# Jeremylongshore Claude Code Plugins Plus Skills Ideogram Cost Tuning > Ideogram Cost Tuning - Skill: `tomevault-io/jeremylongshore-claude-code-plugins-plus-skills-ideogram-cos` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/jeremylongshore-claude-code-plugins-plus-skills-ideogram-cos` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/jeremylongshore-claude-code-plugins-plus-skills-ideogram-cos/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/jeremylongshore-claude-code-plugins-plus-skills-ideogram-cos --- # Ideogram Cost Tuning ## Overview Minimize Ideogram API spending by selecting the right model per task, caching identical prompts, batching images per call, and tracking credit burn rate. Ideogram bills per image generated at a flat rate that varies by model and rendering speed. ## Pricing Reference | Model / Speed | Approx. Cost per Image | Best For | |---------------|------------------------|----------| | V_2_TURBO | ~$0.05 | Drafts, iteration, testing | | V_2 | ~$0.08 | Final production assets | | V3 FLASH | ~$0.03-0.04 | Quick previews | | V3 TURBO | ~$0.05 | Good quality at speed | | V3 DEFAULT | ~$0.06-0.08 | Standard production | | V3 QUALITY | ~$0.09+ | Premium deliverables | | + Character ref | +$0.02-0.04 | Consistent character faces | *Prices approximate; check [ideogram.ai/features/api-pricing](https://ideogram.ai/features/api-pricing) for current rates.* ## Instructions ### Step 1: Two-Phase Generation Workflow ```typescript // Draft with TURBO (cheap), finalize with V_2 (quality) async function costEfficientGeneration(prompt: string, iterations = 5) { // Phase 1: Generate drafts cheaply const drafts = []; for (let i = 0; i < iterations; i++) { const result = await generateImage(prompt, { model: "V_2_TURBO" }); drafts.push(result); } // Cost: 5 x $0.05 = $0.25 // Phase 2: Pick best seed, regenerate at full quality const bestSeed = await selectBestDraft(drafts); // manual or automated const final = await generateImage(prompt, { model: "V_2", seed: bestSeed }); // Cost: 1 x $0.08 = $0.08 // Total: $0.33 instead of $0.40 (5 x V_2) return final; } ``` ### Step 2: Batch Images Per Call ```typescript // Single API call for up to 4 images costs the same as 4 separate calls // BUT saves latency (one round-trip instead of four) async function generateVariations(prompt: string) { const response = await fetch("https://api.ideogram.ai/generate", { method: "POST", headers: { "Api-Key": process.env.IDEOGRAM_API_KEY!, "Content-Type": "application/json", }, body: JSON.stringify({ image_request: { prompt, model: "V_2_TURBO", num_images: 4, // 4 images in one call magic_prompt_option: "AUTO", }, }), }); const result = await response.json(); return result.data; // 4 image objects } ``` ### Step 3: Cache Identical Prompts ```typescript import { createHash } from "crypto"; const cache = new Map(); const CACHE_TTL_MS = 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; // 7 days function promptKey(prompt: string, style: string, model: string): string { return createHash("md5").update(`${prompt}:${style}:${model}`).digest("hex"); } async function cachedGeneration(prompt: string, style = "AUTO", model = "V_2") { const key = promptKey(prompt, style, model); const cached = cache.get(key); if (cached && Date.now() - cached.cachedAt < CACHE_TTL_MS) { console.log("Cache hit -- saved one generation credit"); return cached; } const result = await generateImage(prompt, { style_type: style, model }); // Download and store locally before caching (URLs expire) const localPath = await downloadImage(result.data[0].url); cache.set(key, { url: localPath, seed: result.data[0].seed, cachedAt: Date.now(), }); return cache.get(key); } ``` ### Step 4: Budget Tracking ```typescript interface CostTracker { totalImages: number; totalCostUSD: number; byModel: Record; dailyBudgetUSD: number; } const tracker: CostTracker = { totalImages: 0, totalCostUSD: 0, byModel: {}, dailyBudgetUSD: 10, // $10/day cap }; const MODEL_COSTS: Record = { V_2_TURBO: 0.05, V_2: 0.08, V_2A: 0.04, V_2A_TURBO: 0.025, }; function trackGeneration(model: string, numImages: number) { const costPerImage = MODEL_COSTS[model] ?? 0.08; const cost = costPerImage * numImages; tracker.totalImages += numImages; tracker.totalCostUSD += cost; if (!tracker.byModel[model]) tracker.byModel[model] = { count: 0, cost: 0 }; tracker.byModel[model].count += numImages; tracker.byModel[model].cost += cost; // Budget alert if (tracker.totalCostUSD > tracker.dailyBudgetUSD * 0.8) { console.warn(`Budget warning: $${tracker.totalCostUSD.toFixed(2)} of $${tracker.dailyBudgetUSD}/day`); } if (tracker.totalCostUSD > tracker.dailyBudgetUSD) { throw new Error(`Daily budget exceeded: $${tracker.totalCostUSD.toFixed(2)}`); } } function costReport() { console.log("=== Ideogram Cost Report ==="); console.log(`Total images: ${tracker.totalImages}`); console.log(`Total cost: $${tracker.totalCostUSD.toFixed(2)}`); for (const [model, data] of Object.entries(tracker.byModel)) { console.log(` ${model}: ${data.count} images, $${data.cost.toFixed(2)}`); } } ``` ### Step 5: Billing Auto Top-Up Configuration ``` Ideogram Dashboard > Settings > API Beta > Billing: Recommended settings: Top-up Balance: $20.00 (default) Minimum Threshold: $10.00 (default) Conservative (small projects): Top-up Balance: $10.00 Minimum Threshold: $5.00 Enterprise: Contact partnership@ideogram.ai for volume pricing 1M+ images/month for custom rates ``` ## Cost Optimization Checklist - [ ] Use V_2_TURBO for iteration, V_2 for final assets only - [ ] Cache identical prompts (7-day TTL) - [ ] Batch with `num_images: 4` where possible - [ ] Track daily spend with budget alerts - [ ] Use V3 FLASH for UI previews and thumbnails - [ ] Download images immediately (regeneration = double cost) - [ ] Set conservative auto top-up limits ## Error Handling | Issue | Cause | Solution | |-------|-------|----------| | 402 credits exhausted | Balance depleted | Top up in dashboard, check auto top-up | | Regenerating same images | No cache | Cache by prompt hash | | High daily cost | Using V_2 for everything | Draft with TURBO, finalize with V_2 | | Unexpected charges | High-res for thumbnails | Match model to use case | ## Output - Two-phase generation workflow (draft then finalize) - Prompt-based cache preventing duplicate charges - Budget tracker with daily spending alerts - Cost report by model version ## Resources - [Ideogram API Pricing](https://ideogram.ai/features/api-pricing) - [API Billing Setup](https://developer.ideogram.ai/ideogram-api/api-setup) ## Next Steps For architecture patterns, see `ideogram-reference-architecture`. --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/jeremylongshore) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.