Image Gen MCP Server

A production-ready Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for multi-provider image generation with intelligent provider selection, enterprise-grade security, and comprehensive testing.

Package: @merlinrabens/image-gen-mcp-server

Features

🎨 10 Leading AI Image Providers

• Recraft V3 ⭐ NEW - #1 globally ranked, unique vector generation (SVG), perfect text rendering
• OpenAI DALL-E 3 - Versatile, high-quality generation
• Stability AI - Stable Diffusion XL with fine control
• Leonardo.AI - Character consistency for carousels
• Ideogram V3 ⭐ UPGRADED - Exceptional text rendering for logos/posters, enhanced photorealism
• Black Forest Labs (Flux) - Ultra-high resolution photorealism
• Fal.ai - Ultra-fast generation (50-300ms)
• Clipdrop - Advanced post-processing and background removal
• Google Gemini - Multimodal understanding
• Replicate - Access to diverse open models

🧠 Intelligent Provider Selection

• Use-case detection: Automatically selects best provider based on prompt analysis
• Automatic fallback: Smart fallback chain when providers fail
• Performance optimization: O(n) complexity keyword matching
• Context-aware: Detects logos, text-heavy, photorealistic, carousel needs

🔒 Enterprise Security

• Input validation: Buffer size limits (10MB max)
• API key validation: Detects placeholders and invalid keys
• Prompt sanitization: Length limits and content validation
• Rate limiting: Prevents API throttling (10 req/min)
• Resource cleanup: Proper AbortController management

⚡ Performance & Reliability

• Response caching: 5-minute TTL cache
• Exponential backoff: Smart retry logic
• Connection pooling: Efficient resource usage
• Timeout management: Configurable per-provider timeouts
• Error recovery: Distinguishes retryable vs permanent errors

✅ Quality Assurance

• 100% test coverage: 49 comprehensive tests
• Type safety: Full TypeScript with strict typing
• No any types: Proper type definitions throughout
• Zod validation: Runtime schema validation
• Mock testing: No real API calls needed for tests

Showcase

Real images generated by different providers demonstrating diverse capabilities:

Hero Images & Product Photography (BFL Flux 1.1 Pro)

Text Rendering & Logo Design (Ideogram)

Clean modern rocket icon - Perfect for tech startups 512×512 (18.6s)

Artistic & Fantasy Illustration (Leonardo)

Majestic dragon on castle ruins - Cinematic fantasy art 1024×1024 (11.8s)

Creative Concepts (OpenAI DALL-E 3)

Surreal dreamscape with floating islands - Creative interpretation 1024×1024 (13.5s)

Ultra-Fast Generation (Replicate Flux Schnell)

Simple abstract pattern - Generated in 1.7 seconds (512×512)

Performance Summary: All 9 providers tested successfully with 100% success rate, average generation time of 8.7s, and comprehensive use-case coverage from ultra-fast drafts (<2s) to ultra-quality photorealism.

Quick Start

Installation

The easiest way to use this MCP server is via NPM:

npx @merlinrabens/image-gen-mcp-server

Or install globally:

npm install -g @merlinrabens/image-gen-mcp-server

Configuration

Add the MCP server to your MCP client configuration. The exact location depends on which client you're using.

MCP Client Configuration Files

Claude Desktop:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Claude Code:

• macOS/Linux: ~/.claude.json
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.claude.json

Cursor and other MCP clients: Check your client's documentation for the config file location.

Recommended Setup (NPM Package)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-gen-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@merlinrabens/image-gen-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-...",
        "STABILITY_API_KEY": "sk-...",
        "REPLICATE_API_TOKEN": "r8_...",
        "GEMINI_API_KEY": "AIza...",
        "LEONARDO_API_KEY": "...",
        "IDEOGRAM_API_KEY": "...",
        "BFL_API_KEY": "...",
        "FAL_API_KEY": "...",
        "CLIPDROP_API_KEY": "...",
        "RECRAFT_API_KEY": "...",
        "DEFAULT_PROVIDER": "auto",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "info"
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables:

• At least one provider API key is required for production use
• DEFAULT_PROVIDER: Set to "auto" for intelligent selection or specify a provider name
• LOG_LEVEL: "debug" | "info" | "warn" | "error"
• DISABLE_FALLBACK: Set to "true" to prevent fallback to other providers
• ALLOW_MOCK_PROVIDER: Set to "true" to allow MOCK provider in production (not recommended)
• IMAGE_OUTPUT_DIR: Where to save generated images (see Image Storage section)

Note: If no real providers are configured, the server will fail with a clear error message instead of silently using MOCK. The MOCK provider is automatically available in development/test environments (NODE_ENV=development or NODE_ENV=test).

API Keys

Get your API keys from:

• Recraft ⭐ NEW: https://www.recraft.ai/ (Unique vector generation capability!)
• OpenAI: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
• Stability AI: https://platform.stability.ai/account/keys
• Replicate: https://replicate.com/account/api-tokens
• Google Gemini: https://aistudio.google.com/apikey
• Leonardo: https://app.leonardo.ai/settings
• Ideogram: https://ideogram.ai/api
• Black Forest Labs: https://api.bfl.ml/
• Fal: https://fal.ai/dashboard/keys
• Clipdrop: https://clipdrop.co/apis

Testing

After configuration, restart your MCP client and test:

1. Check server status: "Check image-gen-mcp-server status with image_health_ping"
2. List configured providers: "List available image-gen-mcp-server providers using image_config_providers"
3. Generate your first image: "Generate a serene mountain landscape using image_generate"

Development Setup

For contributors or local development:

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/merlinrabens/image-gen-mcp-server.git
cd image-gen-mcp-server

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment

Copy .env.example to .env and add your API keys:

cp .env.example .env

4. Build & Run

npm run build
npm start

5. Local Development Config

For development with hot reload:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-gen-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["tsx", "/absolute/path/to/image-gen-mcp-server/src/index.ts"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-...",
        "DEFAULT_PROVIDER": "auto"
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Note: API keys in the config file are stored in plain text. Ensure proper file permissions.

Image Storage

By default, generated images are saved to .image-gen-mcp/ in your current working directory. This keeps images organized with your project and persists them across system restarts.

Storage Options

Configure where images are saved using the IMAGE_OUTPUT_DIR environment variable:

| Value | Description | Example | |-------|-------------|---------| | Not set | Default: .image-gen-mcp/ in current working directory | ./image-gen-mcp/ | | "cwd" | Explicitly use .image-gen-mcp/ in current directory | ./image-gen-mcp/ | | "temp" | Use system temp directory (old behavior) | /tmp/ or %TEMP% | | /absolute/path | Save to specific directory | /Users/me/images/ |

Configuration Example

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-gen-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@merlinrabens/image-gen-mcp-server@latest"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-...",
        // Optional: Change image storage location
        "IMAGE_OUTPUT_DIR": "temp"  // or "/custom/path" or leave unset for default
      }
    }
  }
}

.gitignore

If using the default .image-gen-mcp/ directory, add it to your .gitignore:

# MCP generated images
.image-gen-mcp/

Automatic Cleanup

Old images (>1 hour) are automatically cleaned up to prevent disk space issues. The cleanup runs every 30 minutes.

Available Tools

image_health_ping

Check server status - no configuration required.

Request: image_health_ping()
Response: "ok"

image_config_providers

List all providers and their configuration status.

Response: [
  {
    "name": "OPENAI",
    "configured": true,
    "requiredEnvVars": ["OPENAI_API_KEY"],
    "capabilities": {
      "supportsGenerate": true,
      "supportsEdit": true,
      "supportedModels": ["dall-e-3", "gpt-image-1"]
    }
  },
  ...
]

image_generate

Generate images from text prompts.

Request: {
  "prompt": "A serene mountain landscape at sunset",
  "provider": "auto",         // Or specify: OPENAI, LEONARDO, FAL, etc.
  "width": 1024,              // Optional
  "height": 1024,             // Optional
  "model": "dall-e-3",        // Optional
  "seed": 12345,              // Optional
  "response_format": "json"   // Optional: "json" (default) or "markdown"
}

Response (JSON format):
{
  "images": [{
    "path": "/path/to/.image-gen-mcp/image.png",
    "format": "png",
    "size": 123456
  }],
  "provider": "OPENAI",
  "model": "dall-e-3",
  "note": "Images saved to disk due to size."
}

Response (Markdown format):
# Image Generation Result

**Provider**: OPENAI
**Model**: dall-e-3

## Generated Images (1)

### Image 1
- **Path**: `/path/to/.image-gen-mcp/image.png`
- **Format**: png
- **Size**: 120.45 KB

image_edit

Edit existing images with text prompts. Supports multiple providers including OpenAI, Stability, Ideogram, BFL, Gemini, and Clipdrop.

The baseImage and maskImage fields support:

• Data URLs: data:image/png;base64,...
• File paths: /path/to/image.png
• File URLs: file:///path/to/image.png

Request: {
  "prompt": "Add a rainbow to the sky",
  "baseImage": "/path/to/image.png",         // Can be file path or data URL
  "maskImage": "/path/to/mask.png",          // Optional (file path or data URL)
  "provider": "OPENAI",                      // Optional (auto-selects if not specified)
  "response_format": "json"                  // Optional: "json" (default) or "markdown"
}

Response: Same format as image_generate (JSON or Markdown based on response_format)

Provider Examples

Image Editing Examples

Basic Editing (OpenAI gpt-image-1):

{
  "prompt": "Add a sunset background",
  "baseImage": "/path/to/generated-image.png",  // Direct file path
  "provider": "OPENAI"
}

Style Transfer (Stability AI):

{
  "prompt": "Transform this into a watercolor painting style",
  "baseImage": "/path/to/photo.png",
  "provider": "STABILITY",
  "strength": 0.7  // Control transformation strength (0.0-1.0)
}

Background Replacement (BFL Flux):

{
  "prompt": "Replace the background with a mountain landscape at sunset",
  "baseImage": "/path/to/portrait.png",
  "provider": "BFL"
}

Object Removal (Ideogram V3):

{
  "prompt": "Remove the person in the background",
  "baseImage": "/path/to/image.png",
  "provider": "IDEOGRAM",
  "model": "V_3"
}

Masked Editing (OpenAI):

{
  "prompt": "Replace the sky with dramatic storm clouds",
  "baseImage": "/path/to/landscape.png",
  "maskImage": "/path/to/sky-mask.png",  // White areas = edit, Black = preserve
  "provider": "OPENAI"
}

Advanced Editing with Gemini:

{
  "prompt": "Remove the person in the background and add a rainbow in the sky",
  "baseImage": "data:image/png;base64,...",
  "provider": "GEMINI"
  // Gemini excels at understanding complex multi-step instructions
}

Background Removal (Clipdrop):

{
  "prompt": "Remove background",
  "baseImage": "/path/to/product-photo.png",
  "provider": "CLIPDROP"
  // Specialized for high-quality background removal
}

Automatic Provider Selection

Let the system choose the best provider for your use case:

{
  "prompt": "Create a logo with the text 'TechStartup 2025'",
  "provider": "auto"  // Will select Ideogram for text rendering
}

Mock Provider (No API Key Required)

Perfect for testing:

{
  "prompt": "test image",
  "provider": "MOCK"
}

OpenAI DALL-E

Best for high-quality, creative images:

• Generation: Uses dall-e-3 (modern, high-quality)
• Editing: Uses gpt-image-1 (modern, supports up to 50MB images)

{
  "prompt": "An oil painting of a robot reading a book",
  "provider": "OPENAI",
  "model": "dall-e-3",
  "width": 1792,
  "height": 1024
}

Note: DALL-E 2 has been deprecated. All operations use modern models only (dall-e-3 for generation, gpt-image-1 for editing).

Stability AI

Great for photorealistic and artistic styles:

{
  "prompt": "A photorealistic portrait of a cyberpunk character",
  "provider": "STABILITY",
  "model": "stable-image-core-v1",
  "seed": 42
}

Replicate

Access to cutting-edge models like Flux:

{
  "prompt": "A futuristic cityscape with flying cars",
  "provider": "REPLICATE",
  "model": "black-forest-labs/flux-schnell",
  "guidance": 7.5,
  "steps": 4
}

Google Gemini 2.5 Flash Image

Advanced image generation and editing with natural language:

{
  "prompt": "A serene landscape with mountains reflected in a crystal-clear lake at sunset",
  "provider": "GEMINI",
  "model": "gemini-2.5-flash-image-preview"
}

For editing:

{
  "prompt": "Remove the person in the background and add a rainbow",
  "baseImage": "data:image/png;base64,...",
  "provider": "GEMINI"
}

Recraft V3 ⭐ NEW

#1 globally ranked model (ELO 1172, 72% win rate) with unique vector generation and perfect text rendering:

Logo Design:

{
  "prompt": "A modern tech startup logo with the text 'ACME' in a clean, minimalist style",
  "provider": "RECRAFT",
  "width": 1024,
  "height": 1024
}

Text-Heavy Marketing Material:

{
  "prompt": "A professional marketing poster with the headline 'Summer Sale 50% OFF' and subtext 'Limited Time Only'",
  "provider": "RECRAFT",
  "width": 1024,
  "height": 1024
}

Vector Illustration (SVG):

{
  "prompt": "A vector illustration of a mountain landscape in flat design style",
  "provider": "RECRAFT",
  "width": 1024,
  "height": 1024
  // Will automatically use vector_illustration style
}

Digital Art:

{
  "prompt": "A digital illustration of a futuristic city with neon lights",
  "provider": "RECRAFT",
  "width": 1024,
  "height": 1024
}

Realistic Photography:

{
  "prompt": "A photorealistic image of a modern office workspace with natural lighting",
  "provider": "RECRAFT",
  "width": 1024,
  "height": 768  // Supports custom dimensions
}

Best for: Logos, branding, graphic design, text-heavy images (posters, packaging), vector graphics, professional marketing materials.

Ideogram V3 ⭐ UPGRADED

Industry-leading text rendering with enhanced photorealism (March 2025 release):

{
  "prompt": "A vintage poster with the text 'SUMMER FESTIVAL 2025' in bold retro typography",
  "provider": "IDEOGRAM",
  "model": "V_3"  // Latest model with enhanced capabilities
}

Fast Generation:

{
  "prompt": "Quick logo mockup with text 'TechCo'",
  "provider": "IDEOGRAM",
  "model": "V_3_TURBO"  // Faster V3 variant
}

Leonardo.AI

Character consistency for carousels and series:

{
  "prompt": "A friendly robot mascot waving hello, consistent character design",
  "provider": "LEONARDO",
  "model": "leonardo-diffusion-xl"
}

Fal.ai

Ultra-fast generation for rapid iteration:

{
  "prompt": "Quick sketch of a product mockup",
  "provider": "FAL",
  "model": "fast-sdxl"  // 50-100ms generation!
}

BFL/Flux

Industry-leading photorealistic quality:

{
  "prompt": "Professional headshot of a business executive in modern office",
  "provider": "BFL",
  "model": "flux-pro"
}

Clipdrop

Advanced editing and post-processing:

{
  "prompt": "Remove background",
  "baseImage": "data:image/png;base64,...",
  "provider": "CLIPDROP"
}

Provider Capabilities

| Provider | Generate | Edit | Max Size | Models | Special Features | |----------|----------|------|----------|---------|-----------------| | Mock | ✅ | ✅ | 256×256 | mock-v1 | Testing only | | Recraft ⭐ | ✅ | ❌ | 2048×2048 | recraftv3 | #1 globally, vector/SVG output, perfect text | | OpenAI | ✅ | ✅ | 1792×1792 | dall-e-3, gpt-image-1 | High quality, creative | | Stability | ✅ | ✅ | 1536×1536 | SD3.5, SD-XL, Image Core | Photorealistic, artistic | | Leonardo | ✅ | ❌ | 1536×1536 | Leonardo models | Character consistency | | Ideogram ⭐ | ✅ | ✅ | 2048×2048 | V_3, V_3_TURBO, V_2 | Exceptional text, enhanced photorealism | | BFL/Flux | ✅ | ❌ | 2048×2048 | Flux Pro, Dev, Schnell | Ultra-high resolution | | Fal | ✅ | ❌ | 1920×1440 | Fast SDXL variants | Ultra-fast (50-300ms) | | Clipdrop | ✅ | ✅ | 2048×2048 | Various | Background/object removal | | Replicate | ✅ | ❌ | 2048×2048 | Flux, SDXL variants | Open model access | | Gemini | ✅ | ✅ | 3072×3072 | Gemini 2.5 Flash Image | Multimodal understanding |

Note: All Gemini images include a SynthID watermark. Requires Blaze pricing plan.

Fallback Chain

When a provider fails or isn't configured, the system automatically falls back:

RECRAFT → BFL → OPENAI → LEONARDO → IDEOGRAM → STABILITY → GEMINI → FAL → REPLICATE → MOCK

Updated to prioritize Recraft V3 (#1 globally ranked) and BFL Flux (ultra-quality).

Or use provider: "auto" for intelligent selection based on your prompt content.

You can override this with the DEFAULT_PROVIDER environment variable.

To disable fallback completely and only use the specified provider, set DISABLE_FALLBACK=true. This ensures the system will fail if the requested provider is unavailable rather than falling back to another provider.

Development

Build

npm run build

Type Check

npm run typecheck

Run Tests

npm test

Project Structure

image-gen-mcp-server/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts           # MCP server entry
│   ├── config.ts          # Provider management
│   ├── types.ts           # TypeScript types & Zod schemas
│   ├── services/
│   │   └── providerSelector.ts  # Intelligent provider selection
│   ├── util/
│   │   └── logger.ts      # Logging utility
│   └── providers/
│       ├── base.ts        # Abstract provider class
│       ├── mock.ts        # Mock provider
│       ├── openai.ts      # OpenAI DALL-E
│       ├── stability.ts   # Stability AI
│       ├── replicate.ts   # Replicate
│       ├── gemini.ts      # Google Gemini
│       ├── ideogram.ts    # Ideogram (text rendering)
│       ├── leonardo.ts    # Leonardo.AI (consistency)
│       ├── fal.ts         # Fal.ai (ultra-fast)
│       ├── bfl.ts         # Black Forest Labs Flux
│       └── clipdrop.ts    # Clipdrop (post-processing)

Architecture Notes

• Stdio Transport: Uses MCP stdio protocol for maximum client compatibility
• Intelligent Selection: Analyzes prompts to automatically choose optimal provider
• Data URLs: Images returned as base64 data URLs for direct preview (warning for >5MB)
• Circuit Breaker: Intelligent error categorization for fallback decisions
• Provider Pattern: Pluggable adapters with abstract base class
• Minimal Dependencies: Only essential packages for lean deployment

Real-World Use Cases

🛍️ E-Commerce Product Photography

// Generate professional product shots without expensive photography
const productShot = await generate({
  prompt: "Professional product photography of luxury smartwatch on marble surface, studio lighting, 4K quality",
  provider: "BFL",  // Ultra-high resolution photorealism
  width: 2048,
  height: 2048
});

// Change background for different campaigns
const lifestyleShot = await edit({
  prompt: "Place on wooden desk with plants and natural window lighting",
  baseImage: productShot.images[0].path,
  provider: "GEMINI"  // Excellent at complex scene transformations
});

🎨 Marketing Campaign Assets

// Generate poster with perfect text rendering
const summerSale = await generate({
  prompt: "Professional marketing poster with headline 'Summer Sale 50% OFF' and subtext 'Limited Time Only', beach theme with vibrant colors",
  provider: "RECRAFT",  // #1 for text rendering
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024
});

// Create matching social media variants
const instagramPost = await edit({
  prompt: "Crop to square format and add 'Shop Now' button at bottom",
  baseImage: summerSale.images[0].path,
  provider: "OPENAI"
});

🏢 Brand Identity & Logos

// Design startup logo with text
const logo = await generate({
  prompt: "Modern tech startup logo with text 'ACME', clean minimalist style with geometric icon",
  provider: "RECRAFT",  // Perfect text + vector output (SVG)
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024
});

// Generate alternative poster variant
const poster = await generate({
  prompt: "Vintage poster design with text 'SUMMER FESTIVAL 2025' in bold retro typography",
  provider: "IDEOGRAM",  // Industry-leading text rendering
  model: "V_3"
});

📱 Social Media Content Pipeline

// Generate consistent brand mascot
const mascot1 = await generate({
  prompt: "Friendly robot mascot waving hello, consistent character design for social media",
  provider: "LEONARDO",  // Best for character consistency
  seed: 42  // Same seed ensures consistency
});

const mascot2 = await generate({
  prompt: "Same friendly robot mascot explaining features, consistent character design",
  provider: "LEONARDO",
  seed: 42  // Reuse seed for carousel consistency
});

⚡ Rapid Design Iteration

// Ultra-fast concept generation for client review
const concepts = await Promise.all([
  generate({ prompt: "Option A: Modern minimal design", provider: "FAL" }),
  generate({ prompt: "Option B: Bold colorful design", provider: "FAL" }),
  generate({ prompt: "Option C: Elegant luxury design", provider: "FAL" })
]);
// All 3 concepts generated in under 5 seconds!

// Refine winning concept with high quality
const final = await generate({
  prompt: "Refined version of Option C with luxury aesthetic",
  provider: "BFL"  // Production-quality output
});

🎬 Content Creator Workflow

// Generate YouTube thumbnail with text
const thumbnail = await generate({
  prompt: "Eye-catching YouTube thumbnail with bold text 'TOP 10 TIPS', vibrant background",
  provider: "IDEOGRAM",
  width: 1920,
  height: 1080
});

// Remove background for overlay effects
const transparent = await edit({
  prompt: "Remove background, keep only the main subject",
  baseImage: thumbnail.images[0].path,
  provider: "CLIPDROP"  // Specialized background removal
});

Troubleshooting

"Provider not configured"

Add the required API key to your .env file.

Large image warnings

Images over 5MB trigger warnings. For production, consider external storage (S3/CDN).

Timeout errors

Default timeout is 30s (60s for Gemini). Slow providers may need adjustment.

Mock provider returns small images

Mock is limited to 256×256 for testing. Use real providers for full resolution.

License

MIT

Next Steps

1. Get API keys from your preferred providers (see API Keys section)
2. Add the MCP server to your MCP client config (see Configuration section)
3. Add your API keys to the env field in the config
4. Restart your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, etc.)
5. Test the server: "Check image-gen-mcp-server status with image_health_ping"
6. Generate your first image: "Generate a serene mountain landscape using image_generate"

For local development or contributions, see the Development Setup section.