Make Midjourney Characters Look Consistent Every Time

Creating the same character in multiple Midjourney images used to be hard. But now there's a great new feature. It's called Character Reference. In this post, you will learn how this tool works. We will cover things like changing how your character looks, what they wear, and even their expressions. The results you can get are really amazing.

How to Use the Character Reference Feature

Character consistency has improved a lot with this setting. You start by creating your main character image. Let's say you made an image of a woman with pink hair and unique facial features. You pick the best image from the results you get.

Once you have your main character image, copy its link. Then, in your prompt, you add [P]--cref [/P] followed by the image link. Midjourney will then try to make the new image's character look like the one in the link you provided.

When you try this, you will see that the new images show the same character. Even in different poses, the character is clear. Things like hair color and facial details carry over well. This works even when you add more description to your prompt.

Adding more detail in your prompt can help make the image look more polished. Things like describing the setting, lighting, and feeling can refine the final picture while keeping the character the same.

Quick Tip: Save Time with Shortcuts

Typing or pasting the image link every time takes time. You can create a shortcut for your character's link. Here's how you do it:

• Type [P]/prefer option set[/P].

• Click "option". Type a name for your shortcut (like "Zoe1").

• Click "value". Paste your character's image link here.

• Press Enter.

Now, instead of pasting the link, you just type [P]--cref -- Zoe1[/P] (or whatever name you chose) in your prompt. This is very helpful if you use the same character often.

Using Photos Not Made in Midjourney

What about using a photo you took yourself or a photo of a famous person? Right now, this does not work well. Midjourney has features that change faces from outside photos. This is likely a security measure. So, the tool works best for characters you create inside Midjourney.

Changing Your Character's Look

The Character Reference tool is good at keeping the character's face the same. But what if you want to change their clothes or hair? This is possible using the Character Weight setting.

Understanding Character Weight (--cw)

Character Weight ([P]--cw[/P]) controls how much the original reference image affects the new image, especially the clothing and hair. The value goes from 0 to 100.

• [P]--cw 100:[/P] This is the default setting. It strongly tries to keep the original clothing and hair from your reference image. If your character reference shows a gray top, the results with [P]--cw 100[/P] will likely show a gray top, even if your prompt asks for different clothes.

• [P]--cw 0:[/P] This tells Midjourney to focus only on the character's face for consistency. It ignores the clothing, hairstyle, and other details from the reference image. This lets you describe completely new clothing or hairstyles in your prompt, and the character will wear them.

By changing the [P]--cw[/P] value between 0 and 100 (like 25, 50, 75), you can blend the original clothing with the clothing you describe in the prompt. A lower number means the prompt's clothing description has more effect.

Want to make this whole process smoother and faster? The TitanXT Midjourney Automation Suite can manage your prompts, images, and character references easily. Check it out to streamline your workflow.

Adjusting Hair and Adding Accessories

Using [P]--cw 0[/P], you can also change your character's hairstyle. For example, you can ask for pink braided hair instead of straight hair, and Midjourney can create it.

You can also add items or accessories. Things like wearing a hood or sci-fi goggles can be added through the prompt, especially with a low [P]--cw[/P] value. The tool does a good job of placing these items on the character.

Character Interactions and Full Shots

You can have your character hold or interact with items, like a bow and arrow. Sometimes the first tries might not look perfect, but generating more variations usually gives good results.

Getting a full body shot of your character can be tricky as Midjourney often zooms in on the face. To get more of the body in the image, you need to be specific in your prompt. Describe their clothing fully (like "wearing a blouse and skirt" or "taking her shoes off") using [P]--cw 0[/P]. Listing details like shoes helps Midjourney try to include them in the shot.

Showing Different Feelings and Multiple Characters

You can also guide Midjourney to show different feelings on your character's face using the prompt. Simple prompts like "very sad woman," "woman smiling and laughing," or "woman looking angry" can create images with the character showing those emotions. Happy, scared, or excited feelings work well too.

Handling Multiple Characters

Using Character Reference with more than one person in the image can be challenging. By default, Midjourney might try to put your reference character's face on *everyone* in the picture.

To fix this, you need to use the Very Region tool. Generate the multi-person image first. Then, use Very Region to select the head of the person you want to change. In the prompt box for Very Region, add a description for that person (like "a handsome man") and their specific [P]--cref[/P] link. This helps replace the selected area with the correct character's face. It might take a few tries to get it just right.

Running many Very Region jobs can add up. Consider using a tool like the TitanXT Midjourney Automation Suite to manage complex edits like Very Region swaps across multiple images.

[H3]More Uses for Very Region[/H2]

The Very Region tool is helpful for other changes too. You can select an area, like the character's hair, and ask for a different hairstyle (like a French bob or a ponytail). You can also select part of the image to add items, like sunglasses.

You can even change the color of something specific, like the hair, using Very Region and describing the color you want.

Adding Style with Style Reference (--sref)

Besides keeping the character the same, you can also make your character images look like a specific art style. This is done with Style Reference ([P]--sref[/P]). Add [P]--sref [/P] followed by the link to an image that has the style you want.

For example, if you want your character to look like a hand-drawn sketch, find an image that already has that sketch style. Use that image's link with [P]--sref[/P] in your prompt, along with your character's [P]--cref[/P] link. You can also add style words (like "rough pencil sketch style") to the prompt.

Understanding Style Weight (--sw)

Like Character Weight, there's Style Weight ([P]--sw[/P]). This controls how much the reference style image affects the new image. The value goes from 0 to 1000.

• [P]--sw 1000:[/P] The new image will look very much like the style reference image. If the style reference is a sketch, the result will look heavily sketched.

• [P]--sw 0:[/P] The new image will look more like a typical Midjourney image based on your prompt and character, but with slight hints or textures from the style reference, sometimes around the edges.

Adjusting [P]--sw[/P] lets you blend styles. A value like 250, 500, or 750 will apply the style more noticeably than 0 but less strongly than 1000. This lets you get effects like a character in a scene with faint sketch lines or brush strokes.

Final Thoughts

The Character Reference tool is a big step for creating consistent characters in Midjourney. You can keep the core look of your character while changing their clothes, expressions, poses, and even the overall style of the image using Character Weight and Style Reference.

Exploring these features can greatly improve your image creation. Keep practicing and trying different settings to see all the possibilities.

If you want to work with characters and styles more efficiently, check out the TitanXT Midjourney Automation Suite. It can help you manage your prompts and scale up your image generation projects with consistent results.