 Pro already offered localized editing, dense layouts, multilingual text and layer separation with transparent layers. The table summarizes how the newer release develops those capabilities. 5.0 Pro announcement, 5.5 announcement
| Area | Seedream 5.0 Pro | Seedream 5.5 | What to check in your project |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeated revisions | Position-aware, localized edits | Greater emphasis on stability through successive edits | Compare framing, color and untouched details after each revision |
| Transparent assets | Layer separation with transparent outputs | Native RGBA generation of standalone assets | Inspect the delivered alpha channel and soft edges |
| Text and layouts | Dense information design and multilingual text | Refinements to small text and complex character shapes | Proofread every supplied line at delivery size |
| Photographic detail | Realistic lighting, materials and portraits | Further refinement of texture and highlight rendering | Inspect skin, fabric, ceramics and shadows |
For an output comparison, use identical prompts, reference files, output dimensions and matching settings, then review the originals side by side. The connected exercise above specifies a single-model revision chain. Our Seedream 5.5 vs Seedream 5.0 Pro guide covers the version comparison in more detail, and the Seedream model guide explains the family.
How to use Seedream 5.5 in ChatCut
1. Generate the starting image
Open a ChatCut project and ask the Agent to generate an image using Seedream 5.5. Use P01 for the revision exercise. If the image needs to match an existing product, attach its reference through + or reference a project asset with @. Generated images are saved in My Assets. ChatCut image-generation guide
Pick Seedream 5.5 in the model menu and review the available settings and credit estimate before you generate.
| Setting to check | Seedream 5.5 in ChatCut |
|---|---|
| Output size | Choose from the sizes shown for the selected model; check the delivered image dimensions after generation |
| Aspect ratio | Choose an available ratio that fits your composition and keep it consistent across edits |
| Background and file | Check the available background controls; inspect the downloaded format and alpha channel if you need transparency |
| Reference image | Attach the latest approved image as the reference for the next edit and review the request before sending |
| Access and credits | Check the access options shown for your account and the current credit estimate for each generation or edit |
Review the request’s credit estimate before sending. After completion, open Credits history → Detail for the actual charge. ChatCut generation credits
2. Edit the latest approved result
Reference the accepted P01 result and run P02. Continue with P03, P04 and P05, attaching the immediately preceding accepted output each time. Save the versions you approve so you can return to an earlier point when a change needs another attempt. The general reference-and-revise workflow is documented in ChatCut’s image guide. Image generation and revisions
After each round, compare your result with its input and the baseline before feeding it forward. Keep a short record of each prompt and its input and output filenames or asset identifiers. Retain every approved version so you can attach an earlier image if a later edit drifts.
3. Layer a transparent asset into your video
Use P06 to request a transparent asset, check the available background controls before generating, then inspect the returned file’s alpha channel. Put your footage on V1 and drag the accepted sticker from My Assets onto V2 above it. Adjust the sticker’s scale, position and duration, leaving room for the subject and captions. Preview across moving footage, export, and open the exported file to check its edges. How to add an image to a video
For an end-to-end transparency check, confirm that the downloaded source has an alpha channel, preview the imported asset over both light and dark footage, then inspect the exported video for halos, solid backgrounds and damaged edges. The example above kept clean edges and a soft glow in its alpha channel; run the same checks on every asset you use.
You can also use the accepted campaign still as a first frame for a new moving shot. In Video Gen, choose a supported frame-input mode, add the still and describe the camera or subject movement, then bring the returned clip onto the timeline. Continue with captions, voiceover and music in the project. Supported model choices include Kling 4.0 and Seedance 2.5. Follow the image-to-video workflow and AI video prompts guide for motion briefs.
Seedream 5.5 limitations and checks
| Check | Practical action |
|---|---|
| Revision drift | Compare each new output with its input and baseline, including details outside the requested edit |
| Transparency delivery | Inspect the downloaded alpha channel, then the overlay in the exported video |
| Text accuracy | Proofread wording and layout at the final viewing size, including small captions |
| Output settings | Confirm the selected endpoint’s controls and inspect the delivered pixel dimensions |
| Credits and retries | Check the estimate for each generation or edit, then the completed transaction |
| Motion consistency | Review the generated video’s moving edges, object identity and final frame as a separate production step |
ByteDance’s long editing demonstration and internal evaluations give useful starting questions for your own tests. For production decisions, judge your actual outputs against the brief and record the settings used. Official release and evaluations
If your project already uses GPT Image 2.6, include the same brief when choosing an image model. ChatCut positions Flare for everyday drafts and Sunburst for precise edits and dense layouts. See the GPT Image 2.6 model page and our Seedream, Nano Banana and GPT Image comparison.
