What to Know

• Create a Discord account and authorize the Midjourney bot.
• Purchase a Midjourney subscription plan to access image-generation features.
• Join a newbie Discord channel and use the/imagine command with a text prompt to generate your first image.

Midjourney is one of the best AI image generators, but it can be slightly confusing for the beginner because it lacks a web interface - you have to use chat prompts on Discord. This guide takes you step by step to your first AI image on Midjourney.

How to Get Started With Midjourney

To use Midjourney, you must first sign up for Discord and then authorize the Midjourney bot to use your Discord profile. 

1. Create or log in to an account on Discord. Alternatively, go to the Midjourney website and sign up using your Discord ID. Midjourney will automatically redirect you to Discord. 

2. SelectJoin Midjourneyto display the welcome screen for the Midjourney bot. You can select theGetting Startedintroductory instructions or generate your first image directly.

   

3. Midjourney no longer offers a free trial, so you must purchase a subscription. Choose from four subscription tiers, each covering different image generation and resolution options.

   

   Your prompt and generated images are public by default. Any images you prompt will appear on the Midjourney website, including ones from your private Discord server or private DMs with the Midjourney Bot. Stealth Mode keeps your images private, but it's only available on the Pro and Mega Plans.

4. Go to one of the "newbie" Discord bot channels on the left-hand sidebar. They usually are numbered - like "newbies - 1", "newbies - 31", or "general-#," where the#represents any number, etc.

   

5. To generate an image, type the command /imaginefollowed by a descriptive but specific prompt. The"imagine" command also appears in a pop-up commands list when you type a "/."

   

6. To influence the style of an image, you can also use a reference image as part of a text prompt. Copy-paste the URL of the image (ensure it ends in .png, .gif, or .jpg) and combine it with a text prompt or Midjourney parameters.

   For instance,

   https://example.com/path-to-your-image.jpg "A serene landscape with rolling hills and a vibrant sunset, in the style of Monet, with soft brush strokes and warm colors"

7. TheMidjourney Bot will prompt you to accept the Terms of Service. Accept these terms to start the image creation.

8. Midjourney will take a few seconds to process your request. Based on your prompt, it will generate four variations of the image.

   Experiment with different styles and concepts to discover unique results. Use modifiers like "highly detailed" or "cinematic" to enhance the generated images. Also, review and refine the prompts based on the outcomes to improve Midjourney's image-generation skills.

9. A row of buttons with numbers is displayed for the four images under the image grid.

   • The Ubuttons upscale the selected image - U1 selects the first image, U2 the second, and so on. Midjourney generates images at 1024 x 1024 pixels. Upscaling an image enhances its resolution and detail, making it larger and clearer. Once enhanced, a set of extra options, such as "Upscale (Subtle)" and "Zoom Out," can appear for further manipulation of the image.
   • TheVbuttons create variations of the selected image. Each generates a new image grid that tries to stay close to the general look of the selected image.
   • The Regeneratebutton re-runs the original prompt and displays a new grid of images.
   

10. Click an image to open it to full size. Right-click and chooseSave Imageto download it as a PNG file to your computer. You can also see all your generated images on Midjourney.com/archive if you are signed in.

Midjourney offers two options.Fast Modeprovides instant image generation but limits how many prompts you can do.Relax Modehas wait times; your prompts go into a queue for GPUs to process them as they become available, but you can do more of them. By default, Midjourney uses the Fast Mode. If you aren't in a hurry, use the Relax Mode to conserve your monthly GPU limits. 

Advanced Features of Midjourney

Midjourney stands apart from other AI image generators with a degree of control for users who want high-quality, stylized images. Here are some advanced capabilities in Midjourney that can improve your work.

Use Parameters for Finetuning Prompts

In Midjourney, parameters are special commands at the end of a prompt that modifies how the AI generates the image. By using parameters like--arfor aspect ratio,--chaosfor variation, or--stylefor aesthetics, you can instruct the Midjourney bot to match your preferences.

Switch On Parameter Buttons From Settings

Midjourney settings let you toggle different "modes." Modes are specific parameters that help to expand your creative range.

For instance, theRemixmode can generate variations of an existing image by modifying the prompt and parameters. ThePersonalizationmode remembers previous outputs. Using this parameter with your prompts allows you to consistently get images in a style you like.

Note:

Run the/settingscommand to display the parameter buttons. You can also choose the Midjourney model version from the dropdown and toggle style value, variation mode, and processing speed. Pro and Mega subscription plan users can also switch to Stealth mode for privacy.

Generate Variations of an Image From a Single Prompt

Midjourney's Permutation prompts let you list options with curly brackets to request variations of an image within a single command. While each option will consume its own GPU minutes, you can save time by viewing different variations of an image.

Turn a Picture Into Text

Midjourney also has an Image-to-text generator that can make descriptions for any image you link to or upload. This feature can be handy for improving your prompts by mimicking styles and for providing accessibility for visually impaired individuals.

Have Fun With Friends in Midjourney Rooms

Using Discord and Midjourney as a pair is in itself collaborative. You can join channels and chat with other users. However, people who have generated over 100 images can set up private "Rooms" and share them with friends via a link and a password.

What Is Midjourney?

Midjourney is a text-to-image generative AI image creator. It goes about image generation differently from alternative AI image generators, as you need to sign up on Discord and use the Midjourney bot to generate images with simple text prompts.

The Midjourney server handles the heavy lifting of the artificial image generation, so you don't need powerful hardware. However, as each image generation puts a load on the server's GPU processing time, you are allocated a specific unit of GPU time as part of your subscription plan.

The average GPU time for a single image text-to-image process is usually one minute. Reprocessing tasks like upscaling an image or re-running a prompt can use more GPU time.

Does Midjourney Have a Web Interface?

The independent research lab is also developing an online Midjourney editor. You can try it if you've made at least 100 images on Midjourney.