The short answer
Midjourney prompts work best in V8.2, the default model since 24 July 2026, when they describe the subject, setting, light, medium and mood in detail and end with parameters such as --ar for aspect ratio, --stylize from 0 to 1000, --chaos from 0 to 100, --raw for realism and --sref for a consistent style. These 15 templates cover products, marketing, illustration, posters, patterns, edits and video.
| Prompts on this page | 15 templates in 5 groups |
|---|---|
| Current default model | V8.2, since 24 July 2026 |
| Most useful parameters | --ar, --stylize, --chaos, --raw, --no, --sref |
| Text in images | Put the exact words in quotation marks |
| Free plan | No; a limited trial only in the niji·journey app |
| Privacy | Images public unless Stealth Mode (Pro and Mega) |
How Midjourney prompts work in V8.2
Midjourney's default model is V8.2, launched on 24 July 2026 with a focus on aesthetics, image quality and Personalization. Midjourney's V8 launch notes say the model does best with longer, more specific prompts, so the templates below describe the subject, the setting, the light, the medium and the mood in plain language, then add parameters at the end. Every parameter on this page is listed in Midjourney's own Parameter List as of 1 November 2026.
A Midjourney prompt has two parts. The description comes first: concrete nouns and visual details, not commands. "A ceramicist's studio at golden hour, dust in the light, shot on 35mm film" beats "make a nice studio picture". Then come parameters, which start with two hyphens. Fill every [placeholder] with something specific, keep the parameters, and run the prompt on midjourney.com or through the Midjourney Bot in Discord.
The Midjourney parameters that matter
| Parameter | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| --ar | Aspect ratio | For example 16:9, 4:5, 9:16; default 1:1; no decimals |
| --stylize or --s | How much of Midjourney's own flair it adds | 0 to 1000, default 100 |
| --chaos or --c | How different the four images in a grid are | 0 to 100, default 0 |
| --weird | Unusual, experimental results | 0 to 3000, default 0 |
| --raw | Strips back the default look, good for realism | On or off |
| --no | Things to leave out | Comma-separated list |
| --sref | Style reference | An image URL, a style code or random; --sw sets the weight |
| --tile | Repeating pattern | On or off |
| --hd and --sd | Output size | 2048px and 1024px |
| --stealth | Keeps one creation private | Pro and Mega plans only |
| --motion, --loop, --end, --bs | Video settings | --motion low or high, --loop, --end for an end frame, --bs 1, 2 or 4 |
Two habits save the most GPU time. Draft with standard resolution and only rerun the keeper with --hd: Midjourney says SD takes about four seconds and HD about twelve on V8.1. And set your usual aspect ratio, Stylize, Variety and Raw as defaults in the settings panel of the Imagine bar on midjourney.com, so you do not have to type them every time.
Midjourney prompts for photography and products
Use --raw for anything that should look like a real photograph, because it removes much of Midjourney's default polish. The product prompt uses --no text, logo, people because Midjourney cannot reproduce your real logo accurately; add the logo afterwards in a design tool. Name the light direction and the lens or film in the description: these details change the result far more than adjectives such as "beautiful" or "high quality".
Midjourney prompts for marketing and social media
Exploration and production are different jobs. When you start a campaign, use --chaos 30 to see four genuinely different directions in each grid, then drop chaos to 0 once you have a direction. For the banner and stories templates, the prompt reserves empty space where your headline will go, because it is easier to ask for space than to fix a busy image later. Match the ratio to the placement: --ar 16:9 for banners, --ar 4:5 for feed posts and --ar 9:16 for stories.
Midjourney prompts for illustration and a consistent brand style
This is where Midjourney earns its price for teams. Run "Discover a house style" with --sref random a few times; when a grid has the look you want, write down its style code. Then use "Reuse your style across a set" with that code, changing only the subject each time. You can also use an image URL as the style reference. If you have rated plenty of images, switch on Personalization too, and Midjourney says V8.2 understands your Personalization much better if you have rated a lot. Moodboards, where you upload reference images to define a style, are the third option.
Midjourney prompts for text, posters and patterns
Text rendering improved with V8. Put the exact words in quotation marks and keep them short: a headline or a title works, a paragraph or small print does not. If text is the main point of the image, Ideogram is usually the better tool; see Midjourney vs Ideogram. For patterns, --tile makes a repeating tile, and Midjourney says tiles now join without visible seams on V8.1 and V8.2. Do not upscale a tile, because Midjourney warns that upscaling often breaks the repeat, and note that the edit model does not work with --tile yet.
Midjourney prompts for exploring, editing and video
When you are stuck, --weird pushes results into unusual territory; it runs from 0 to 3000 and Midjourney calls it experimental, so start around 250 to 500 and pair it with a little chaos. Then do not reroll an image you nearly like. Since 27 August 2026 everyone can use the V8.2 edit model to change an image from plain instructions, use up to four reference images at once (this replaced Omni Reference) and inpaint or outpaint. Say what to change and, just as important, what to keep. On Discord, the equivalent is --edit followed by an image URL. For video, Midjourney's V1 video model animates an image into a five-second clip that you can extend four seconds at a time, up to 21 seconds. --motion low keeps movement gentle, --loop makes the clip loop and --end sets the end frame. Relax mode video needs Pro or Mega, and HD video needs Standard or higher.
Which tool works best for these prompts, and the catches
Midjourney is the pick when the look matters most: mood boards, campaign concepts, editorial illustration and a consistent house style. It is not the pick for exact layouts, correct logos or long text. Know three catches before you use it at work:
- There is no free plan on the web. Midjourney's docs say there is no free trial on midjourney.com or Discord; a limited trial exists only in the niji·journey app.
- Images are public by default. They appear on Explore and your profile unless you use Stealth Mode, which only Pro and Mega include.
- Bigger companies need Pro or Mega. Under Midjourney's Terms of Service dated 27 May 2026, a company with more than USD 1,000,000 a year in revenue, or anyone employed by one, must use Pro or Mega to own the images it creates.
If those rule Midjourney out, compare Midjourney vs Adobe Firefly, read Midjourney alternatives or see the best AI for images.
How to adapt these Midjourney prompts
- Change the description first, the parameters last. Most bad results come from vague subjects, not wrong numbers.
- Move one dial at a time. Try --stylize 50, 250 and 750 on the same prompt to see what it does for your subject.
- Say what to exclude. --no with a short comma-separated list is cleaner than "without" in the description.
- Keep a prompt log. Save the prompts and style codes that worked, so your team can reuse them.
- Finish outside Midjourney. Add logos, copy and exact layouts in a design tool such as Canva.
Want a guided start? Our Midjourney lessons build these habits step by step, and the full Midjourney guide covers plans and privacy.
Prompts to copy
Clean product shot
[product, with material and colour] on [surface], [lighting, for example soft window light from the left], [plain background colour], minimal studio product photograph, sharp focus, empty space on the [right] for text --ar 4:5 --raw --no text, logo, people
You get: A realistic, uncluttered product image with room for copy
Lifestyle photograph
[person, for example a woman in her fifties in a linen shirt] using [product] in [setting], candid moment, natural afternoon light, shot on 35mm film, shallow depth of field, warm colours --ar 3:2 --stylize 150
You get: A natural-looking scene of your product in use
Overhead food or flat-lay photo
Overhead photograph of [dish or objects] on [table surface], [garnish or props], linen napkin, soft morning light, editorial styling, muted [colour] palette --ar 4:5 --raw
You get: A styled top-down shot for menus, blogs or feeds
Explore a campaign concept
Concept art for a [product or theme] campaign aimed at [audience]: [central visual idea, for example a giant paper plane carrying a family over a city], set in [place] at [time of day], [lighting, for example low warm sun with long shadows], [medium, for example cinematic photograph or gouache painting], [two or three mood words] --ar 1:1 --chaos 30
You get: Four very different directions in one grid
Website hero banner
Wide view of [scene] with [subject] in the left third, [lighting], calm uncluttered sky on the right for a headline, [style, for example cinematic photograph] --ar 16:9 --stylize 250 --no text
You get: A wide header image with clear space for your headline
Vertical stories background
Abstract background of [shapes or material, for example soft folded silk] in [brand colours], soft gradient, subtle film grain, the texture gathered at the top and bottom edges, a large calm empty area in the middle for text --ar 9:16 --stylize 400
You get: A calm vertical background for stories and reels text
Discover a house style
Flat illustration of [scene, for example a team planning around a table], friendly and modern, limited colour palette --sref random --ar 3:2
You get: A random style code you can keep if you like the look
Reuse your style across a set
[subject 1, for example a courier on a bicycle], [setting], [shared description used for every image in the set] --sref [your style code or image URL] --ar 4:5
You get: Images that look like they belong to one series; change only the subject
Editorial illustration for an article
Editorial illustration for an article about [topic]: [visual metaphor, for example a small boat sailing across a giant spreadsheet], [medium, for example gouache and ink], [palette], magazine style, generous negative space --ar 3:2 --stylize 300
You get: A thoughtful header illustration instead of a stock photo
Poster with a headline
Vintage [travel, film or event] poster of [subject], bold screen-print style, the words "[HEADLINE]" in large letters across the top --ar 2:3
You get: A poster with a short headline rendered in the image
Book or album cover
Cover design for a [genre] [book or album] titled "[TITLE]": [central image], [mood], the title in [style] lettering at the top, plain space at the bottom for the author name --ar 2:3 --stylize 200
You get: A cover concept with the title in the artwork
Repeating pattern tile
Hand-drawn [motif, for example lemons and leaves] pattern, [background colour], [texture, for example gouache] --tile --ar 1:1
You get: A tile that repeats without visible seams, for packaging, slides or wrapping
Push into strange territory
[subject] reimagined as [unexpected material or setting, for example a city made of folded paper], [lighting] --weird 500 --chaos 20
You get: Unusual, surprising variations for brainstorming
Edit an image instead of starting again
Attach your image in the editor, then type: Change [what to change, for example the time of day to dusk], add [detail, for example light rain on the window]. Keep [what must not change, for example the building, the people and the composition] the same.
You get: A targeted edit that keeps the rest of the image intact
Short looping video from an image
Animate your chosen image with this prompt: [one slow movement, for example steam rising from the cup], gentle movement only, camera stays still --motion low --loop
You get: A five-second looping clip for social media