Is Playground AI Free? Here's Exactly What You Get (2026)



Graduation season is a high-demand period for print-on-demand (POD) creators. Students, parents, and alumni are all looking for custom Class of 2026 shirts, hoodies, stickers, and keepsakes.

The key to standing out is having **polished, professional designs** ready to print or sell, and that’s exactly what Playground helps you do. With ready-to-use templates, flexible editing, and high-quality mockups, you can go from idea to finished product in minutes.

---

## Start with a Template That Works for You

![pod - 2](https://images.playgroundai.com/6be180a5-d1cf-4e69-9564-4862eb2fa38f.png)

The fastest way to begin is by selecting a **Class of 2026 template**. Templates give you:

- **Structured layouts** — typography, spacing, and alignment are already set.
- **Editable elements** — text, colors, and graphics can all be adjusted.
- **A base for customization** — even if the template isn’t perfect, you can make it yours.

You don’t need to find a template labeled exactly “Class of 2026.” Older templates can be updated to the correct year in seconds, giving you a head start.

[Browse Class of 2026 templates](https://playground.com/design?q=class+of+2026)

---

## Make Changes Quickly with Prompts

Playground lets you update designs **without breaking the layout**. Simply tell the platform what needs to change:

- update the year from 2025 to 2026
- change a school or team name
- adjust wording or small details

These updates keep your template intact, so you don’t have to manually rework spacing or alignment.

If you want, you can also:

- **Adjust fonts** to match your theme
- **Change colors** for team or school spirit
- **Tweak spacing** for balance and readability

The edits are flexible, you control how much you want to tweak.

---

## Adapt the Style to Match Your Vision

![pod - 6](https://images.playgroundai.com/ea962c45-f1d8-4d9d-a28b-d79fd3b841e3.png)

Templates can be customized to match your unique style or branding.

For example:

- Make a design **minimal** and clean
- Make it **bold and athletic** for school or sports themes
- Match it to a reference, like a school logo or specific color palette

Playground automatically adjusts the layout to keep everything balanced. The original template doesn’t need to be perfect, it’s a flexible starting point.

![pod - 7](https://images.playgroundai.com/3c13e24f-9369-4a81-a38e-9a6c4c59f7b0.png)

Even small edits can make a big difference in the final product, and the platform ensures your design always stays cohesive.

---

## Place It on a Product Mockup

![pod - 8](https://images.playgroundai.com/f5997c92-2a0f-4a6a-be25-266dd3904574.png)

Seeing your design on a real product is critical before printing or selling. Playground lets you drop your completed template onto **high-quality t-shirt mockups, hoodies, or other products**. We regularly update and add new mockups to our library.

This helps you:

- Check size, placement, and alignment
- Visualize the design on different colors
- Ensure the final product feels balanced and professional

High-quality mockups make it easier to showcase your design for listings, marketing, or personal use.

[Browse Class of 2026 templates](https://playground.com/design?q=class+of+2026)

---

## Benefits for Print-on-Demand Creators

Using Playground templates for POD products gives you:

- **Speed**: Start from a base instead of building from scratch
- **Flexibility**: Make small or large edits without breaking your design
- **Professional results**: Balanced layouts and accurate spacing
- **Sales-ready designs**: Mockups show exactly how the final product will look

Whether you’re creating a single **Class of 2026 t-shirt** or a full graduation line, this workflow saves time and keeps your designs consistent.

---

## Try It Yourself

Start with a template, tweak it to fit your vision, and see it on a product in minutes. Playground makes it simple to create **graduation products that look polished and professional**, no extra tools or steps required.

[Customize a Class of 2026 template now](https://playground.com/design?q=class+of+2026)

Customize Class of 2026 Templates for Print-on-Demand (Step-by-Step)

Both models generate great images. Both handle a wide range of prompts. So what does Nano Banana Pro actually give you that Nano Banana doesn't, and is it worth it?

The answer depends entirely on what you're making. Here's an introduction to both the models, then a category-by-category breakdown of where each model stands, so you can make that call with confidence.

---

## Nano Banana

**The everyday workhorse. Faster than you'd expect, better than you'd assume.**

![pod - 15](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmn3o5vp101bo01s6ek34ht0g.png)

Nano Banana is where most creative sessions should start. It's the fastest model in the family, handles a wide range of prompts confidently, and produces results that are genuinely good, not "good for a quick model," just good.

Its real strength is in the exploratory phase of any project. When you have an idea but aren't fully sure what it looks like yet, Nano Banana lets you find out quickly. Generate five variations in the time it would take another model to produce one. Try a completely different direction on a whim. Iterate without worrying about whether each generation is worth the cost in time or resources.

It's also the right tool for high-volume, lower-stakes content, social media posts, background variations, quick thumbnails, anything that needs to look solid without needing to look extraordinary.

**Where it shows limits:** Dense, complex prompts with a lot of specific elements. Intricate scenes where every detail needs to be right. Work that needs to be print-ready or professionally polished without post-editing. These are the situations where you'll notice the ceiling.

**Best for:**

- Early-stage ideation and concept testing
- Social media and content creation
- High-volume generation
- Anything where speed matters as much as quality
- Getting a rough version down before committing to a direction

---

## Nano Banana Pro

**When the work actually has to be great.**

![pod - 14](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmn3o5urm025i01s66kidarnw.png)

Nano Banana Pro is the most capable model in the family, and the difference in output quality at the top end is significant. Sharper detail, stronger prompt adherence, better handling of complexity, prompts that would produce something slightly off in the other models come out right here. Elements that would look a bit generic come out with more precision and character.

What makes Pro particularly valuable is what it saves you on the back end. The outputs tend to need less fixing, less editing, less "okay this is close enough." When you're working on something that genuinely needs to be great, a client deliverable, a campaign hero image, a high-resolution print asset, the time saved in post alone makes Pro the right call.

The caveat: Pro is a precision tool, not a daily driver. Using it for early exploration or quick content generation is overkill. The other models exist for those phases, and they do them well. Pro earns its place specifically in the moments where quality is the whole point.

**Where it shows limits:** It doesn't, really, for image generation quality. The ceiling of Nano Banana Pro is the ceiling of the model family.

**Best for:**

- Paid client work and professional deliverables
- Campaign visuals and hero images
- High-resolution and print-ready assets
- Complex, detailed prompts where everything needs to land correctly
- Any output that's going somewhere it'll be judged

---

## **Overall output quality**

![Overall quality](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmn3sihj3034a01s691v4hobl.png)

Nano Banana produces genuinely good images across the board. For most everyday creative work, social content, quick concepts, visual exploration, the output quality is more than sufficient. You're not compromising by using it.

Nano Banana Pro raises the ceiling. The outputs are sharper, more detailed, and closer to what you actually described. The difference is subtle on simple prompts and significant on complex ones. The more demanding the work, the more Pro earns its place.

---

## **Prompt accuracy**

![Prompt accuracy](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmn3sij00034c01s66cnvcouw.png)

This is one of the clearest differences between the two models.

Give both models a simple prompt, a landscape, a product shot, a clean portrait, and they'll both do well. Give them something more specific, a crowded street scene at golden hour with a specific mood, a detailed character with particular clothing and expression, and they start to diverge.

Nano Banana does a solid job but tends to interpret loosely. It'll get the gist of a complex prompt right while letting some specifics slide.

Nano Banana Pro follows instructions more precisely. If you've written a detailed prompt, Pro is more likely to actually deliver on it. The gap between what you described and what you get is consistently smaller.

---

## **Text rendering**

![Text rendering](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmn3sik5x034d01s65o2u4or6.png)

Text in AI-generated images has historically been a weak point across the industry, and this is an area where the two models noticeably differ.

Nano Banana handles simple, short text reasonably well, a single word, a clean label, a minimal headline. It gets unreliable as the text gets longer or more complex. Letters blend, words break, things look almost right but not quite.

Nano Banana Pro handles text with significantly more accuracy. Multi-word phrases, styled typography, text integrated into a scene, Pro renders these more cleanly and consistently. It's still not flawless on highly complex text layouts, but it's a meaningful step up.

**If your image needs readable text in it: Pro is the better choice.**

---

## **Face generation**

![Face generation](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmn3sifgx022701s63hvk01jg.png)

Faces are one of the hardest things for any image model to get right, the details are precise, the margin for error is small, and viewers notice immediately when something is off.

Nano Banana produces good faces on straightforward portraits. Clean lighting, neutral expression, simple composition, it handles these well. Where it struggles is in more demanding situations: specific expressions, faces at unusual angles, multiple faces in a single scene, or faces with a lot of specific character detail.

Nano Banana Pro renders faces with noticeably more consistency and detail. Expressions land more accurately, features stay coherent across different angles, and multi-person scenes hold together better. If your work regularly involves people, this difference alone is worth paying attention to.

---

## **Editing and inpainting**

![Editing and inpainting](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmn3sidq6034a01s68td34ld9.png)

When you're editing an existing image, filling in a section, replacing an element, adjusting part of a scene, consistency matters. The edited area needs to match the surrounding image in lighting, texture, and style.

Nano Banana handles basic edits well. For simple inpainting tasks, removing an object, filling a background, making a straightforward replacement, it does the job.

Nano Banana Pro produces more seamless edits. The blending is cleaner, the textures match more naturally, and complex edits, replacing a face, changing clothing, reworking a detailed section of an image, hold together more convincingly.

---

## **Complex scenes**

![Complex scenes](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmn3sic93034501s617ax66sn.png)

Single subject, clean background, simple composition, both models handle this well and the gap is small.

Add complexity, multiple subjects, a detailed environment, layered elements, specific spatial relationships, and the gap widens. Nano Banana starts to simplify, merge elements, or lose detail in the parts of the scene that aren't the main focus.

Nano Banana Pro maintains coherence across the whole frame. Each element gets rendered with attention, the scene holds together as a whole, and the details in the background are as considered as the ones in the foreground.

---

## **Speed**

Nano Banana is faster. If you're generating a lot of images quickly, exploring ideas, running variations, iterating on a concept, the speed difference is noticeable and it matters.

Nano Banana Pro takes longer per generation. Not dramatically, but enough that it reinforces the point: Pro is for deliberate, intentional use. Not for the exploratory phase where speed is part of the value.

---

## **The full comparison**

| **Category** | **Nano Banana** | **Nano Banana Pro** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Overall quality** | Great for everyday work | Exceptional, high detail |
| **Prompt accuracy** | Gets the gist right | Follows specific instructions closely |
| **Text rendering** | Good for short, simple text | Handles complex text well |
| **Face generation** | Good on straightforward portraits | Consistent across angles, expressions, groups |
| **Style control** | Responsive to style prompts | Precise, handles subtle distinctions |
| **Editing & inpainting** | Handles basic edits well | Seamless, complex edits hold together |
| **Complex scenes** | Simplifies under pressure | Maintains detail across the whole frame |
| **Speed** | Faster | Slower, more deliberate |
| **Best stage** | Exploration & iteration | Final production |

---

## How they rank against each other, by the numbers

Independent benchmarks tell a clear story. LMArena, the industry's go-to model evaluation platform, where real users vote on outputs from anonymous models, has tested both extensively. The results are worth knowing.

| Category | Nano Banana | Nano Banana Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **LMArena Image Edit Rank** | Top 5 | **#1** (Score: 1371) |
| **Text rendering accuracy** | Good | **94–96%** verified accuracy |
| **Character consistency** | High | **95%+** across edits |
| **Max output resolution** | 1024×1024 | Up to 4K |
| **Reference image support** | Limited | Up to 14 images |
| **Generation speed** | ~2–3 seconds | Slower, more deliberate |
| **Multi-person scenes** | Good | Consistent across up to 5 people |

Nano Banana Pro leads human-rated Elo scores across almost every capability category, text rendering, general image generation, editing, multi-turn, multi-character, charts, and infographics, compared to competing models. [WaveSpeedAI](https://wavespeed.ai/blog/posts/nano-banana-2-vs-nano-banana-pro-whats-the-difference/)

In head-to-head testing across 50+ identical prompts, Nano Banana Pro achieved 94–96% text accuracy, a 23-point gap over competing models, meaning the difference between a usable output and one that requires manual correction. [arXiv](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2512.15110)

The original Nano Banana generates images in sub-second to low-second timeframes, keeping latency within 2–3 second, a speed that makes it genuinely suited for rapid ideation and high-volume iteration.

The headline takeaway: Nano Banana and Nano Banana Pro are different models, Pro does not simply obsolete the original. They serve different roles, and knowing which to reach for is what separates efficient creators from ones burning through resources unnecessarily. [Nano Banana](https://v0nanobanana.vercel.app/)

*Source: [LMArena Leaderboard](https://arena.ai/leaderboard)*

## **So which one should you use?**

**Nano Banana** is the right starting point for almost everything. It's fast, capable, and handles the vast majority of creative work well. Use it when you're exploring, iterating, or producing content that needs to be good without needing to be exceptional.

**Nano Banana Pro** earns its place when the work gets demanding, complex scenes, precise prompts, accurate text, detailed faces, or anything where the output is going somewhere it'll genuinely be judged. The quality difference is real, and on the kind of work where it matters, it's clearly worth it.

Most good creative workflows use both. Explore and iterate with Nano Banana. Switch to Pro when you're ready to make the real version.

---

*Want to see the difference yourself? Both models are available on [Playground](https://playground.com/design), try the same prompt in each and see where they diverge.*

Nano Banana vs Nano Banana Pro vs Nano Banana 2, Here's Which AI model to Actually Use

A single photo can go in completely different directions depending on how it’s styled. The same image can feel soft and painted, sharp and hand-drawn, or warm and nostalgic without changing the subject at all. 

That shift is what makes styles interesting. Instead of working through tools or making small adjustments, you’re deciding what the image should feel like. 

With Apply Style, you upload a photo, choose something like Watercolor, Sketch, or Vintage, and it instantly takes on that look. What you get isn’t a variation of the same image, it’s a completely different version of it, built around the style you picked.

---

## **Start with a simple image**

![pod - 10](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmwirs3i0chq01s61s41f8o4.png)

To keep things straightforward, we started with a photo of a dog on [Playground](www.playgroundai.com). It’s a good example because the subject is clear, the details are visible, and there’s nothing overly complex in the background.

You don’t need a perfect image, but cleaner inputs usually give better results. If the subject is easy to recognize and the lighting isn’t too harsh or too dark, the style has more to work with and the final output feels more intentional.

Once you have your image, upload it into Playground. There’s no setup or preparation needed beyond that.



---

## **Apply a Style**


![pod - 11](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmwirtc10a3h01s6hzaw6miq.png)

After you upload your image, head to the bottom toolbar and select **Apply Style**. You’ll see a list of styles pop up. For this example, we went with **Watercolor**.

Click it, wait a few seconds, and… boom. The transformation happens. That same dog photo you started with now looks like a real watercolor painting. Soft edges, blended colors, and a hand-painted feel make it look like it belongs in a gallery rather than just on your screen.


![pod - 12](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmwirudh0a3j01s6b6ksb6ef.png)

The beauty here is how simple it feels. You didn’t tweak sliders, adjust brightness, or layer effects. You didn’t even have to think about brush strokes. All of that complexity is handled automatically. What you do get is an instant version of your image in a completely new medium, ready to share, post, or use anywhere you want.

It’s quick enough that you can see results in seconds, but the effect feels much more polished than just a filter. This is where Apply Style really shines. Fast, clean, and visually impressive outputs with minimal effort.

---

## **Try Different Styles – See the Image in a Whole New Way**
![pod - 13](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmwirvh805uf01s6f9ij2mh0.png)

Once you have one version, the fun really begins. The same image can be explored in entirely different directions depending on the style you choose. Switch to **Sketch**, and the colors disappear, leaving behind clean lines and high contrast. Switch to **Vintage**, and your photo takes on warm tones and subtle textures, like it was captured decades ago.

Playground has multiple styles available, so you can experiment without limits. Try one, see how it feels, then quickly toggle to another. Each style emphasizes different aspects of your image: Sketch highlights form and structure, Watercolor emphasizes softness and blending, and Vintage adds mood and atmosphere.

This is where you start to realize how versatile a single image can be. Instead of being stuck with one static photo, you can create several completely different versions in just a few minutes. It’s a creative playground in the truest sense, each style lets you explore a new aesthetic and unlock possibilities you wouldn’t get from a single edit.

By trying multiple styles, you also get a better sense of what works best for your subject. Some images may shine in Watercolor, others might pop as a Sketch or Vintage piece. The instant feedback loop makes experimentation painless, so you can confidently pick the version that feels right.


---

## **Getting better results with small tweaks**

Even though the process is simple, a few small choices can improve the outcome a lot.

Images with a clear subject almost always perform better than busy scenes. If the background is too cluttered, the style can feel less focused. Good lighting also helps, since details are easier to preserve during the transformation.

It’s also worth trying more than one style before deciding on a final version. Since it only takes a few seconds, you can quickly compare and pick the one that actually feels right instead of settling on the first result.

---

## **What to do with the final image**

Once you’ve got a version you like, you can use it however you want. A lot of the time, these styled images work well as profile pictures, social posts, or even simple prints.

If you’re already using other tools in Playground, this is also a good point to move the image into something else, like placing it into a mockup or using it inside a template.

---

## **Try it with your own image**

The easiest way to understand how this works is to try it yourself.

Upload any image, open Apply Style, and start with a style you feel the most drawn to.

[Upload a picture](https://playground.com/design)

Turn Any Photo into Watercolor, Sketch, Vintage, or Custom Art Instantly

Every designer, whether you're selling on Etsy, making shirts, or just creating social content, needs clean PNGs eventually.

### A transparent background means:

* Your design goes on anything (t-shirts, mugs, phone cases)

* No white boxes ruining your mockups

* Professional looking results every time

* The problem? Most free background removers leave jagged edges or kill your image quality.

### The Playground Way
Here's how to do it in Playground right now.

Step 1: Upload your image

Click on 'Upload and edit image' to upload your own image, or 'Start new design' to start afresh

![landing](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmcn3tk600ap01s6hhsxaddb.png)





Step 2: Click "Remove Background"

Find it in the bottom toolbar. One click. Wait a few seconds.

![remove bg](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmcn8dxi00kw01s62dvwb7b1.png)

Step 3: Done!

Zoom in. Look at the tricky edges. Playground's AI handles fine details better than most paid tools.

![removed](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmcn9bf200le01s677pef7dg.png)

Step 4: Download as PNG

Export with transparency. Done.

![download](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmcn9che002l01s61874d6mz.png)

### Real Talk: When It Works Best
Background removal isn't magic. It works best when:

✅ The subject is clearly visible

✅ There's decent contrast between subject and background

✅ You're patient with complex edges (hair, fur, etc.)

It struggles when:

❌ The subject blends into the background

❌ Images are extremely low resolution

❌ You need perfect cutouts of transparent objects (glass, etc.)

But for most of everyday design work? It just works.

### One Trick Designers Use
Here's something most people don't know: remove background before you add effects.

Why? Because effects and filters can confuse the AI. Clean subject first, then add your drop shadows, glows, and textures after.

Try it both ways. You'll see the difference.

### What Can You Make Now?
Once you have that transparent PNG, you can:

- Drop it on a t-shirt mockup instantly

- Layer it over other designs

- Create stickers

- Build product listings that don't look like everyone else's

No more "I'll figure out Photoshop later." Later is now.

👉 Try the background remover at  [Playground.com](https://playground.com/).
Takes 10 seconds. Your next design is waiting.



How to Remove Image Backgrounds in Seconds (No Photoshop Required)

Typography plays a huge role in how a design feels. A small change in font can completely change the tone of a poster, a social graphic, or a piece of merch.

We’ve expanded Playground’s font library with **~1800 fonts**, giving you **over 20× more options than before**. Whether you're designing something clean and minimal or bold and expressive, you now have a much wider range of type to work with.

Along with the expanded library, we’ve added a few tools to make finding the right font much easier.

---

## Search Fonts by Vibe

![vibe](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmo1sr5j016w01s6c7mn5f5k.png)

Sometimes you don’t know the exact font name you’re looking for. You just know the feeling you want the design to have.

Now you can **search fonts by vibe, style, feeling, theme, or whatever you are envisioning!**

Try searches like:

- childrens themed
- retro diner
- vintage western
- elegant wedding
- fun summer party
- elegant luxury fashion brand
- cozy christmas holiday card
- retro 70s disco poster

This makes it much faster to explore fonts that match the style you're going for without scrolling through hundreds of options.

---

## Find Similar Fonts Instantly

![similar](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmo1su3q016z01s67b3kfc1h.png)

When you find a font you like, you often want something close to it, but slightly different.

You can now **view fonts similar to the one you're currently using**. This makes it easy to compare options, try subtle variations, and quickly find the version that fits your design best.

---

## See Suggested Fonts for Your Design

![suggested](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmo1st3d015801s61fm30khy.png)

Fonts don’t exist in isolation. The right font depends on the layout, the graphics, and the overall tone of the design.

Playground now **suggests fonts based on the design you're working on**, helping surface options that pair well with your layout and style.

It’s a simple way to discover fonts that fit naturally with what you’re creating.

---

## Try the New Fonts

With thousands of fonts and better discovery tools, it’s now much easier to experiment with typography and find the right style for your design.

Browse templates and try the new fonts in your next project:

https://playground.com/design/explore

Fonts Just Got a Big Upgrade

We’ve just rolled out **Extract Text**, a new tool in Playground that lets you turn text from any template into editable layers.

Now, even templates that were previously flattened can be fully customized. 

Change the text, adjust fonts, modify spacing, and style it to fit your design, all without recreating anything from scratch.

---
## How to Use Extract Text

Using the tool is straightforward:

1. **Select a template** – Any template on Playground works, regardless of whether it already has layers.
2. **Run Extract Text** – The tool converts the text into editable layers.
3. **Edit your text** – Adjust the wording, font, color, size, or spacing directly in the editor.

**Note:** Running Extract Text will use credits from your account. The process usually takes 30–60 seconds while the system analyzes the image and rebuilds the text as editable layers.

![Frame 2147221308](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmjn4il0012001s63jbr0s9j.png)

----

## When the Extract Text Tool Works Best

The tool performs best with **simple, clean text**.

![Frame 2147221305](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmjltnzt00dv01s63nezezru.png)

Things like:

- Straightforward typography
- Single-color text
- Basic layouts without heavy effects

In these cases, the system can usually detect the text and recreate it as an editable layer fairly accurately.

Where it struggles is with **more complex typography**, such as:

- Curved text
- Heavy shadows or outlines
- Multi-color text effects
- Decorative borders or gradients

![Frame 2147221306](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmjltqym00dy01s6gd8sdwn8.png)

These styles make it harder to accurately reconstruct the original text.

That said, even when the result isn’t perfect, it can still give you a **strong starting point** that you can quickly refine.

---

## Example: Before and After

Below is an example of how Extract Text can be used in practice.

The first image shows a design where the text is completely flattened into the image.

After running Extract Text, the design becomes **properly layered and editable**.

![Frame 2147221307](https://images.playgroundai.com/user-uploads/cmhxhgcm702guumc2okoul1y2/cmmjn1wsv010q01s63kkfb7iq.png)

---


Editable text layers make templates far more flexible. You can update text without starting over, adjust designs quickly, and keep everything looking clean and consistent.

👉 Try it for yourself, pick any template and see how easy it is to edit: [Explore Templates](https://playground.com/design/explore)

Introducing Extract Text: Turn Flat Text Into Editable Layers

It’s with a warm heart that we’re excited to announce a new team is shaping the future of Playground. No the rumors aren’t true, we aren’t going away or slowing down in the slightest. The Playground you know and love is here to stay and we are just getting started!

So who are we? We’re a team of entrepreneurs with diverse startup backgrounds motivated by the future of AI and how it will redefine the human experience as we know it. Over the last month since the acquisition was finalized, we’ve grown close to the community and wake up every day to serve you to the best of our abilities. We are devoted to putting users first and delivering an experience that is magical.

We’re standing on the shoulders of giants and are immensely grateful for the previous teams efforts. They are innovators at heart who helped us foot in step during the transition process to minimize disruptions. Special thanks to Patrick, Justin, Alex, David, and Suhail — you guys rock!

There is more to come, we have some exciting product updates we’re looking forward to sharing with you soon. For now, we want this letter to serve as something steady and clear: a commitment that we will prioritize our community, communicate openly, and continuously put our best foot forward. We welcome any and all feedback from our users: candid, unfiltered, frustration, praise, we want to hear it all. If you’re interested in sharing your thoughts with us, please [reach out here](https://tally.so/r/5BXxpE).

If you care deeply about creative tools, thoughtful design, and building in the future of AI, we’d love to meet you and see if you’re a good fit for our team. You can learn more at [our hiring page](https://www.notion.so/Work-with-us-2a98b80b88dd80a5b068e851c2919b47?pvs=21).

Thank you for your patience, passion, and continued presence. We’re grateful to be part of the next chapter with you.

Onwards and upwards,

The Playground Team

Playground's Next Chapter

Our newest AI model Playground v3 (or "PGv3") is purpose-built for graphic design capabilities. 
We focused on being the best in the world at prompt understanding and control – pushing beyond aesthetics, which has become saturated as a benchmark. PGv3 outperforms all the most popular image models made in its class, as show in our [technical report](https://arxiv.org/html/2409.10695v1).  

Creating an AI graphic designer also requires introducing new model capabilities. Our research focused on improving control over visual communication, typography, color precision, and layout. We also introduce Argus, a new vision language model that can describe images better than a human could (or would want to). VLMs are a key component to improving our image model so that people to control every element of a design.
To learn more about PGv3's capabilities and performance, go to our [PGv3 landing page](https://www.playground.com/pg-v3). And for more specifics into our research methods, evaluations, and benchmark testing, please see our technical report on Arxiv. 

We're also hiring: [playground.com/jobs](https://playground.com/jobs)

Blog

Recent

Is Playground AI Free? Here's Exactly What You Get (2026)

Customize Class of 2026 Templates for Print-on-Demand (Step-by-Step)

Nano Banana vs Nano Banana Pro vs Nano Banana 2, Here's Which AI model to Actually Use

Explore all

Topics

Is Playground AI Free? Here's Exactly What You Get (2026)

Customize Class of 2026 Templates for Print-on-Demand (Step-by-Step)

Nano Banana vs Nano Banana Pro vs Nano Banana 2, Here's Which AI model to Actually Use

Turn Any Photo into Watercolor, Sketch, Vintage, or Custom Art Instantly

How to Remove Image Backgrounds in Seconds (No Photoshop Required)

Fonts Just Got a Big Upgrade

Introducing Extract Text: Turn Flat Text Into Editable Layers

Playground's Next Chapter

Introducing Playground v3