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Beginner Platform Guide Midjourney midjourneydiscord

How to Use Midjourney: The Complete Guide to AI Image Generation

Create stunning AI artwork with text prompts — from photorealistic images to painterly illustrations and abstract designs.

AI Snapshot

  • ✓ Industry-leading AI image generation
  • ✓ Text-to-image from descriptive prompts
  • ✓ Web editor with inpainting and outpainting
  • ✓ Character and style reference consistency
  • ✓ Aspect ratio and stylize controls
  • ✓ Commercial usage on all paid plans
  • ✓ Permutation prompts for batch generation
  • ✓ Describe feature for reverse-engineering prompts
**Midjourney** has become the gold standard for AI image generation, producing artwork that rivals professional photography and illustration. Running primarily through **Discord**, it takes text prompts and transforms them into stunning visuals — from photorealistic product shots to painterly illustrations and cinematic concept art. **[Open Midjourney →](https://midjourney.com)** Browse more prompts for Midjourney in our [Prompt Library](/prompts).

Why This Matters

Midjourney has rapidly become the go-to tool for AI image generation, producing results that rival professional photography and illustration. Since launching in 2022, it's attracted millions of creators — from professional designers to hobbyists exploring visual ideas for the first time.

What sets Midjourney apart is its aesthetic quality. While other generators focus on photorealism alone, Midjourney excels at artistic styles, cinematic lighting, and compositions that feel intentionally crafted rather than randomly assembled. It's particularly strong at concept art, product mockups, editorial illustrations, and stylised portraits.

The platform runs entirely through Discord (with a newer web interface in alpha), which means there's a learning curve around commands and parameters. But once you understand the basics, you can iterate on ideas faster than any traditional design workflow.

Open Midjourney →

How to Do It

1
Head to midjourney.com and sign up. You'll need a Discord account as well, since the primary interface runs through Discord servers. Join the official Midjourney Discord server from the website.
2
In any Midjourney bot channel (or your DMs with the bot), type /imagine followed by your prompt. Start simple: describe what you want to see, the style, and the mood. For example: /imagine a mountain lake at sunrise, watercolour painting style, serene atmosphere.
3
Append parameters after your prompt to control the output. Key ones to learn first:
- --ar 16:9 sets the aspect ratio
- --v 6.1 selects the model version
- --style raw reduces default stylisation
- --no [element] excludes unwanted elements
4
Midjourney generates a grid of 4 images. Click V1-V4 to create variations of your favourite, or U1-U4 to upscale one to full resolution. Most great images come from 2-3 rounds of variation rather than a single generation.
5
Try image prompts by pasting an image URL before your text prompt — Midjourney will use it as a style reference. Use --iw to control how much influence the reference image has. Combine with --seed values to maintain consistency across related images.
6
Use the Midjourney website gallery at midjourney.com/archive to browse all your generations, filter by date, and download high-resolution versions. You can also create folders to organise projects.

Prompt Templates

A premium wireless headphone on a marble surface, soft studio lighting, shallow depth of field, commercial photography style, 8k resolution --ar 16:9 --v 6.1 --style raw
A friendly robot librarian organizing glowing books on floating shelves, Studio Ghibli inspired, warm colour palette, detailed background, whimsical atmosphere --ar 3:4 --v 6.1 --niji 6
Modern eco-friendly house with living green walls, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a forest, golden hour sunlight, architectural photography, shot on Hasselblad --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

Photography

Professional product photography of [your product], studio lighting with soft shadows, marble surface, minimalist composition, shallow depth of field, commercial quality, 8K detail --ar 4:5 --stylize 200 --v 6.1

Illustration

Character design sheet of [description], multiple poses and expressions, clean linework, vibrant colour palette, concept art style, white background, professional illustration --ar 16:9 --stylize 400 --v 6.1

Social Media

Eye-catching social media graphic for [topic], bold typography space, modern gradient background in [brand colours], clean composition with negative space for text overlay, Instagram-ready --ar 1:1 --stylize 300 --v 6.1

Common Mistakes

⚠ Vague prompts with no style direction

⚠ Ignoring aspect ratio

⚠ Not using negative prompts

⚠ Skipping the variation and upscale workflow

⚠ Overloading prompts with contradictory styles

Recommended Tools

Midjourney Discord Bot

The primary interface — type /imagine in any Midjourney Discord channel to generate images. Supports parameters like --ar, --v, --style, --no, and --chaos.

Midjourney Web App (Alpha)

A newer browser-based interface at midjourney.com/imagine for generating and managing images without Discord. Currently in alpha with expanding features.

Prompt Helper by Midjourney

Built-in /describe command that analyses an uploaded image and suggests prompts to recreate it — excellent for reverse-engineering styles you admire.

Niji Mode

Midjourney's specialised anime and illustration model, activated with --niji 6. Produces distinctly different results optimised for illustrated and character-focused content.

FAQ

Can I use Midjourney images commercially?
Yes, all paid subscription plans include commercial usage rights. Free trials and Basic plans have some limitations, so check the current terms of service. You own the images you generate, but Midjourney retains a licence to use them for their own purposes.
Why are my images blurry or low quality?
This usually happens with older model versions or when using heavy stylisation. Try adding --v 6.1 for the latest model, use --style raw to reduce artificial enhancement, and ensure your prompts are specific rather than vague. Upscaling the image after generation also helps with detail.
How do I get consistent characters across multiple images?
Use the --cref parameter with a URL to a reference image of your character, followed by --cw to control how strictly it matches (0-100). For best results, start with a clear, well-lit image of the character and experiment with different character weight values.
Can I edit specific parts of my generated images?
Yes, through the web editor (alpha) which offers inpainting and outpainting tools. You can also use the Vary Region feature to regenerate specific areas of an image. These tools are gradually replacing the older Discord-based editing workflow.
What's the difference between Midjourney and other AI generators like DALL-E?
Midjourney excels at artistic and stylised images with superior aesthetic quality, whilst DALL-E 3 is better for photorealism and text rendering. Midjourney's Discord interface has a steeper learning curve but offers more advanced parameters and community features for iteration and inspiration.
How much does Midjourney cost?
Midjourney offers tiered subscriptions starting from around $10/month for the Basic plan with limited generations, up to the Mega plan at $120/month for heavy users. All paid plans include commercial usage rights for generated images.
Do I need Discord to use Midjourney?
Not anymore. While Discord remains an option, Midjourney now has a full web interface at midjourney.com with image generation, editing tools, and gallery management. Most new users find the web interface more intuitive.
Can I use Midjourney images commercially?
Yes, all paid subscribers own the images they generate and can use them commercially. However, be mindful of generating images resembling real people or existing copyrighted works, and disclose AI use where required.

Next Steps

Subscribe to a Midjourney plan, generate your first image with a descriptive prompt, then experiment with --ar, --stylize, and --v parameters to find your preferred style.