Generate Multiple Consistent Characters in Midjourney

Midjourney recently introduced Omni Reference. This is a powerful way to control the look of your images. One of the best uses right now is putting multiple consistent characters into one scene.

The Core Idea: Stitching Images

Right now, Midjourney lets you upload one Omni Reference image. To include multiple characters from a single reference file, you need to create a stitched image. This means putting your character references side-by-side in one picture.

It doesn't have to be perfect, but make sure the characters are in the same art style. Midjourney plans to allow multiple reference uploads later, but for now, stitching is necessary for multiple characters in one image file.

You can use this same method for characters and objects, characters and scenes, or even multiple images of the same character for better detail.

Why Just an Image Isn't Enough

Omni Reference alone doesn't automatically know how to use the content in your stitched image within the scene you want it to create. If you just use the stitched image with a simple prompt, you might get strange results. Midjourney might even try to combine your characters.

A Smarter Approach with Prompts

To get great results consistently, you need a well-structured Midjourney prompt. Combining a smart prompt with the stitched Omni Reference image helps guide Midjourney.

A good strategy is to describe the characters in a way that keeps them visible and distinct. Try switching back and forth when describing them in the prompt, making it clear who is who.

Using This Method Works

When you use a prompt designed for this purpose with your stitched character image, you'll find you get much better results. Midjourney will understand how to keep the characters separate and prominent in the scene.

This technique is a big step up from older character reference methods. It's especially good at keeping particular details consistent across images.

Handling Size Differences

Sometimes, Omni Reference on its own can struggle with needing one character to be bigger or taller than another, even if it's clear in the reference that one is an adult and one is a child. Midjourney might mix up who is larger.

You can overcome this by explaining the size difference in your prompt. Clearly state which character should be larger or taller. This helps Midjourney reliably show the correct scale in the generated images.

Advanced Tip: Use an In-Scene Reference

Once you've created an image of your characters together in a scene, you can use that image itself as the Omni Reference instead of the original stitched image. This can sometimes lead to even better results for future prompts using those characters.

Finding the Right Omni Reference Weight

Experimenting with the `--sw` (style weight or strength) parameter is key. A setting around 400 out of 1000 often works best. This keeps the characters looking like your reference without making the image look artificial or 'plasticky'. If the weight is too high, you might even see lines from the original stitched image appear in your final result.

Expect Varied Results and Improve Your Hit Rate

Your results won't always be perfect. Creating consistent characters, especially complex ones together in scenes, takes effort. The more you generate, the more good results you'll get. Using a smart prompting method increases your success rate and makes it easier to get the look you want.

Need a more efficient way to handle multiple characters and batch process creations? The Midjourney Automation Suite by TitanXT is designed to help streamline your workflow and improve consistency across large projects. Check it out to see how it can boost your creative output.

Character Prominence Matters

Consistency can drop if your character takes up less space (fewer pixels) in the image. Midjourney has trouble recreating characters accurately when they are small or hidden in the distance. If a character's consistency looks off because they are less prominent, try revising your prompt. Describe the scene so both characters are more visible and take up more space.

Sometimes, representing an idea visually in one shot that requires distant, small characters might not be possible with perfect consistency. You might need to consider if showing the scene differently, perhaps in two separate shots, is a better approach for consistency.

Remix for Improvement

If consistency is slightly off on an image that's otherwise good, you can try using the Remix subtle option. This lets you regenerate the image while changing the Omni Reference weight. Trying a higher weight like 600 or 700 during remix might help character consistency while keeping the original composition. It's not guaranteed to fix everything, but it can help quite a bit.

Remix strong is another option, but it will reimagine the composition as well as try to fix characters. In some cases, it's better just to run the prompt again or refine your prompt description.

Effort and Consistency Balance

There's always a balance in Midjourney between how much effort you put in and how consistent your results are. Even with and advanced features like Omni Reference, getting complex characters to look great together in scenes can be challenging.

Imagine being able to manage this process more easily, batching generations and fixing consistency issues across many scenes at once for a whole project like a book or video frames.

Tools are being developed to bridge this gap and make this effort much less. Keep an eye out for future updates on tools that can help combine editing power with batch processing for large Midjourney projects. In the meantime, explore how the right prompts and Omni Reference techniques can enhance your multi-character scenes.

Conclusion

Using a well-designed prompt with a stitched Omni Reference image is a powerful method for getting multiple consistent characters into your Midjourney scenes. By understanding how to guide the AI, handle size differences, and use techniques like Remix, you can significantly improve your results.

For those looking to scale their Midjourney character consistency across many images, consider exploring automation options. The Midjourney Automation Suite offered by TitanXT can help automate repetitive tasks and manage batch processing for projects requiring high consistency.

Keep experimenting with Omni Reference and prompt crafting to bring your multi-character visions to life.