Simple Ways to Craft Great Images with Midjourney

Creating unique images is easier than ever with tools like Midjourney. Whether you're a beginner or looking to improve your results, understanding how to guide the AI is key. This guide breaks down simple steps to help you make the visuals you imagine.

Getting Started: Your First Prompt

Think of a Midjourney prompt as telling a story to the AI about the image you want. Be clear and direct. What is the main subject? What is it doing? Where is it? What is the style?

• Start simple: "A cat sitting on a fence."

• Add detail: "A fluffy orange cat sitting on a worn wooden fence, sun setting in the background."

• Specify style: "A fluffy orange cat sitting on a worn wooden fence, sun setting in the background, painted in the style of Monet."

The more descriptive you are, the better the AI can understand your vision.

Refining Your Images with Parameters

Parameters are like settings that come after your main prompt. They start with two dashes (--). They help you control things like the shape of the image or how stylistic it is.

Changing the Shape: Aspect Ratio

The `--ar` parameter controls the width and height ratio. A common one is `--ar 16:9` for wide images, like a movie screen. `--ar 9:16` makes a tall image, good for phones. `--ar 1:1` is a square, which is the default.

Example: "A spaceship flying through colorful nebulae --ar 16:9"

Controlling Style

The `--s` parameter can influence how artistic or loose the AI is. A higher number makes the image more abstract or stylistic, while a lower number tends to be more literal. Try different values like `--s 100`, `--s 500`, or `--s 750` to see the effect.

Tips for Better Results

Experimentation is your best friend in Midjourney. Try changing one thing at a time in your prompt or parameters to see how it affects the output. Don't be afraid to reroll or make variations of images you like.

Using Image Prompts

You can start your prompt with an image URL. This tells Midjourney to use that image as inspiration for style or composition. Just put the URL at the very beginning of your prompt before any text.

Combining Ideas

Using commas or listing distinct concepts can help Midjourney understand different elements you want in the image. You can also use "weights" by adding `::` after a word to give it more or less importance, though starting simple is often best.

As you create more images, managing your prompts and generated art can become a lot of work. If you are generating many images or need to keep track of different versions and styles, exploring automation can save significant time. Consider the Midjourney Automation Suite to streamline repetitive tasks and organize your creations more efficiently.

Exploring Different Models

Midjourney updates its AI model regularly. You can often choose a different version using the `--v` parameter, like `--v 6`. Each model has a slightly different style and understanding of prompts. Trying newer or older versions can yield surprisingly different results.

Streamlining Your Creative Process

Finding prompts that work well is a process. You can save preferred styles or common prompt parts using the `/prefer` command in Midjourney, creating shortcuts for yourself. This saves typing and helps maintain consistency.

For creators who generate a large volume of images, or businesses that rely on consistent visual output, manual processes can be slow. Tools designed for automation can help you scale your creative workflow. The Midjourney Automation Suite offers features aimed at automating prompting, variations, and image management, allowing you to focus more on creative direction and less on repetitive clicks.

Conclusion

Creating images with Midjourney is a mix of telling the AI what you want and exploring what it can do. Start with clear prompts, use simple parameters to refine your vision, and experiment often. Practice is the best way to learn what works for you.

Ready to take your Midjourney work to the next level and spend less time on manual tasks? Learn more about how the Midjourney Automation Suite can help automate and enhance your creative workflow.