What is Midjourney?
Midjourney is a text-to-image AI generator that turns written descriptions into stunning, high-quality visuals in seconds. Since its launch in 2022, it has become the gold standard for AI art — known for its painterly aesthetic, extraordinary attention to lighting and detail, and ability to produce images that feel professional right out of the box.
In 2026, Midjourney runs on Version 7 as its stable model and Version 8 (released as Alpha in March 2026) for users who want the most powerful image quality available. V8 brings native 2K resolution, dramatically improved prompt understanding, and superior realism for portrait and architectural photography styles.
Unlike Gemini or ChatGPT which are primarily text tools, Midjourney is a pure image generation platform. You give it a text prompt, and it generates four image variations for you to choose from. It runs on a subscription basis — there is no permanent free tier.
Midjourney is used by photographers, designers, marketers, content creators, architects, game developers, and anyone who needs professional-quality visuals without a design background.
How to Use Midjourney — Step by Step
Sign up at midjourney.com
Go to midjourney.com and click Sign Up. You can use a Google account or Discord account to register. In 2026, you no longer need Discord to use Midjourney — the web platform handles everything.
Choose a subscription plan
Midjourney requires a paid subscription before generating images:
- Basic — $10/month — ~200 images
- Standard — $30/month — unlimited (relax mode) — most popular
- Pro — $60/month — unlimited + Stealth Mode (private generations)
- Mega — $120/month — maximum GPU time
Annual billing saves ~20%. For beginners, the Standard plan is the best starting point.
Explore the Explore tab first
Before generating your first image, spend 10 minutes on the Explore tab. Browse what other users are creating. Click any image you like to see the exact prompt that made it. This is the fastest way to understand what good prompts look like.
Write your first prompt
Click the prompt box and describe what you want to create. Be descriptive. Instead of "a woman," write "a young Indian woman in a red silk saree, golden jewellery, standing in a palace courtyard at golden hour, cinematic portrait, soft bokeh background, 85mm lens."
Add parameters to control the output
Parameters go at the end of your prompt and control how Midjourney generates the image:
- --ar 16:9 — widescreen aspect ratio
- --ar 9:16 — vertical/portrait ratio (great for Instagram)
- --v 7 — use the latest stable model
- --hd — native 2K resolution (V8 only)
- --style raw — more photorealistic, less "AI-looking"
- --no text — removes any text from the generated image
Review and upscale
Midjourney shows four image variations. Click U1–U4 to upscale your favourite, or V1–V4 to create variations of a specific image. Upscaling produces a high-resolution final image ready to use.
Iterate on your favourite
Use "Vary (Subtle)" or "Vary (Strong)" to generate variations that stay close to or diverge from your chosen image. Use "Re-roll" to generate four entirely new images from the same prompt.
Pro Tips for Better Midjourney Images
Describe specifically, not generically
"A beautiful sunset" gives average results. "A sunset over the Arabian Sea in Surat, warm golden-orange tones, silhouette of fishing boats, long exposure effect, cinematic mood" gives extraordinary results. The more specific your description, the more control you have.
Use style references with --sref
Add --sref [image URL] at the end of your prompt to apply the style of a reference image to your new generation. This is powerful for maintaining a consistent visual look across a series of images.
Use character references with --cref
Add --cref [image URL] to keep a specific character consistent across multiple images. Useful for creating a story with the same character in different scenes.
Start prompts with the subject, not the style
Lead with what is in the image, then describe the style. "A young man in traditional Indian kurta, white fabric, simple background [subject first] — studio portrait, soft lighting, Canon 5D, f/1.8 [style second]."
Save your favourite prompts
When you find a prompt formula that works, save it in Hixa or a personal notes app. Great prompts are hard to recreate from memory.
Browse Midjourney Prompts on Hixa
Hixa has a curated collection of Midjourney prompts across every style — portraits, landscapes, architecture, fantasy, product photography, and more. All ready to copy and use.
Browse all Midjourney prompts →