Midjourney v7 Prompt Guide – Style References and Parameters — LiliDi…
Master Midjourney v7 prompting with this comprehensive guide. Learn to use style references, advanced parameters, and composition techniques to generate stunni…
By lilidi editorial
Midjourney v7 Prompt Guide – Style References and Parameters TL;DR Midjourney v7 enhances realism, artistic control, and prompt understanding. Experiment with style raw for unopinionated outputs. Utilize sref and cref parameters for precise style and character consistency across generations. Master advanced parameters like ar , chaos , stylize , and seed to fine tune your AI art. This guide details effective prompting strategies for Midjourney v7, available for free on lilidi.ai. Midjourney v7 represents a significant leap in AI image generation, offering enhanced realism, improved prompt comprehension, and granular control over stylistic elements. By mastering its advanced features, including style references and comprehensive parameters, users can achieve unprecedented artistic precision and consistency. Midjourney v7: Core Advancements and Prompting Fundamentals Midjourney v7
introduces several key architectural and training improvements. The model demonstrates different understanding of complex prompts, better handling of negative prompting, and more coherent image generation from descriptive text. It excels at rendering intricate details, realistic textures, and complex lighting conditions. Basic Prompt Structure A basic Midjourney v7 prompt follows a simple structure: [Subject] [Description] [Style] [Parameters] Example: A futuristic cityscape at sunset, neon reflections on wet streets, high angle view, cinematic lighting ar 16:9 style raw style raw Parameter The style raw parameter minimizes Midjourney's inherent aesthetic bias, allowing for a more literal interpretation of your prompt. This is crucial for achieving specific artistic styles or when you want the AI to adhere strictly to your descriptive text without adding its own "flair." Primarily use
style raw when: You have a very precise artistic vision. You are providing detailed style references via sref . You want to avoid the "Midjourney look." Advanced Control: Style References ( sref ) and Character References ( cref ) Midjourney v7 introduces powerful reference parameters that enable consistent style and character application across multiple images. sref (Style Reference) The sref parameter allows you to provide an image URL as a stylistic reference. Midjourney will attempt to replicate the aesthetic qualities of the reference image, including color palette, composition, lighting, and texture. Usage: [Prompt Description] sref [URL to style image] You can provide multiple style references for blending: [Prompt Description] sref [URL1] [URL2] Example: Assume you have an image at https://example.com/impressionist painting.jpg featuring a specific impressionistic style. Prompt:
A tranquil forest stream in autumn, sun dappling through leaves sref https://example.com/impressionist painting.jpg Result: The generated image will capture the textural and color qualities of the impressionist reference, applied to the forest stream scene. You can also control the strength of the style reference using a weight: sref [URL]::[weight] A higher weight (e.g., 2) increases the influence, while a lower weight (e.g., 0.5) decreases it. The default weight is 1. Prompt with Weighted Style Reference: A lone samurai contemplating a cherry blossom tree, misty morning sref https://example.com/japanese woodblock print.jpg::1.5 cref (Character Reference) The cref parameter is designed to maintain character consistency across different prompts or scenes. This is invaluable for narrative or sequential image generation. Usage: [Prompt Description] cref [URL to character image] Similar to
sref , you can also control the strength of the character reference: cref [URL]::[weight] A weight of 1 for cref typically tries to replicate the entire character, including clothing and accessories. A lower weight, such as 0.5 , might only capture facial features and general body shape, allowing for variations in attire. Example Scenario: 1. Generate initial character: A young female cyberpunk hacker, sleek black jacket, short purple hair, standing in a dimly lit server room ar 3:2 (Save the URL of a highly satisfactory output image – e.g., https://mj images.com/hacker girl123.png ) 2. Use cref for consistency in a new scene: The hacker girl from the previous image, now running through a rain slicked neon alley, chased by drones cref https://mj images.com/hacker girl123.png This will attempt to maintain the specific character generated in the first step while placing her in a new
environment with new actions. Combining sref and cref These parameters can be combined to achieve both consistent characters and specific stylistic interpretations. Example: A wise old wizard casting a spell in a forgotten library cref https://example.com/wizard portrait.jpg sref https://example.com/fantasy art style.jpg Deep Dive into Midjourney v7 Parameters Parameters modify various aspects of image generation, from aspect ratios to artistic stylization. Aspect Ratio ar <width :<height Defines the width to height ratio of the generated image. ar 16:9 : Widescreen, cinematic. ar 9:16 : Portrait mode. ar 1:1 : Square (default if not specified). ar 3:2 : Common photographic ratio. Chaos chaos <number 0 100 Controls the degree of variation in the initial grid of images. Higher values produce more diverse initial grids. chaos 0 : Minimal variation. chaos 50 : Moderate variation. chaos 100
: High variation, drastically different outputs. Use Case: Explore a wider range of interpretations for a given prompt without changing the prompt itself. Stylize s <number 0 1000 Influences how much Midjourney's "artistic" flair is applied. s 100 (default): Standard stylization. s 0 : Very low stylization, more literal to the prompt (similar to style raw but affects the model's inherent style, not just prompt interpretation). s 750 : High stylization, more artistic and less literal. Consider using style raw in conjunction with a lower s value for ultimate control. Weirdness weird <number 0 3000 Introduces unusual or bizarre elements into the generated images. weird 0 : Normal generation. weird 1000 : Moderately weird outputs. weird 3000 : Highly unusual, abstract, often surreal results. Use Case: Generating conceptual art, surreal imagery, or breaking creative blocks. Repeat repeat
<number Submits the same prompt multiple times without needing to type it repeatedly. Useful for generating many variations. Example: A vintage robot in a flower field repeat 4 will generate 4 separate jobs for this prompt. Stop stop <number 10 100 Stops the image generation process prematurely, resulting in less detailed, blurrier outputs. Useful for stylistic effects or quick previews. Example: Oil painting of a stormy sea stop 50 Tile tile Generates repeatable, tileable textures or patterns. This is invaluable for game development, graphic design, and 3D modeling. Example: seamless pattern of iridescent scales tile Seed seed <integer 0 4294967295 Specifies a seed number that influences the initial noise pattern. Using the same seed with the same prompt and parameters will produce similar results. Use Case: Reproducing a desired outcome or exploring subtle variations from a strong
baseline. Negative Prompting no <word1, word2, ... Excludes specific elements from the generated image. Example: A futuristic car, sleek design no wheels, exhaust (to imply a hovercar without explicitly stating it). Prompt Weights :: Allows you to assign importance to different parts of your prompt. Usage: [Concept A]::[weight] [Concept B]::[weight] Example: red::2.5 car::1.0 will prioritize "red" more heavily than "car." Leveraging Combined Parameters for Advanced Generations The true power of Midjourney v7 lies in combining these parameters intelligently. Example 1: Consistent Character, Specific Style, and Defined Aspect Ratio A medieval knight on horseback, charging through a misty battlefield cref https://myimages.com/knight base.png sref https://myimages.com/gothic art.jpg ar 3:2 style raw s 300 cref : Maintains the knight's appearance. sref : Applies a dark, dramatic gothic art
style. ar 3:2 : Sets a cinematic aspect ratio. style raw s 300 : Provides control over stylization, allowing the sref to dominate while preventing excessive Midjourney "opinion." Example 2: Abstract Exploration with Controlled Weirdness Ephemeral energy forms swirling around a decaying industrial complex, ethereal glow weird 2000 chaos 80 ar 16:9 no solid structures weird 2000 : Introduces bizarre elements. chaos 80 : High diversity in initial outputs. ar 16:9 : Widescreen, suitable for abstract scenes. no solid structures : Prevents overly concrete imagery, ensuring abstract focus. Example 3: Replicating a Specific Photographic Aesthetic Portrait of an old fisherman looking out to sea, warm light, weathered skin sref https://example.com/vintage sepia photo.jpg ar 4:5 style raw s 50 sref : Guides the model towards a vintage sepia photography style. ar 4:5 : A classic portrait
orientation. style raw s 50 : Ensures the model prioritizes the sref and prompt description without heavy inherent stylization. Beyond the Basics: Iteration and Refinement Successful Midjourney v7 prompting is an iterative process. 1. Start Simple: Begin with a clear, concise prompt to establish a baseline. 2. Add Specificity: Introduce descriptive adjectives, verbs, and nouns. 3. Refine with Parameters: Experiment with ar , s , weird , chaos to tweak composition and mood. 4. Implement References: Use sref and cref for consistency. 5. Iterate and Vary: Use V buttons for variations or refine your prompt based on initial results. 6. Upscale and Enhance: Once satisfied, use upscaling options to increase resolution and detail. FAQ What is the primary difference between style raw and s 0 ? style raw reduces Midjourney's default aesthetic influence, making the model adhere more strictly to
your prompt and any sref provided. s 0 directly minimizes the stylization strength applied by the model, resulting in less "artistic" interpretation and often more literal, sometimes flatter, outputs. They can be used together for maximum control. Can I use multiple sref or cref images? Yes, you can provide multiple URLs for both sref and cref . Midjourney will attempt to blend the stylistic or character attributes of all provided references. For example: sref URL1 URL2 . How do I get the URL for an image to use with sref or cref ? On lilidi.ai, after generating an image, you can right click (or long press on mobile) on the image result and select "Copy Image Address" or "Open Image in New Tab" to get the direct image URL. Ensure the URL ends with an image extension like .png , .jpg , or .webp . What are the optimal s values for realistic images? For highly realistic images, start with