Parameters in Midjourney: How to make the most of them

Midjourney is a tool that offers art creators unlimited possibilities to create unique and captivating artworks. The key to optimal use of this tool is understanding the theory of parameters which, in addition to the prompts themselves, affects the final outputs.

It’s important to note that some of these parameters work only in select versions of Midjourney.

What are the parameters?

Parameters in Midjourney are specific instructions or settings which you can use to influence a prompt and, in-turn, the final result of your picture. You can think of them as a set of instructions that establish rules and help you to achieve your desired visual effect or style.

Parameters are always appended to the end of the prompt and characterized by a double dash, a parameter abbreviation, or in some cases, by a data value preceded by a space.

Basic parameters

Aspect ratio (changes aspect ratio)

‐‐ar <value>:<value>

‐‐aspect <value>:<value>

Changes aspect ratio
Integers are always placed there
Ratio means width x height
The default setting is 1:1

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9

Version

‐‐version <x>

‐‐v <x>

There are placed values 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, or 6
Midjourney regularly introduces new versions of models to improve consistency, efficiency, quality and style
Different models create different types of images
The default setting is ‐‐in 6, and as in 5.1 and 5.2 versions, it’s possible to tune it with ‐‐style raw parameter (see below), which helps to achieve more literal or realistic results

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐v 1

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐v 6

Style

‐‐style raw

It’s compatible with versions 6, 5.2, 5.1 and Niji 6
It helps to create more literal or realistic results, which are similar to real photos
The default setting is the standard mode; it’s possible to change it when instead of /imagine we type /settings into a command line

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9 ‐‐v 6.0

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9 ‐‐v 6.0 ‐‐style raw

Chaos (affects the diversity between the generated results in the grid)

‐‐chaos <0-100>

‐‐c <0-100>

Affects the diversity between the generated results in the grid
The default setting is 0
As the value increases, the diversity rises proportionally.

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐chaos 10

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐chaos 80

Character Reference (imitates a reference object)

‐‐cref <URL1>, <URL2>, …

Imitates a reference object
Placed after all other parameters
It works best if the reference pictures are generated in Midjourney and without other distracting elements
If you want to utilize your own reference pictures, it’s necessary to upload them to Discord first and then use their URL in the prompt
It’s not suitable for imitating real characters, it tends to deform
It focuses on the main features of the reference image (f.e. logo on a t-shirt will not be transferred)
Thanks to the related Character Weight parameter, you can influence the degree of imitation of the reference image (see the parameter below)

Reference picture generated in Midjourney:

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9 ‐‐cref https://s.mj.run/9pBVBYvfmo4

Character Weight (copy rate)

‐‐cw <0-100>

Set the strength of characterization
Lower values focus on the face; higher values concentrate on other aspects of the reference image

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9 ‐‐cw 20 ‐‐cref https://s.mj.run/9pBVBYvfmo4

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9 ‐‐cw 100 ‐‐cref https://s.mj.run/9pBVBYvfmo4

No (negative parameter)

‐‐no <item1>, <item2>, <item3>, …

It specifies what to leave out in the generated images; for example ‐‐no plants generate an image without plants
It’s possible to use one or more words separated by a comma.

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9 ‐‐no stars

Weird

‐‐weird <0-3000>

‐‐w <0-3000>

Brings distinctive and unconventional aspects into the generated pictures, which brings unique and unexpected results
The default setting is 0
As the value increases, the occurrence of weirdness increases proportionally.

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9 ‐‐w 10

Example: /imagine prompt golden astronaut ‐‐ar 16:9 ‐‐w 3000

Stylize

‐‐stylize <0-1000>

‐‐s <0-1000>

It affects how much the default Midjourney art style is applied
Lower values create pictures which correspond with the assignment precisely but are less artistic
The default setting is 100