Midjourney V6 Tips and Tricks: A Beginner’s Guide

Today, I want to share the important tips and tricks of MidJourney V6 for beginners. If you’ve been curious about this latest model V6 and how to make the most of it, you’re in the right place.

Getting Started with Midjourney V6

The first step is to check your settings by typing “/settings” to see which model is currently active. Alternatively, you can specify V6 by adding “–V6” or “v6.0” at the end of your prompt.

This choice depends on whether you want it as the default for all your prompts or prefer to specify it each time. Stick to the default version if you’re unsure.

Mastering Aspect Ratios

Now, let’s dive into some of the key arguments that can be used with V6.

The aspect ratio, represented by the argument “–ar,” allows you to control the shape of your generated image.

The default ratio is 1:1, producing an image of 124 by 124 pixels.

You can experiment with wider or taller ratios, but keep in mind that altering the aspect ratio may elongate the image in one direction while reducing its size in the other.

Aspect ratios have been a challenge in previous versions, so it’s great that V6 introduces this feature without limitations.

Navigating Grid Buttons

Once you’ve prompted your image in V6, you’ll encounter a menu under the generated image in Discord with nine buttons.

Familiarize yourself with these buttons for various functions:

• U1 to U4: Upscaling options without changing the image size.
• Refresh Button: Rerolls the same prompt for another attempt.
• V1 to V4: For obtaining variations of an image you like.
• Heart Button: Sets the rating of the image on MidJourney’s website to the highest.
• Web Button: This takes you to the image on MidJourney’s website for further actions.

Understanding these buttons is crucial for efficiently working with your generated images.

Upscaling Tips

Moving on to upscaling, V6 currently offers two options: Subtle and Creative. Both options provide a 248×248 pixels image. The Subtle option aims to preserve the original, while the Creative option may introduce some changes.

Additionally, you can explore the Very Subtle and Very Strong buttons for more variation.

The heart button serves to organize and highlight your favorite images on Midjourney’s website. The web button provides direct access to your image on the site.

Tips for Zooming Out

One current limitation in V6 is the absence of pan, zoom, or VAR region options. Controlling the desired framing of an image has become a bit trickier.

Experiment with negative prompting, such as specifying “–no closeup,” to zoom out a bit. Playing with aspect ratios, particularly taller ratios, can also provide more room for creating a complete body in the images.

While we miss the pan and zoom features from previous versions, you can still achieve desired results by experimenting with detailed prompts, like specifying the type of shoes a person is wearing.

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Using “Staircase” Technique

The next tip is something I like to call the “Staircase” technique. It involves using two apostrophes ('') in your prompt and an S reference (--sref).

Here’s a breakdown of how it works:

Start with a Void Prompt: Begin by adding --sref followed by a random value, such as “random” in this example.

No Specific Prompt Required: Unlike typical prompts, this one doesn’t need detailed input. Just use two apostrophes.

Generate Images: MidJourney will create images based on the --sref input.

What happens is you get a series of images that, while different, maintain a consistent style. The reason it’s called the “Staircase” technique is because each time you generate a new image using this method, it’s like adding another step to the staircase.

The images evolve gradually while maintaining stylistic continuity.

It’s particularly useful if you want to explore variations on a theme while keeping things visually cohesive.

Pixel Dimensions for Specific Image Sizes

This next tip is all about pixel dimensions, which is incredibly useful when you need images with very specific sizes.

Here’s an example: I wanted to create a Batman banner with an exact resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. To do this:

1. Use the prompt as usual (e.g., “Batman banner”).
2. Include the aspect ratio code (--ar). In this case, I used --ar 1920:1080.
3. Hit enter, and MidJourney generates the image to your specified dimensions.

This is especially helpful for creating custom-sized banners, wallpapers, or any specific layout that requires precise dimensions.

You’re not limited to the standard 16:9 or 7:9 ratios; you can customize it exactly to fit your needs.

Understanding the “Art” Keyword

The word “Art” in MidJourney is a powerful prompt. To demonstrate this, I generated two samples:

1. One using the keyword “Art Deco” alone.
2. Another using “Art Deco Art”.

You’ll notice that the prompt with the word “Art” brings a more creative and intricate result. It emphasizes artistic details, giving the output a polished, visually appealing look.

If you’re aiming for a specific art style, make sure to include the word “Art” to refine the results further.

Importance of Emphasis

Emphasis is another key aspect when crafting prompts. Let’s take a look at two examples:

1. “A person walking in a city park”: Here, the focus is on the park as the main subject.
2. “A city park with a person walking”: In this prompt, the person becomes the central focus.

The takeaway here is that MidJourney places emphasis on the first part of the prompt. If you want the subject to be the park, mention the park first.

If you want the focus to be on the person, start the prompt with the person.

Exploring V6 and V6.1 Versions

MidJourney allows you to experiment with different versions of its AI, including Version 6 (V6) and Version 6.1 (V6.1).

Here’s how you can switch between them:

1. Start with V6: By default, your images are generated using version 6.
2. Switch to V6.1: To switch to version 6.1, simply add --v 6.1 to your prompt.

The key difference between the two is that V6.1 offers subtle improvements in detail and overall image quality.

It’s a great way to fine-tune the look of your images if you find V6 doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Creating Character Sheets

For those looking to create character sheets, this next tip is invaluable. A character sheet contains a range of poses and angles for a specific character, which is useful in storytelling or design projects.

Here’s how to do it:

Use “Character Sheet” as a Prompt:

For example, if you want a character named Jimmy the Robot, input “Character sheet of Jimmy the Robot in different poses, angles, including front view, side view, and back view.”

Aspect Ratio:

Opt for a wider aspect ratio, like --ar 3:1, to fit more poses in one image.

Results:

You’ll get a series of images that display the character in various angles and perspectives, perfect for reference or artistic projects.

Permutations Without Quotes

In MidJourney, you can use permutations to explore multiple versions of a prompt by varying specific elements. However, there’s a shortcut you can use to avoid typing quotes or apostrophes around each part of the permutation.

Here’s how:

1. Normally, you’d write a prompt like this: “The sky, the stars, the moon” with quotes around each element.
2. But, you can skip the quotes by enclosing the entire phrase in one set of quotes or apostrophes.

This simplifies the process and makes generating permutations a lot quicker.

“Spot the Difference” Technique

Here’s a fun one: the Spot the Difference technique. You probably remember playing this game as a kid, where you compare two pictures and find the differences.

In MidJourney, you can create your own “spot the difference” images by doing the following:

1. Generate a normal image.
2. Use the in-painting tool (or editor) to erase certain parts of the image.
3. Submit the edited image.

Now you’ll have two versions: the original and the altered one. This technique is not only entertaining but can also be used in interactive designs or educational materials.

Conclusion

That wraps up our exploration of Midjourney V6 for beginners. Here, you’ll dive into more advanced features and their functionalities. There’s so much to discover and figure out with V6, and if you have any tips or findings to share, drop them in the comments below.

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