Midjourney is the AI image generator that professionals actually use. While other tools are more accessible, Midjourney consistently produces the most aesthetically impressive results — and once you understand how it works, it's not complicated to use. This guide walks you through everything from your first image to advanced techniques.
Getting Started: Discord Setup
Midjourney operates through Discord. Go to midjourney.com, click "Join the Beta," and you'll be taken to their Discord server. Subscribe to a plan ($10/month Basic, $30/month Standard for most users), then find any #newbies channel or the Midjourney Bot in your own Discord server. You generate images by typing /imagine followed by your prompt.
Your First Prompt
Type: /imagine a golden retriever puppy playing in a sunlit park, photorealistic, 8K
Midjourney will generate 4 image variations (a 2x2 grid). Below the grid are buttons: U1-U4 (Upscale individual images to higher resolution) and V1-V4 (generate Variations of a specific image). U buttons give you your final image; V buttons let you explore a direction further.
Essential Parameters
Parameters go at the end of your prompt:
- --ar 16:9 — Aspect ratio (16:9 for landscape, 9:16 for portrait/mobile, 1:1 for square)
- --v 6 — Model version (v6 is currently the best)
- --style raw — Less stylized, more photorealistic
- --q 2 — Higher quality (uses more GPU time)
- --no blur — Negative prompting (exclude elements)
Writing Better Prompts
The structure that consistently works: Subject → Setting → Style/Medium → Lighting → Camera → Quality
Example: "Portrait of a 30-year-old Japanese woman, Tokyo street at night, neon lights reflecting on wet pavement, shot on Canon 85mm f/1.4, bokeh background, cinematic color grading, hyperrealistic --ar 16:9 --v 6"
Adding artist or style references dramatically changes results. Try: "in the style of Studio Ghibli", "cinematography of Roger Deakins", "Bauhaus design", "editorial fashion photography", "concept art for a AAA game". These references tell Midjourney the visual language you want.
Using Image References
You can use an existing image as a style reference by uploading it to Discord, copying the URL, and pasting it at the start of your prompt. Add --iw 0.5 to 2 to control how much weight the reference image gets (higher = more similar to reference).
Midjourney Niji Mode
For anime and illustration styles, use --niji 6 instead of --v 6. Niji mode is specifically trained on anime art and produces significantly better anime-style results than the standard model.
Getting Consistent Characters
The --cref [image URL] parameter (Character Reference, v6+) maintains consistent character appearance across multiple generations. Upload a character image and reference it to generate the same character in different poses, settings, and styles — essential for comics, game development, or brand mascots.