Midjourney doesn’t just respond to your words, it responds to how you shape them. And at the heart of that control is something called parameters. These are powerful tools that let you fine-tune every image the AI generates. They don’t change your subject matter, they change how your subject appears, from size and style to realism, weirdness, and precision.
If the text prompt is your script, parameters are your camera, lighting, and director’s notes. With the release of Version 7, Midjourney has added new parameters and refined old ones, giving creators more flexibility than ever before. Let’s walk through the most important ones—what they do, when to use them, and why they matter.
The Role of Parameters in Prompting #
Every Midjourney prompt starts with /imagine prompt: followed by your description. But after your description, you can add extra commands—parameters—to control the outcome. These start with two dashes (--) and go at the very end of the prompt. You can use one or stack several together.
Parameters are like creative dials. Each one tweaks a specific part of the process. Want a tall poster instead of a square image? There’s a parameter for that. Want to crank up the surrealism or sharpen the realism? You guessed it—parameters.
Aspect Ratio --ar #
This controls the width and height of your image. By default, Midjourney images are square (1:1). But you can change that to wide (--ar 16:9), tall (--ar 9:16), or cinematic (--ar 2:1) depending on your needs.
This is essential for content creators designing for specific platforms—YouTube thumbnails, Instagram stories, book covers, or desktop wallpapers all have their ideal formats.
Example:/imagine prompt: futuristic Tokyo skyline --ar 21:9
Version --v #
This tells Midjourney which generation engine to use. With Version 7, this now defaults to the most current model, so you usually don’t need to specify it unless you’re using legacy prompts or want to compare styles.
Example:/imagine prompt: lush rainforest aerial view --v 7
Stylize --stylize or --s #
This controls how artistic or abstract Midjourney gets. Higher values make the image more stylized and expressive; lower values make it more literal and controlled.
The scale typically runs from --stylize 0 (literal) to --stylize 1000+ (wildly artistic). For Version 7, this is especially useful when you want to lean into texture, tone, or mood.
Example:/imagine prompt: dreamlike desert landscape --stylize 850
Experimental --exp #
This enables experimental rendering features. Think of it as opting into beta-grade effects, quirks, or rendering styles that are still being tested.
Useful for creators looking to push the edges or explore unique image behaviors.
Example:/imagine prompt: cyberpunk dragon --exp
Omni Reference --oref #
This is one of Version 7’s new standout features. You can provide an external image (via URL) that acts as a visual influence, not in content, but in composition, lighting, color palette, and tone.
Think of it as “make it feel like this image, but don’t copy the content.”
Example:/imagine prompt: forest waterfall --oref https://mydomain.com/inspiration.jpg
Omni Reference Weight --ow #
Works alongside --oref to control how strongly the AI applies the visual reference. Use a number from 0 to 100. A low value lightly echoes the source’s style; a high one mimics it more closely.
Example:--ow 75
Quality --q #
Adjusts how much processing power Midjourney devotes to rendering the image. --q 1 is standard, --q 2 gives more detail (but takes longer), and --q .25 is faster and cheaper but lower fidelity.
Use higher quality for posters, key visuals, or anything where detail matters. Use lower for quick drafts.
Example:/imagine prompt: underwater cityscape --q 2
Raw --raw #
Skips the default Midjourney style filters. The result is more literal and natural-looking. Great for photorealism or scientific/technical illustrations.
Example:/imagine prompt: 18th century map of London --raw
Style Reference --sref #
You provide an image that defines the style you want—similar to --oref, but focused on aesthetic and texture rather than mood. Perfect for matching a personal art style or brand.
Example:--sref https://example.com/sketch-style.jpg
Chaos --chaos #
Increases randomness in the generation process. The higher the number (from 0–100), the wilder and less predictable the results.
Use it when you want surprise, variation, or happy accidents.
Example:/imagine prompt: surreal forest party --chaos 85
Weird --weird or --w #
Pushes Midjourney into truly strange, unconventional territory. This is a stylistic dial, not just randomness. Think “dream logic” or offbeat visuals.
Use it when you want an image to break rules in a controlled way.
Example:/imagine prompt: robotic coral reef --weird 250
No --no #
This is your negative prompt tool. It tells the AI what not to include. It’s the fastest way to remove distractions or refine your image focus.
Example:/imagine prompt: futuristic soldier --no helmet
Seed --seed #
Each image generation starts with a random “seed”—a number that determines the visual layout. By setting a seed manually, you can recreate or fine-tune a previous image.
This is useful for variations or iterative design.
Example:--seed 90210
Image Weight --iw #
Used when combining text and image prompts, this controls how strongly the image influences the final result. A higher number gives more power to the image.
Example:--iw 1.2
Putting it all Together #
The true power of parameters comes when you combine them. Here’s a fully loaded prompt that blends creative intention with technical control:
/imagine prompt: mythological underworld city, glowing rivers, gothic towers, foggy light --ar 2:1 --v 7 --style raw --q 2 --sref https://mydomain.com/darkstyle.jpg --weird 300 --no humans
This creates a cinematic landscape using the latest engine, skipping default filters, drawing from a style reference, pushing the weirdness, removing humans, and shaping the layout into a wide aspect ratio.
Midjourney parameters are the key to creative precision. With them, you’re not just generating images—you’re directing them. Whether you want tight brand control, wildly surreal results, or just faster outputs, these dials let you tailor the AI to match your vision.
They’re not hard to learn, but they are deep. And with each new version of Midjourney, they become even more powerful.
