Parameter Overview
| Parameter | Syntax | Type | Range | Default | Description |
|---|
| Aspect Ratio | --ar W:H | Integer ratio | Any positive integer ratio | 1:1 | Image aspect ratio |
| Chaos | --c N | int | 0 - 100 | 0 | Diversity of generated results |
| Seed | --seed N | int | 0 - 4294967295 | Random | Fix seed for reproducible results |
| Stylize | --s N | int | 0 - 1000 | 100 | Artistic style intensity |
| Experimental | --exp N | int | 0 - 100 | 0 | Aesthetic effect, stackable with stylize |
| Raw Mode | --raw | Flag | — | Off | Disable default beautification |
| Image Weight | --iw N | float | 0 - 3 | 1 | Image prompt influence |
| Style Reference | --sref [URL] | URL | — | — | Match visual style |
| Style Weight | --sw N | int | 0 - 1000 | 100 | Style reference strength |
| Object Reference | --oref [URL] | URL | — | — | Place a character/object into the scene |
| Object Reference Weight | --ow N | int | 1 - 1000 | 100 | Object reference strength |
Two settings are not written into the prompt — they are controlled through the API instead (writing them in the prompt has no effect):
- Speed (
draft / fast / turbo) → model_params.speed
- Output quality (
standard / hd) → top-level quality parameter
--v / --version is locked to V8.1 and --niji is not supported. See Speed Modes and Output Quality below.
Basic Parameters
Aspect Ratio --ar
Sets the image aspect ratio. Only integer ratios are supported.
Common values: 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 9:16, 2:3. Extreme ratios may produce unpredictable results.
Chaos --chaos / --c
Controls the diversity of generated results. Higher values produce greater differences among the 4 images.
| Range | Effect |
|---|
| 0 | 4 images are very similar (default) |
| 1-50 | Moderate diversity |
| 50-100 | Highly random, suitable for creative exploration |
Stylize --stylize / --s
Adjusts the balance between realism and artistic style.
| Range | Effect |
|---|
| 0-250 | Realistic style, faithful to the prompt |
| 250-750 | Balanced |
| 750-1000 | Strong artistic expression, bold colors and composition |
Experimental --exp
Similar to --stylize but stackable, generating more detailed, dynamic, and creative images.
- Recommended values: 5, 10, 25, 50, 100
- Noticeable effect changes from 5-50, diminishing returns from 50-100
- May override
--stylize effects above 25-50
Raw Mode --raw
Disables default beautification for stricter adherence to prompt details. Suitable for photorealism or precise control scenarios.
Seed --seed
Fixes the initial random state for comparison testing.
- Range: 0 - 4294967295
- Same seed + same prompt → similar (not identical) results
- Not applicable in turbo speed mode
Image Reference Parameters
Image Prompt
Place image URLs at the beginning of the prompt to influence the generated content.
https://example.com/ref.jpg text description --iw 1.5
| Combination | Valid? |
|---|
| 1 image + no text | ❌ Invalid (will error) |
| 1 image + text description | ✅ Valid |
| 2+ images + no text | ✅ Valid |
| 2+ images + text description | ✅ Valid |
- Maximum 20 image prompts
- Supported formats:
.png, .gif, .webp, .jpg, .jpeg
- Not available with
draft speed (use fast)
Image Weight --iw
Controls the influence of image prompts on the result. Range 0 - 3, default 1. Higher values produce results closer to the reference image.
https://example.com/ref.jpg watercolor landscape --iw 2.0
Style Reference --sref
Matches the visual style (colors, textures, lighting) of the reference image without copying content. Must be used with a text prompt.
a cat --sref https://example.com/style.jpg
- Multiple supported:
--sref URL1 URL2
- Random style supported:
--sref random (returns a numeric code after generation, reusable)
- Maximum 20 srefs
Style Weight --sw
Controls the influence of the style reference. Range 0 - 1000, default 100.
a cat --sref https://example.com/style.jpg --sw 500
Object Reference --oref
Places characters, objects, vehicles, or non-human creatures from the reference image into a new image. Must be used with a text prompt.
a duckling holding a magic wand --oref https://example.com/duck.jpg
Only one object reference image can be used, and generation takes longer when it is active.
Object Reference Weight --ow
Range 1 - 1000, default 100. Recommended to keep below 400, otherwise results may be unpredictable. High --stylize values may require higher --ow to compensate.
duckling --oref https://example.com/duck.jpg --ow 300
Speed Modes
Speed mode is controlled via the API’s model_params.speed field (do not write --draft / --fast / --turbo in the prompt).
| Mode | Description | Cost |
|---|
draft | Returns 24 lightweight 0.5K sketch images in a single run. Image generation endpoint only. | Same multiplier as fast |
fast | Standard mode (default), 4 images per generation | Standard |
turbo | Priority / maximum speed, 4 images per generation | ~2x fast |
Unlike V7, V8.1 draft mode is not half price — it uses the same multiplier as fast. Draft returns 24 small sketches in one run; pick the ones you like and re-run them at full quality. Draft cannot be combined with hd quality.
Output Quality
Output resolution is controlled via the top-level quality parameter, not a prompt flag. Do not write --hd in the prompt.
| Value | Resolution | Cost |
|---|
standard | Standard resolution (default) | 1x |
hd | Native 2K HD output | 1.5x |
- The quality multiplier is combined (multiplied) with the speed multiplier — e.g.
turbo + hd = 2 × 1.5 = 3x the base.
hd is incompatible with draft speed.
Dependencies
The following parameters require other parameters to take effect:
| Parameter | Prerequisite |
|---|
--sw | Requires --sref |
--ow | Requires --oref |
--iw | Requires image prompt |
--sref, --oref | Requires text prompt |
| Single image prompt | Requires text prompt |
Conflicts
| Parameter A | Parameter B | Description |
|---|
draft speed | hd quality | Draft mode cannot be combined with HD |
draft speed | Image prompt / --sref / --oref | Image references require fast (or turbo) |
| Image-only prompt | --stylize / --exp | Incompatible without text |
--exp > 25 | --stylize | High --exp may suppress --stylize; lower --exp when combining |
Unsupported Parameters in V8.1
| Parameter | Description |
|---|
--q / --quality | Detail-level flag not exposed on this route (use the top-level quality parameter for resolution instead) |
--no | Negative prompt not exposed on this route |
--weird / --w | Not supported |
--tile | Not supported |
--sv | Style version is locked; not exposed |
--stop | Not supported |
--cref / --cw | Use --oref object reference instead |
--relax | Not supported |
--repeat / --r | Not supported via API |
--p (personalize) | Not supported via API |
{} permutations | Not supported via API |
--stealth / --public | Not supported by API (images are not publicly accessible) |
--niji | A different model, not V8.1 |
Multi-prompt :: | Not supported |
Basic Structure
[image URL] text description --param1 value1 --param2 value2
Writing Rules
- Parameters go at the end of the text prompt
- A space is required before
--
- Do not use punctuation in parameters
- No text can follow after parameters
Examples
a yellow Persian cat --ar 1:2 --s 500
Content Moderation Notice
Midjourney has a built-in content moderation system. If some generated images are filtered by moderation, credits consumed for that request will not be refunded. Please ensure your prompts comply with content guidelines.