Midjourney Parameters Guide: Master --ar, --v, --style, --chaos and More

What Are Parameters?

Parameters are instructions you add at the end of a Midjourney prompt to control technical aspects of image generation. They always appear after the text description, preceded by double dashes (--).

Basic structure:

[your prompt description] --parameter1 value --parameter2 value

Example:

a mountain lake at sunrise, misty, photorealistic --ar 16:9 --v 6.1 --style raw

Understanding parameters is what separates users who accept whatever Midjourney gives them from users who consistently produce images that meet their exact specifications.

Essential Parameters

--ar (Aspect Ratio)

Controls the dimensions of your image.

Format: --ar width:height

Common ratios:

Ratio	Use Case
--ar 1:1	Square (Instagram posts, profile photos)
--ar 16:9	Widescreen (presentations, YouTube, desktop wallpapers)
--ar 9:16	Vertical/Portrait (Instagram Stories, TikTok, mobile wallpapers)
--ar 4:5	Instagram portrait post (slightly taller than wide)
--ar 3:2	Standard photography ratio (DSLR default)
--ar 2:3	Portrait photography
--ar 4:3	Traditional screen format, older monitors
--ar 7:4	Wider than 16:9, ultra-wide displays
--ar 21:9	Cinematic ultra-wide

Tip: Always specify aspect ratio. The default (square) is rarely what you want for real-world use cases.

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--v (Version)

Selects which version of the Midjourney model to use.

Format: --v [number] or --v [number.number]

Always use the highest available version number for the best results. As of 2026, this is typically --v 6.1.

Older versions are available for specific aesthetic reasons:

• --v 5.2 — slightly different aesthetic than v6, sometimes preferred for certain styles
• --v 4 — older style, useful for niche aesthetics

Default: If you do not specify, Midjourney uses the current default version (which is usually the latest).

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--style raw

Reduces Midjourney's automatic "beautification" of images, producing more literal interpretations of your prompt.

When to use: Photorealistic product photography, technical illustrations, when you want what you asked for without artistic interpretation.

When to avoid: Artistic images where you want Midjourney's aesthetic sensibility to enhance the result.

Example:

red apple on white background --style raw --ar 1:1

Without --style raw, Midjourney might add dramatic lighting or artistic flair. With it, you get a clean, literal image.

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--stylize or --s (Stylization)

Controls how strongly Midjourney applies its learned aesthetic preferences.

Format: --stylize [number] or --s [number] Range: 0–1000 Default: 100

Low values (0–50): Stays very close to your literal prompt. Less "artistic," more accurate.

Medium values (100–300): Balances prompt accuracy with Midjourney's aesthetic enhancement. This is the sweet spot for most uses.

High values (500–1000): Midjourney heavily applies its aesthetic preferences, potentially departing from your exact description. Results can be beautiful but unpredictable.

Example:

a meadow with wildflowers --s 750 --ar 16:9

vs.

a meadow with wildflowers --s 50 --ar 16:9

The 750 version will look dramatically more painterly and artistic; the 50 version will look closer to a literal description.

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--chaos or --c (Chaos)

Controls the variety and unexpectedness across the four generated images in a grid.

Format: --chaos [number] or --c [number] Range: 0–100 Default: 0

Low chaos (0–10): The four images in your grid will be similar to each other — useful when you know what you want and want to see close variations.

High chaos (50–100): The four images will be dramatically different from each other, exploring very different interpretations. Great for brainstorming and exploring creative possibilities.

Best use: Start with high chaos when exploring a new concept to see the range of possibilities. Switch to low chaos once you have found a direction you like and want more controlled variations.

Example:

logo design for a tech startup --c 80 --ar 1:1

This will give you four very different logo concepts in one grid.

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--no (Negative Prompt)

Excludes specific elements from your image.

Format: --no [element1, element2]

Common uses:

• --no text, watermarks — removes any text elements
• --no people, faces — landscape without people
• --no blur — forces sharp focus
• --no dark — prevents dark/moody results
• --no oversaturation — more natural colors
• --no frame, border — removes framing elements

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--quality or --q (Quality)

Controls how much processing time is applied, affecting detail level.

Format: --quality [number] or --q [number] Options: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 Default: 1

• --q 0.25 — Fast, lower detail. Good for quick drafts and testing prompts.
• --q 0.5 — Half quality. Faster with reasonable results.
• --q 1 — Default quality. Best for most uses.
• --q 2 — Higher quality, more detail, uses 2x the image credits.

Practical tip: Use --q 0.25 when testing a new prompt to save credits. Once satisfied with the direction, switch to --q 1 for the final version.

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Advanced Parameters

--seed

Reproduces a specific image generation. When you use the same seed number with the same prompt, Midjourney generates the same (or very similar) image.

Format: --seed [number]

How to find the seed of an existing image: React to any Midjourney image with the ✉️ envelope emoji. The bot will DM you the job ID and seed.

Use case: You generated a great image and want to make small prompt adjustments while keeping the overall composition. Using the original seed with the modified prompt gives you a consistent starting point.

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--tile

Generates images that tile seamlessly — the edges match so they can be repeated without visible seams.

Format: --tile

Use cases: Background textures, patterns, fabric designs, wallpapers, game assets.

Example:

geometric diamond pattern, navy blue and gold, art deco --tile --ar 1:1

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--weird or --w (Weird)

Adds an element of surreal, unusual, unexpected qualities to the image.

Format: --weird [number] or --w [number] Range: 0–3000

Low values add subtle quirks. High values push results into genuinely strange territory. Useful for surrealist art, experimental concepts, and when you want deliberately unusual results.

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The /settings Command

In Discord, type /settings to open a menu where you can change your default settings. Anything you set here applies to all future prompts without needing to type the parameters each time.

Useful defaults to set:

• Default version to the latest available
• Default quality level
• Default stylize level for your typical use case

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Putting It All Together: Parameter Cheat Sheet

Goal	Parameters to Use
Social media square image	--ar 1:1
YouTube thumbnail / presentation	--ar 16:9
Instagram story	--ar 9:16
Explore many different concepts	--c 80
Consistent, controlled variations	--c 0
Literal, accurate image	--style raw --s 50
Highly artistic interpretation	--s 600
Seamless texture/pattern	--tile
Quick draft to test a prompt	--q 0.25
Maximum detail for final output	--q 2
Surreal / experimental	--w 500

Building Your Default Prompt Template

Based on what you have learned, here is a solid default template that incorporates the most important parameters:

[detailed description] --ar [ratio] --v 6.1 --style raw --no text, watermarks

Adjust --style raw (remove it for artistic images, keep it for photorealism), and customize the aspect ratio for each use case. This template alone will improve your outputs significantly over using Midjourney with no parameters at all.