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Midjourney’s easiest current workflow is web-based: open midjourney.com, go to Create, enter a prompt in the Imagine bar, and submit it. Midjourney returns a grid of four images that you can vary, reroll, expand, edit, and download.
You need a Midjourney account and a paid subscription. Before uploading references or publishing results, also check image rights, privacy settings, and the difference between Midjourney’s usage policy and copyright law.
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What Midjourney does
Midjourney is a subscription-based generative-image platform available through its website and Discord. It turns text prompts, image prompts, references, and parameters into images for concept art, illustrations, portraits, product scenes, editorial visuals, environments, and other creative work.
It is not a conventional photo editor. Use Midjourney to explore and generate visual ideas; use the web Editor or a dedicated editing application when you need precise, surgical changes to an existing photograph.
Midjourney’s official documentation currently lists V8.1 as live. Model versions change, and parameters do not necessarily work identically in V8.1, V7, Niji, or the Editor. Check the current official documentation when a control behaves unexpectedly.
What you need before starting
- A Midjourney account.
- A paid subscription. Midjourney requires a subscription before you can generate images.
- Access to midjourney.com, or Discord if you prefer the command-based workflow.
- A description of the image you want, and optionally a reference image.
- Permission to upload any reference image, especially when it contains another person’s work, private material, or a recognizable individual.
Creations are public by default in important respects. A private Discord message or private server does not automatically make a generation private on Midjourney’s website. If confidentiality matters, review Midjourney’s privacy guidance before generating.
How to create your first Midjourney image on the web
- Go to midjourney.com and sign in.
- Open Create.
- Click the Imagine bar.
- Type a description of the image.
- Press Enter or click the send button.
- Wait for the four-image grid.
- Open the strongest result and choose a variation, reroll, zoom, pan, or Editor action.
- Download the finished image.
Try this complete first prompt:
editorial portrait of an astronaut repairing a greenhouse on Mars, warm sunrise light, cinematic photography, detailed glass reflections --ar 16:9The aspect-ratio parameter asks for a wide image suitable for a video frame, presentation, or website hero. You can also begin with a simpler prompt:
a small red fox reading beside a campfire in a snowy pine forest, cozy storybook illustrationThe first grid is a set of directions, not necessarily a finished image. Select the option with the best composition and refine that image instead of expecting the first attempt to be perfect.
The current web Create page includes visual controls for model selection, aspect ratio, Raw mode, stylization, weirdness, variety, GPU speed, and—where your plan supports it—Stealth mode. It also supports uploaded references. See the official web-creation guide for current labels.
Website or Discord?
The website is the better starting point for most beginners because Create and Organize put prompts, settings, uploads, and previous work in one visual interface. Discord remains useful if you already work there or prefer commands.
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Discord workflow
- Open Discord.
- Join the official Midjourney server, or use a server where the Midjourney Bot has been invited.
- Enter a permitted
#general,#newbie, or designated channel. - Type
/imagine. - Enter your prompt and submit it.
- Choose an image from the four-image grid, then use the available variation, reroll, zoom, or pan controls.
Archived newbie-11 and higher channels are no longer usable. Useful commands include:
/imagine prompt: a quiet mountain observatory under the northern lights --ar 3:2
/info
/settings/info shows account information such as subscription details and remaining Fast GPU time. /settings controls defaults such as the model and stylization. Discord labels and defaults can change, so confirm what appears in your account.
How to write an effective Midjourney prompt
Do not treat a prompt as a pile of magic keywords. Give Midjourney a coherent description and make the most important visual decisions explicit. A useful structure is:
[subject] + [action or pose] + [setting] + [composition] + [lighting] + [medium or style] + [color or constraints] + [parameters]- Subject: what should appear—person, animal, building, object, landscape, or abstract form.
- Action or pose: what the subject is doing and how it is positioned.
- Setting: the location, time, season, or surrounding objects.
- Composition: close-up, wide shot, overhead view, centered subject, profile, three-quarter view, or negative space.
- Lighting: golden-hour sunlight, studio lighting, candlelight, overcast daylight, or neon rim light.
- Medium: editorial photography, watercolor, oil painting, 3D render, screen print, or architectural visualization.
- Color: muted earth tones, monochrome, saturated primary colors, or a limited palette.
- Constraints: plain background, isolated object, no border, or empty space on the right for text.
- Parameters: technical controls placed at the end.
Compare a vague prompt:
fox, forest, nice, beautiful, fantasy, detailedwith a more useful one:
a small red fox reading beside a campfire in a snowy pine forest, three-quarter view, cozy storybook illustration, soft blue moonlight and orange firelight, detailed fur, clean composition --ar 3:2 --s 250The second prompt communicates subject, action, environment, viewpoint, medium, light, and composition. If the output is wrong, change one decision at a time so you can tell what helped.
Midjourney parameters beginners should know
Parameters normally go at the end of the prompt. The official parameter list is the authority for model-specific compatibility.
Aspect ratio: --ar
--ar 1:1
--ar 16:9
--ar 9:16
--ar 3:2The default is 1:1. Use 16:9 for a landscape frame, 9:16 for vertical mobile content, 1:1 for square graphics, and 3:2 for a photographic composition. Aspect ratio controls proportions, not final pixel dimensions. Midjourney expects whole-number ratios rather than decimal values; convert a decimal to a ratio first. Extremely wide or tall formats may be less predictable. Details are in the aspect-ratio guide.
Stylize: --s
--s 50
--s 250
--s 750The latest documentation lists a default of 100 and a range of 0–1000. Lower values tend to follow the prompt more literally; higher values give Midjourney more artistic freedom and can make it drift from specific instructions. See Stylize.
Chaos or Variety: --c
--c 0
--c 25
--c 75The documented range is 0–100, with 0 as the default. Higher values make the four results more different and less predictable. On the website, this control may be called Variety; Discord commonly calls it Chaos. See Chaos / Variety.
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Negative prompting: --no
a clean product photo of a ceramic mug on a white tabletop --no text, logo, watermark--no can reduce unwanted elements but is not a guarantee. For important typography, generate the image without lettering and add type in a design application.
Image weight: --iw
When using an image prompt in Discord, put the image URL at the beginning of the prompt:
https://example.com/reference.jpg elegant travel poster for Kyoto in spring --iw 2 --ar 2:3--iw controls how strongly the image influences the result. The documented ranges are model-dependent, including 0–3 for V7 and V8.1 and 0–2 for Niji 7. An image prompt guides content, composition, color, and visual direction; it does not copy the source exactly. Read Image Prompts.
HD and seed
V8.1 supports HD image generation through --hd, intended for higher-resolution 2K images without upscaling. Confirm that the option is supported by the model and workflow you selected.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA seed can help you compare experiments or reproduce a similar generation, but it is not a permanent identity lock. Changing the prompt, model, parameters, or Midjourney’s underlying system can change the result.
How to refine an image that is nearly right
- Reroll: generate a new set from the same prompt.
- Variation: create alternatives based on a selected image.
- Subtle variation: preserve more of the selected composition.
- Strong variation: make a larger change to pose, subject, or arrangement.
- Select or upscale: isolate a chosen image from the grid for further work. This does not always mean a simple 2K or 4K enlargement.
- Zoom Out: extend the scene beyond the original framing.
- Pan: expand the image in a chosen direction.
- Editor: erase, retexture, remix, inpaint through Vary Region, pan, or zoom.
A practical recovery sequence is: choose the closest result, try a subtle variation if the composition works, use a strong variation if the structure is wrong, and use Vary Region or Editor when only one local area needs repair. Rewrite the prompt around the desired correction rather than adding a long list of adjectives.
There is an important version caveat: V8.1 images can be edited, but the current Editor functionality uses V6.1. The Editor documentation explains the current behavior.
How to use image prompts and references
On the web Create page, an uploaded image can be assigned different roles:
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- Image Prompt: guides content, composition, colors, and general direction.
- Style Reference: guides visual appearance without necessarily reproducing the source subject.
- Omni Reference: helps maintain a character or object across V7 generations.
- Starting Frame: used for video workflows, not ordinary still-image generation.
The web Create page supports uploaded images up to 10 MB. Crop a reference to match the target aspect ratio where possible. If the reference is not being followed, check the file size, its assigned role, the crop, contradictions between the image and text prompt, and whether image weight needs adjustment.
Omni Reference can improve character or object continuity, but it does not guarantee an identical face, costume, product, or character in every image. Consistent descriptions, similar aspect ratios, the same model, a stable visual style, and saved prompts can help. Seed experiments may help compare results but cannot guarantee continuity.
Only upload images you are allowed to use. Midjourney’s Editor guidelines prohibit abusive, offensive, or harmful manipulation of real people, including sexualized deepfakes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Privacy: what “private” does and does not mean
Midjourney is open by default. Images may appear on the Explore page, including creations made in private Discord servers or direct messages. Stealth mode is available only on Pro and Mega plans and controls visibility on the Midjourney website; images made in shared Discord spaces can still be visible to people in those spaces. Review Stealth Mode and Keeping Your Creations Private before using confidential client material.
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Midjourney plans and pricing
The following prices and features are those listed in Midjourney’s official comparison documentation retrieved in August 2026. Plans automatically renew, annual billing is listed as 20% cheaper, and features may change.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Fast GPU time | Relax images | Stealth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $10 | $96 | 3.3 hours / 200 minutes | No | No |
| Standard | $30 | $288 | 15 hours | Unlimited | No |
| Pro | $60 | $576 | 30 hours | Unlimited images and SD video | Yes |
| Mega | $120 | $1,152 | 60 hours | Unlimited images and SD video | Yes |
Check the official plan comparison before subscribing. Basic suits occasional experiments. Standard is the practical choice for frequent image creation because it adds unlimited image generation in Relax mode. Relax is not unlimited fast generation and may queue more slowly. Pro is appropriate for client work, higher Fast GPU usage, and website privacy. Mega is for heavier production workloads.
Can you use Midjourney images commercially?
Midjourney’s commercial-use policy says users own images and videos they create, including after cancellation, subject to its stated exceptions. A business grossing more than $1 million per year must use a Pro or Mega plan for commercial use. If you upscale another user’s image, Midjourney says the original creator owns it and permission is required.
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Those platform usage rules are not the same as a guarantee of copyright protection. Copyright eligibility depends on jurisdiction and the amount of human authorship involved. Midjourney says it cannot provide copyright advice; consult a lawyer for a consequential commercial, publishing, or client matter. Read Using Images and Videos Commercially.
Midjourney alternatives
Midjourney is a strong fit for polished concept art, stylized illustration, cinematic imagery, editorial visuals, and rapid exploration. It is a weaker fit if you need inexpensive private generation, exact photographic editing, guaranteed typography, local or offline generation, a clearly defined legal indemnity policy, or API automation. Midjourney’s Community Guidelines say it generally does not provide an API and prohibit automating interactions except for limited permitted cases.
- Adobe Firefly: useful for Adobe Creative Cloud workflows. Adobe says its models are designed with safeguards, are not trained on users’ content, and do not claim ownership of users’ content. These are Adobe’s stated policies, not a universal legal guarantee. Read Adobe’s explanation.
- Canva AI / Magic Media: better suited to presentations, social graphics, thumbnails, posters, and design workflows. Canva’s AI terms place responsibility for inputs and outputs on users and say Canva will not claim copyright ownership of them. Read Canva’s AI terms.
Midjourney troubleshooting
The image is almost right, but one detail is wrong
Start with a subtle variation. If the pose or arrangement needs a larger change, use a strong variation. If only one area is wrong, use Vary Region or Editor instead of regenerating the entire image.
The subject keeps changing
Use Omni Reference where supported, keep the description and broad style consistent, use similar aspect ratios and the same model, and save successful prompts. Treat references and seeds as aids—not guarantees.
The image contains text or logos
Try --no text, logo, watermark, but inspect the result. For reliable lettering, add text afterward in a design application.
The reference image is weakly followed
Verify the file size and role, crop it to the target ratio, remove contradictory instructions, and adjust --iw where supported. An Image Prompt provides guidance rather than an exact copy.
The prompt is blocked
Do not try to bypass filters. Rewrite the request as a lawful, non-harmful concept or choose another legitimate subject. Midjourney’s Editor documentation says blocked jobs do not cost credits and GPU time is deducted only when results are shown.
I need to find or organize old images
Use Organize to filter and sort creations, download files, and place them into folders. Save the untouched generation before editing if you may need both versions. The Editor also provides separate download options for the generated image and the transparent PNG of erased areas.
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A repeatable workflow
- Describe the subject and the visual outcome.
- Choose the aspect ratio before generating.
- Generate four options.
- Select the strongest composition.
- Use a variation, zoom, pan, or Editor action.
- Download and organize the result.
- Verify image rights, commercial eligibility, and privacy before publishing.
