Setup and Getting Started

Midjourney is the leading AI art generator. Getting started takes just a few minutes.

Step 1: Join Discord

Midjourney runs entirely on Discord. If you don't have Discord, download it (free) from discord.com and create an account.

Step 2: Join Midjourney Server

Go to midjourney.com and click "Sign In" → "Join the Beta." This adds you to the official Midjourney Discord server.

Step 3: Subscribe

Use the `/subscribe` command in the Discord or visit midjourney.com/account to choose a plan:

Plan Price Fast GPU Hours Best For
Basic $8/mo 3.3 hours/month Casual users, hobbyists
Standard $16/mo 15 hours/month Regular creators, portfolio building
Pro $30/mo 30 hours/month Professional artists, commercial use

Step 4: Start Creating

You can now use the `/imagine` command in any Midjourney channel. Try a simple prompt first to get comfortable.

The /imagine Command

The core of Midjourney is the `/imagine` command. It takes your text description and generates an image.

Basic Format

/imagine [your detailed prompt]

Simple Example

/imagine A serene mountain field at sunset, oil painting style, warm golden light

Midjourney generates 4 image variations. You can then:

  • U1-U4: Upscale one of the images (make it larger and add detail)
  • V1-V4: Generate variations of one image (similar but different)
  • Refresh: Re-generate all 4 with the same prompt

Prompt Structure Basics

The quality of your output depends on prompt quality. Follow this structure for best results:

Formula: Subject + Medium + Style + Mood + Details

Example broken down:

Subject: A young woman with flowing red hair
Medium: Digital painting
Style: Cyberpunk, neon lights
Mood: Determined, serious expression
Details: Holographic interfaces, dark background, 4k, ultra detailed

Full prompt: A young woman with flowing red hair, digital painting, cyberpunk style with neon lights, determined expression, holographic interfaces surrounding her, dark moody background, 4k ultra detailed --v 5.2

Better Prompts Checklist

Include:

  • Clear subject matter (what's the main focus?)
  • Artistic medium (oil painting, 3D render, photography, digital art)
  • Style references (cyberpunk, surreal, minimalist, baroque)
  • Mood and atmosphere (dark, bright, peaceful, chaotic)
  • Composition hints (wide angle, close-up, bird's eye view)
  • Lighting description (golden hour, neon, dramatic shadows)
  • Quality notes (4k, highly detailed, photorealistic)

Avoid:

  • Vague descriptions ("a nice picture")
  • Too many conflicting styles
  • Negation in prompts (instead of "not ugly," say "beautiful")
  • Overly long prompts (150-200 words is ideal)

Style Keywords and Inspiration

Specific style keywords dramatically improve results. Use these as inspiration:

Artistic Mediums

  • Oil painting, watercolor, acrylic, pen and ink
  • Digital painting, vector art, pixel art
  • Photography, cinematic, photorealistic
  • 3D render, CGI, ray tracing
  • Illustration, comic book, graphic novel

Art Styles

  • Classic: Renaissance, Baroque, Impressionism, Art Nouveau
  • Modern: Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract, Minimalism
  • Contemporary: Cyberpunk, Steampunk, Vaporwave, Art Deco
  • Pop Culture: Comic, anime, manga, cartoon, Studio Ghibli style

Mood Keywords

  • Dark and moody, bright and cheerful, ethereal, dreamlike
  • Chaotic, peaceful, energetic, melancholic
  • Mysterious, epic, intimate, vast

Artist References

Mentioning artists gives Midjourney style direction:

/imagine A fantasy castle, in the style of Ralph McQuarrie and Studio Ghibli, oil painting, atmospheric lighting --v 5.2

Good artists to reference: Beksinski, Greg Rutkowski, Frank Frazetta, Artgerm, Simon Stalenhag, Concept art from movies

Aspect Ratios and Dimensions

Control image proportions with the `--ar` parameter:

Common Aspect Ratios:

  • --ar 1:1 Square (Instagram, profile pictures)
  • --ar 16:9 Widescreen (YouTube thumbnails, desktop)
  • --ar 9:16 Vertical (mobile, TikTok, Instagram Stories)
  • --ar 3:2 Standard scene (photo prints)
  • --ar 2:3 Portrait (portrait photos)
  • --ar 4:3 Classic TV (presentations)

Example:

/imagine A sci-fi spaceship, sleek design, nebula background --ar 16:9 --v 5.2

Variations, Upscaling, and Remixing

Variations (V1-V4)

Creates new images similar to the selected image. Good for exploring different interpretations of your prompt.

Use when: You like the direction but want to see alternatives

Upscaling (U1-U4)

Enlarges the image and adds detail. Makes 512x512 into 1024x1024 (or higher with `--upbeta`).

Use when: You've found an image you love and want final quality

Remix Mode

Allows you to modify your prompt while keeping the composition. Enable with `/settings`, toggle Remix mode on, then modify your prompt when creating variations.

Example:

Original: "A dragon, fantasy style, golden"

Remix: "A dragon, fantasy style, blue and purple ice magic"

Advanced Parameters

Fine-tune results with these powerful parameters:

Parameter What It Does Example
--v 5.2 Model version (5.2 is latest) Use for best results
--style raw Less stylized, more literal Use for photorealism
--chaos 50 Randomness (0-100) Higher = more variety
--quality 2 Render quality (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2) Higher = more detail
--niji 5 Anime style model Use for anime-style images

Negative Prompts

Specify what you DON'T want using `--no`:

/imagine A beautiful world --no blurry, distorted, low quality --v 5.2

Pro Tips and Tricks

1. Test Simple Prompts First

Before crafting complex prompts, test basic versions to understand how Midjourney interprets concepts.

2. Use Image References

Upload an image to Discord and reference it in your prompt:

/imagine [image URL] but as a cyberpunk character, detailed --v 5.2

This guides the AI toward similar compositions or styles.

3. Iterate Strategically

Don't just generate randomly. Follow this workflow:

  1. Generate 4 initial images with a base prompt
  2. Pick your favorite
  3. Create variations to explore it further
  4. Once you love one, upscale it

4. Join Community Channels

The Midjourney Discord has public channels where you can see what others create. Observe successful prompts and learn from them.

5. Document Your Successful Prompts

Keep a running document of prompts that worked well. This builds your personal library of style keywords and structures.

6. Experiment with Weights

Control emphasis on specific parts of your prompt using `::` and weights:

/imagine A beautiful woman::3 in cyberpunk clothing::2, neon background::1 --v 5.2

Higher weight = more influence on that part

7. Use Blend for Mashups

Combine multiple images with `/blend`:

  • Upload 2-5 images
  • Choose aspect ratio
  • Midjourney creates a new image blending them

8. High-Res Upscaling

Use `--upbeta` for 2x resolution upscaling without losing quality:

/imagine [prompt] --upbeta
Bottom Line: Midjourney is powerful but rewards good prompting. Start simple, iterate based on results, and gradually refine your style. The best way to learn is by experimenting. Join the community, look at others' work, and keep a library of prompts that resonate with you. Your unique vision + AI capability = stunning results.