How to Get a Consistent Style in Midjourney with Style Reference

A Midjourney generated image using Midjourney Automation Suite

Getting a consistent look across your AI-generated images has just gotten much easier. Midjourney recently added a new feature called Style Reference, or `--sref`. This tool lets you use an existing image to guide the artistic style of your new creations. It works in both Midjourney V6 and Niji V6.

Using `--sref` is simpler than the older Style Tuner. It's also a step toward better character consistency, which is something Midjourney has mentioned as coming soon. Let's see how this new feature works.

Using a Single Style Reference Image

Here is the basic way to use the Style Reference feature:

• Start with your text prompt describing what you want in the image.

• Add the parameter `--sref` after your prompt.

• Add a space, then paste the direct URL of the image you want Midjourney to use as a style guide.

Midjourney will look at the aesthetics of the reference image and try to apply that overall look and feel to your new result. For example, if you use an image with a sketchy drawing style, your new images will likely have a similar sketchy look. If you use a picture with soft, dreamy pastel colors, the generated images should reflect that style.

Trying Different Styles

You can experiment with different types of images as your style reference. A picture with strong contrast and neon highlights will give your results a similar punchy, vibrant style. The key is that Midjourney focuses on the *style* elements–colors, lighting, brushstrokes, overall mood–not the content of the reference image itself.

Creating many images with a similar look can be time-consuming. Tools like the TitanXT Midjourney Automator can help streamline the process of generating and managing images while maintaining consistent styles.

Controlling Style Strength (--ssw)

Just as you can control the strength of Midjourney's default style using `--stylize`, there is a parameter to control how strongly the reference style is applied: `--ssw` (Style Style Weight).

By increasing the value after `--ssw`, you are asking Midjourney to apply the reference style more heavily. While this feature is available, results can vary, and it may not work consistently yet, as it's still experimental. Keep an eye out for updates on this.

Using Multiple Style References

If you want to blend styles from more than one image, you can provide multiple URLs after `--sref`. Just separate each URL with a space.

You can also set relative weights if you want one style to be stronger than another. This works much like multi-prompting. After an image URL, add `::` followed by a number. A higher number means that image's style has more influence.

• Example: `--sref URL1 URL2::3` (URL2's style is three times stronger than URL1's).

Using and managing multiple style references for different projects can become complex. Consider using the TitanXT Midjourney Automator to manage your reference images and prompts efficiently, making complex style combinations easier to handle.

Style Reference vs. Image Prompting

It's important to understand that `--sref` is different from placing an image URL at the beginning of your prompt (which is called image prompting).

With an image prompt (URL at the start), Midjourney uses the *entire content* of the image as part of the prompt. It tries to include the subject matter, composition, and also the style.

With Style Reference (`--sref` later in the prompt), Midjourney focuses *only* on the overall style and aesthetics of the reference image. It does not try to put the actual objects or scene from the reference image into your new result.

For instance, if you use a sketchy robot image with `--sref`, you'll get new subjects drawn in a sketchy style. If you use that same image as an *image prompt*, you might start seeing the robot itself appear in your results, drawn in that sketchy style.

Conclusion

The new `--sref` feature in Midjourney V6 is a powerful and easy way to achieve consistent styles across your image generations. By simply adding a reference image URL, you can guide the look and feel of your results. While some parts, like style weighting, are still being refined, the core feature works very well.

Experiment with different images and see what styles you can create! For users who generate many images or need precise style control across projects, the TitanXT Midjourney Automator can provide valuable assistance, helping you manage prompts, reference images, and outputs effectively.

Give `--sref` a try and have fun exploring new consistent looks for your AI art!