Images · guidance updated 4 Oct 2026
Midjourney prompt guide
Default is V8.2 (24 Jul 2026). V8.x reads prompts more literally and holds small details; --q, :: multi-prompts, Omni Reference, Draft and Turbo are gone; --hd gives native 2K. V8.2 has a bolder house style; --raw removes it.
How to prompt Midjourney
- Describe the image as one clear visual snapshot in plain language: subject first, then setting, lighting, camera/medium and mood.
- Be concrete rather than moody: name the light source, lens, film stock, materials and colours instead of words like 'dramatic' or 'vintage'.
- Give exact counts ('three crows', 'a flock of gulls') instead of bare plurals.
- Put any words to render in double quotes and say where they sit ('the words "OPEN LATE" in red neon above the door'); keep text short.
- Put all parameters at the very end, after the description, each starting with --.
- Always set --ar to fit the use (16:9 banner, 9:16 story, 2:3 poster); use whole numbers only.
- Add --raw and a lower --s (e.g. 50) when the user wants a literal, photographic or text-heavy result; raise --s (250–750) for more artistic flair.
- Exclude things with --no item, never with 'no X' or 'without X' inside the prompt.
- When a style reference is used, also describe that style in words so the --sref takes hold consistently.
- Use --chaos for varied grids and --weird or --exp only when the user asks for something unusual.
- Pick precise synonyms ('colossal', 'gaunt') over generic adjectives ('big', 'thin').
- Leave out --q, :: weights, --oref and --style raw; V8 does not support them (--raw replaces --style raw).
The shape of a good prompt
[Medium/image type] of [subject with key details] [action/pose], [setting/background], [lighting: source, direction, quality], [camera: shot size, angle, lens], [colour palette and mood], [text in "double quotes" with placement] --ar [W:H] --s [0-1000] [--raw] [--no item1, item2] [--chaos 0-100] [--sref code/URL] [--hd]
Avoid
- Long run-on lists of keywords or step-by-step instructions
- Negations inside the prompt ('no people', 'without text')
- Vague mood words and quality filler like '8k, masterpiece, ultra detailed'
- Removed V7-era syntax: --q, :: multi-prompt weights, --style raw, --oref
- Conflicting style words that fight a supplied --sref
- Decimal aspect ratios like --ar 1.85:1
Example
Request a cozy coffee shop poster for autumn
Vintage screen-printed poster of a small corner coffee shop on a rainy autumn evening, warm amber light glowing from tall windows, maple leaves drifting past a striped awning, a steaming mug in the foreground, burnt orange, mustard and deep teal palette, bold headline "AUTUMN BREWS" in chunky cream serif letters across the top --ar 2:3 --s 150 --no people
