Midjourney Parameters and Aspect Ratio Explained

Parameters are how you control Midjourney beyond the text prompt. They set aspect ratio, adjust how much the model stylizes your image, exclude unwanted elements, and control randomness. Every parameter goes at the end of your prompt after a space, and each starts with two dashes.

This guide covers every commonly used parameter with the current default model (V8.2 as of July 2026), explains what each one actually does, and includes examples you can copy directly. Some parameters work differently or are unavailable on older model versions, so version-specific notes are included where they matter.

How parameters work

Parameters go at the very end of your prompt, separated from the text by a space. They are not part of the description. Midjourney processes the text prompt first, then applies parameters as modifiers to the generation.

a sunlit greenhouse full of tropical plants, editorial photography --ar 16:9 --stylize 300

In this example, the text prompt is everything before --ar. The two parameters control aspect ratio and stylization level. Order of parameters does not matter, but they must all come after the prompt text.

Aspect ratio with --ar

Aspect ratio controls the shape of the output image. By default, Midjourney generates square images (1:1). For most practical uses, you will want a different ratio.

• --ar 16:9 for landscape, desktop wallpapers, YouTube thumbnails, and cinematic compositions.
• --ar 9:16 for vertical content, phone wallpapers, Instagram Stories, and Pinterest pins.
• --ar 4:5 for portrait orientation, Instagram posts, and headshots.
• --ar 3:2 for classic photo proportions, similar to 35mm film.
• --ar 1:1 for square formats, profile pictures, and album art.

Basic example

a calm lake reflecting autumn trees at golden hour, landscape photography --ar 16:9

Improved example with complementary parameters

a calm lake reflecting autumn trees at golden hour, mist on the water, warm amber and deep green tones, landscape photography --ar 16:9 --stylize 250

Aspect ratio affects composition. A 16:9 landscape naturally encourages horizontal subjects, leading lines, and wider scenes. A 9:16 vertical naturally favors tall subjects, depth, and stacked elements. Choose the ratio that fits both your output format and your compositional intent.

Stylize with --stylize (or --s)

The --stylize parameter controls how much Midjourney applies its own aesthetic judgment to your image. Higher values produce more opinionated, artistic results. Lower values stick closer to a literal interpretation of your prompt.

• --stylize 0 to 100: minimal artistic interpretation. The model follows your prompt as literally as possible.
• --stylize 100 to 300: balanced range for most work. Enough style to look polished without overriding your prompt.
• --stylize 300 to 750: strongly stylized. The model takes more creative liberty with lighting, color, and composition.
• --stylize 750 to 1000: maximum stylization. Best for abstract or artistic work where you want the model's aesthetics to dominate.

Comparing stylize values

a street market in the rain, neon signs reflecting on wet pavement --ar 16:9 --stylize 50

a street market in the rain, neon signs reflecting on wet pavement --ar 16:9 --stylize 500

The first prompt produces a more documentary, straightforward rendering. The second produces a more cinematic, color-graded version of the same scene. Neither is better. The right value depends on your purpose.

Chaos with --chaos (or --c)

Chaos controls how varied the four initial results are from each other. Low chaos means all four results look similar. High chaos means each result takes a different interpretation of your prompt.

• --chaos 0: all four results are very similar. Good when you know exactly what you want and want consistent options.
• --chaos 25 to 50: moderate variety. Useful for exploration when you have a general idea but want to see different interpretations.
• --chaos 75 to 100: maximum variety. Each result may look completely different. Good for early brainstorming when you have not settled on a direction.

Exploration workflow using chaos

abstract organic shapes, deep ocean colors, bioluminescent glow --ar 1:1 --chaos 75

Start with high chaos to explore. Once you find a direction you like, drop chaos to 0 or remove it entirely, then refine your prompt with more specific language.

Raw mode with --raw

The --raw parameter reduces Midjourney's built-in beautification. By default, the model applies its own aesthetic polish: balanced composition, flattering lighting, smooth rendering. Raw mode strips some of that away and gives you something closer to a literal interpretation of your words.

This is useful when Midjourney's default look is too polished for your needs. Documentary photography, gritty textures, imperfect compositions, and raw film aesthetics all benefit from --raw.

a candid photo of a mechanic working under a car, fluorescent garage lighting, grease-stained hands --ar 3:2 --raw

Negative prompting with --no

The --no parameter tells Midjourney to avoid specific elements. This is more reliable than writing 'without' or 'no' in your text prompt, because --no is processed as a parameter rather than as descriptive text.

a clean product photo of a glass perfume bottle, soft studio lighting --ar 4:5 --no text watermark logo reflection

List the items you want excluded as space-separated words after --no. This is especially useful for product photography where you want to avoid text overlays, watermarks, or unwanted reflections.

Seed with --seed

Every Midjourney generation uses a random seed number. Specifying --seed with a number lets you reproduce similar results. This is useful for making small prompt changes while keeping the overall composition consistent.

a cozy bookshop interior, warm lamp light, stacks of old books --ar 16:9 --seed 42

Using the same seed with the same prompt and parameters produces similar (not identical) results. Changing one word in the prompt while keeping the seed lets you see how that word affects the output without randomizing the entire composition.

Higher resolution with --hd

On V8.2, --hd is a generation setting that requests HD output (about 2048px) instead of the default standard-resolution job (about 1024px). It is not a separate upscale pass after you pick a grid cell. Note that --quality, which was a dial on earlier versions, does not function the same way on V8. Use --hd when you want higher resolution from the start.

macro photo of morning dew on a spider web, forest background bokeh, golden hour light --ar 3:2 --hd

Version selection with --v

By default, Midjourney uses V8.2. You can specify an older version if a particular feature depends on it. For example, multi-prompt syntax (::) is documented for versions through the V6/6.1 family and does not work on V8.2, so you would use --v 6.1 for that workflow.

cyberpunk cityscape at night, flying cars, neon signage --ar 16:9 --v 6.1

There is no reason to specify --v 8.2 unless you are overriding a previously set default. V8.2 is already the default.

Parameter placement rules

• All parameters go at the end of the prompt, after the text description.
• Each parameter starts with two dashes followed by the parameter name.
• Order of parameters does not matter.
• Parameters are separated from each other by spaces.
• Do not place parameters in the middle of your text prompt. They will be treated as text rather than parameters.
• Some parameters have short aliases: --s for --stylize, --c for --chaos.

Advanced example combining multiple parameters

editorial food photography, rustic wooden table, bowl of ramen with steam rising, chopsticks resting on the bowl, warm tungsten lighting from above, shallow depth of field --ar 4:5 --stylize 200 --no text watermark people --hd

This prompt uses four parameters together: aspect ratio for portrait composition, moderate stylization, negative prompting to exclude text and people, and --hd for HD generation resolution. Each parameter handles a different dimension of control that would be hard to express in words alone.

Related guides

• For prompt writing fundamentals, see /blog/writing-better-midjourney-image-prompts.
• For product photography and campaign workflows, see /blog/how-to-use-midjourney-for-product-and-campaign-visuals.