The Problem
Last month I was working on a project that needed AI-generated images. Sometimes I needed photorealistic product shots. Sometimes logos with clean typography. Sometimes artistic renders.
Each time, I had to:
- Remember which API does what best
- Switch credentials
- Handle different response formats
- Deal with rate limits
It was inefficient. So I built something better.
The Solution: Image Gen
Image Gen is a Claude Code plugin that unifies 10 AI image generation providers into one interface.
The key insight: Different providers excel at different tasks. Instead of you choosing, Claude picks the optimal provider for each prompt automatically.
| Provider | Best For |
|---|---|
| OpenAI DALL-E 3 | General purpose, text rendering |
| BFL FLUX.2 | Photorealism, product shots, 4K |
| Stability AI | Controlled generation, img2img |
| Ideogram v3 | Typography, logos, text in images |
| Google Gemini | Multi-image composition |
| FAL | Fast iterations |
| Leonardo | Artistic renders, fantasy |
| Recraft v3 | Top ELO ranked, vector output |
| Replicate | Open source models |
| ClipDrop | Upscaling, background removal |
How It Works
When you ask Claude to generate an image, the plugin:
Analyzes the prompt - What kind of image is this?
Selects the best provider - Typography? Ideogram. Photorealism? FLUX.
Generates the image - Calls the selected API
Falls back if needed - Rate limit? Try the next best option.
Installation
In Claude Code:
/plugin marketplace add shipdeckai/claude-skills
/plugin install image-gen@shipdeckai/claude-skills```
Then configure at least one API key in your shell profile:
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export BFL_API_KEY="..."
## Why 10 Providers Matters
- **No single point of failure** - Provider down? Automatic fallback.
- **Best-in-class for every task** - Right tool for the job.
- **Future-proof** - New provider launches? Add it to the rotation.
## Open Source
The entire project is MIT licensed and open source.
- **GitHub:** [shipdeckai/claude-skills](https://github.com/shipdeckai/claude-skills)
- **Docs:** [shipdeckai.github.io/image-gen](https://shipdeckai.github.io/image-gen)
If you're using Claude Code for anything visual, give it a shot. PRs and feedback welcome.
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*What's your go-to image generation workflow? I'd love to hear how others are handling multi-provider setups.*
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