Black Forest Labs

Overview

Black Forest Labs emerged from the team that created Stable Diffusion at Stability AI. After departing in early 2024, the founders launched BFL and released FLUX.1 in August 2024, achieving immediate recognition for superior text rendering (solving SD's weakness with text in images), better prompt following, and photorealistic quality. FLUX architecture uses a hybrid approach combining diffusion transformers with flow matching, trained on a curated dataset with careful attention to licensing. The company's mission: build open and accessible AI tools while maintaining commercial viability through API services and Pro licensing.

FLUX Models (October 2025)

• FLUX.1 Schnell: Fast 4-step model, Apache 2.0 license, 1-2 sec generation, open source
• FLUX.1 Dev: High-quality 50-step model, non-commercial license, guidance distilled
• FLUX.1 Pro: Best quality commercial model via API, $0.03-0.04/image
• 12B parameters, hybrid transformer architecture, superior text rendering
• Resolution: 1024×1024 native, up to 2048×2048
• API: BFL API ($0.025/Schnell, $0.04/Pro), Replicate, Together AI
• Open source: Hugging Face for Schnell and Dev weights

Key Innovations

• Text rendering: First model to reliably generate readable text in images
• Prompt adherence: Better instruction following than SDXL or Midjourney v6
• Flow matching: Novel training technique for faster convergence
• Guidance distillation: Dev model incorporates guidance into weights
• Fast inference: Schnell generates in 1-2 seconds (4 steps)
• Open source: Schnell fully open (Apache 2.0), Dev available for research
• Commercial viability: API pricing competitive with DALL-E 3
• Community adoption: Integrated into ComfyUI, A1111, Fooocus

Code Example

# FLUX via Replicate API
import replicate

output = replicate.run(
    "black-forest-labs/flux-schnell",
    input={
        "prompt": "A sign that says 'FLUX' in neon lights, cyberpunk style",
        "num_outputs": 1,
        "aspect_ratio": "1:1",
        "output_format": "png"
    }
)
print(output)  # URL to generated image

# FLUX via BFL API
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.bfl.ml/v1/flux-pro",
    headers={"X-Key": "your_api_key"},
    json={
        "prompt": "Product photo of a coffee mug with 'Good Morning' text",
        "width": 1024,
        "height": 1024,
        "steps": 50
    }
)
result = response.json()
image_url = result["result"]["sample"]

# FLUX locally with diffusers
from diffusers import FluxPipeline
import torch

pipe = FluxPipeline.from_pretrained(
    "black-forest-labs/FLUX.1-schnell",
    torch_dtype=torch.bfloat16
).to("cuda")

image = pipe(
    "A magazine cover with headline 'AI Revolution 2025'",
    num_inference_steps=4,
    guidance_scale=0.0  # Schnell doesn't use guidance
).images[0]

image.save("flux_output.png")

FLUX vs Competitors (October 2025)

FLUX.1 Pro: Best text rendering, excellent prompt adherence, $0.04/image. Midjourney v6.1: Superior aesthetic for artistic images, $10-30/month subscription. DALL-E 3: Excellent safety filters, ChatGPT integration, $0.04-0.08/image. Stable Diffusion 3.5: Open source, good quality, weaker text rendering. FLUX advantages: Best-in-class text generation, open-source options (Schnell), fast inference (1-2 sec), Apache 2.0 license for commercial use. Best choice for: Applications requiring text in images (marketing, signage, memes), developers wanting open-source model, fast generation needs.

Use Cases

• Marketing: Product photos with text labels, ads, social media
• Meme generation: Text-heavy images with reliable rendering
• UI/UX mockups: Designs with readable button text and labels
• Publishing: Magazine covers, book covers with titles
• Education: Diagrams and infographics with text annotations
• E-commerce: Product visualization with packaging text
• Signage: Storefront signs, billboards, banners
• Branding: Logos and branded content with text elements

Professional Integration Services by 21medien

21medien offers FLUX integration services including API implementation, custom fine-tuning, batch processing pipelines, and production deployment. Our team specializes in optimizing FLUX for specific use cases, integrating with design workflows, and building automated image generation systems. For detailed FLUX implementation guidance, see our blog post: FLUX.1 by Black Forest Labs (post #21). Contact us for custom FLUX solutions.

Resources

Official website: https://blackforestlabs.ai | FLUX models: https://huggingface.co/black-forest-labs | API docs: https://docs.bfl.ml | Blog post: /en/blog/flux1-black-forest-labs-image-ai