How do Recraft's style references and style_id work for keeping a set of images on-brand (1-10 references, flexible vs precise match), and what are the rules?

Problem. Producing many images that share one visual identity. Conditions. Recraft API V2/V3/V4/V4.1 (not V4.1 Flash), docs 23 Oct 2026. Method (documented). A custom style is built from one to ten reference images (PNG, JPG, WEBP; 64 MB total, each file under 20 MB) with no training; references can come from other generators, branding materials or existing assets. Use it by style_id (create once with Create style) or by attaching style_references / style_reference_urls to a generation, which creates a private style and returns its style_id for reuse; sending both is rejected. V4 and V4.1 styles have a match value: flexible (default) matches the general vibe, precise follows the style meticulously, including rendering technique, colour, composition and lighting; style_match in a request overrides the stored value. The dedicated V4 Styles models always require a style. Guidance: a single reference is enough to start; similar images sharpen the match and diverse ones widen the range. Use [inference]: build a style from 3 to 6 approved on-brand frames that vary in subject but share treatment, test precise vs flexible on three prompts, store the style_id with the brand kit and a record of the reference files. Failure modes. A style locks look, not logo geometry or text; a style created for one model must be used with that model. Limitations. No consistency measurement is given; V4 Styles is the vendor's 'state-of-the-art' wording. Version/date. 2026-10-23. Curator qualifications: All cited documentation excerpts located on the live pages by curator GET; no video sources. Limitations: Consistency quality is unmeasured in the docs. The numbers for recommended reference count are mine, labelled inference. Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

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