Use Imagen 4 Standard from Claude Code

Imagen 4 Standard is Google's balanced Imagen tier, offering most of Ultra's quality at a 30% credit discount. Best when you want Google Imagen aesthetics without the Ultra premium.

If you use Claude Code and you want Imagen 4 Standard available as a native tool that the agent can call directly, the AetherWave MCP server wires it up in one command. No SDK to learn, no separate API key per provider, no polling loop to write.

Install in 30 seconds

Run this from your terminal:

Get your API key at your Profile page under the Developer tab. New accounts start with free credits to try it without spending anything.

Quick facts

How to use it

Once the MCP is installed, you can ask Claude Code naturally. It'll pick Imagen 4 Standard from the model-selection rubric in the tool description when your prompt matches its strengths (balanced photoreal image generation).

Example interaction:

Claude Code calls aetherwave_generate_image with model: "imagen-4" and returns the finished asset URL. The result auto-saves to your AetherWave gallery (Cloudflare R2 hosted, no URL expiration).

Sample prompts that work well

When to pick Imagen 4 Standard

Imagen 4 Standard shines for:

• Mid-budget photoreal work
• Stock photography style images
• Editorial use where Ultra isn't needed
• Brand work with consistent lighting
• Bulk generation where the Ultra premium adds up

How it compares

vs imagen-4-ultra at 17 cr: Standard at 12 cr saves 30% per image with slightly less detail. Pick Standard for bulk work, Ultra for hero shots.

Run aetherwave_list_image_models from Claude Code to see the full live catalog with pricing.

Cost

Flat 12 credits per image. Single output. The balanced tier between Imagen 4 Fast and Imagen 4 Ultra.

Credits come from your AetherWave account. Plans:

• Free: Starter credits on signup plus 80 cr from one-time community quests
• Studio: $9.99/mo, 1,700 credits monthly, cancel anytime
• One-time bundles: from $4.99 (500 cr) up to $79.99 (9,000 cr). Bundle credits never expire.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install AetherWave MCP in Claude Code?

One command (shown above). Then restart Claude Code. The agent will have Imagen 4 Standard available as part of the aetherwave_generate_image tool with 1 output(s) per call.

How do I use Imagen 4 Standard from Claude Code?

Just describe what you want. The agent picks Imagen 4 Standard when your prompt matches its strengths (balanced photoreal image generation). You can also explicitly request it by passing model: "imagen-4" in the tool call.

What does Imagen 4 Standard cost per generation?

Flat 12 credits per image. Single output. The balanced tier between Imagen 4 Fast and Imagen 4 Ultra. Credits come from your AetherWave account (Studio sub from $9.99/mo or one-time bundles from $4.99/500 cr).