How To Use MidJourney AI in 2024?

MidJourney is an AI system that generates images from text prompts. It was created in 2021 by researchers at Anthropic, an AI safety startup. MidJourney uses a type of AI called a diffusion model to generate high-quality, creative images from natural language descriptions.

In just over a year since its launch, MidJourney has become hugely popular, amassing over 1 million users. Its ability to create stunning, photorealistic images from short text prompts makes it valuable for artists, designers, content creators and more.

In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to use MidJourney to generate your own AI artworks.

Signing Up for MidJourney

The first step is to sign up for a MidJourney account. MidJourney is currently in closed beta, so you need an invite code to create an account. Invite codes are regularly released on the MidJourney Discord server.

Once you have an invite code, go to the MidJourney website and click “Sign Up”. Follow the prompts to create your account using your email address.

After signing up, you will need to choose a subscription plan. MidJourney offers a free plan with 25 free prompts per month, as well as paid subscription tiers with more prompts. The paid tiers range from $10 per month for 115 prompts, up to $600 per month for unlimited prompts.

Using the MidJourney Bot

MidJourney is used through its Discord bot. So after creating your account, you need to join the MidJourney Discord server.

In the Discord, go to the #newbies channel. Here you can find explanations of key concepts about how MidJourney works. Take some time to read this channel to understand the basics.

When you’re ready, go to the #bot-commands channel. This is where you will actually use the MidJourney bot to generate images.

To start, type /imagine followed by a text prompt describing what you want MidJourney to generate. For example:

/imagine a fantasy landscape with a medieval castle on a cliff by the sea

Hit Enter and MidJourney will start generating an image based on your prompt. The image generation takes some time, depending on how busy the servers are. You’ll see a loading message while you wait for the result.

Once ready, MidJourney will display four image variations in a grid for you to choose from.

Experimenting with Prompts

The key to getting great results with MidJourney lies in crafting your text prompts. The AI will generate whatever you describe, so the more descriptive your prompt, the better the output.

Here are some tips for writing good prompts:

• Include details like colors, textures, styles, lighting, etc. The more visual information the better.
• Use descriptive adjectives and adverbs. “A beautiful princess” is better than just “a princess”.
• Give context and set the mood. “A sinister cyborg stalking through a dusty apocalyptic wasteland” sets a whole scene.
• List multiple descriptors separated by commas to add variety.
• Try prompts with imaginative concepts, like “an alien mushroom tree on a distant planet”.
• Look at examples in the Discord for inspiration. See what prompts others are using for stellar creations.

Experiment with different prompts and see what works. It takes some trial and error to get a sense of MidJourney’s capabilities.

Upscaling and Variations

After generating an initial image, you can further refine the output using commands like /upscale to increase resolution, and /variation or /var to get new versions with the same prompt.

Upscaling brings out finer details and clarity. Use it when you have a basic image you want to polish.

Variations give you new renditions with the same description. The AI will put the elements together in new ways. Use variations if the first images didn’t quite capture what you were going for.

You can chain these commands, like upscaling a variation to get a new high-res version. Remixing the outputs into new illustrations is part of the creative process.

Direct Messaging the Bot

While you can use commands in the #bot-commands channel, it’s better to DM the MidJourney bot directly. This avoids cluttering the public channel, and lets you easily pick up where you left off.

To DM the bot, right click on its name in the user list and choose “Message”. You can then chat with it privately and run commands.

DMing also lets you reuse previous prompts. Type /imagine followed by last to rerun your last prompt. You can keep iterating to refine an image without retyping the description each time.

Advanced Prompt Syntax

MidJourney supports some advanced prompt syntax to give you more control:

• Style transfer – Add {style:stylename} in your prompt to mimic a certain art style. For example, {style:impressionist}.
• Aspect ratio – Add {aspect:X:Y} where X and Y are numbers to get a certain width-to-height ratio.
• Post-processing – Use {Blur} or {Sharpen} at the end to apply these filters.
• Weighting terms – Use "" to weight certain terms higher. "Medieval castle" on a hill weights “medieval castle” highest.
• Negative prompts – Use -{concept} to exclude something from the image. -{scary} -{ugly} -{poorly drawn} avoids those qualities.

Take some time to learn these advanced syntax options to craft prompts even more precisely.

Sharing and Downloading Images

Once you have generated images you like, there are a few ways to save and share them:

• You can click the download button below an image to save it to your device.
• Alternatively, right click and choose “Copy Image” to copy it to your clipboard.
• In Discord, you can upload images to share them with other users in channels.
• MidJourney also lets you share images directly to social media like Twitter and Instagram.

Be sure to properly credit MidJourney AI as the creator whenever you share generated images publicly. This is required by MidJourney’s terms of use.

General MidJourney Tips

Here are some overall tips to get the most out of MidJourney as a beginner:

• Take the time to experiment and learn how the AI works. The more prompts you try, the better you’ll get at guiding the outputs.
• Start with simple, basic prompts before getting too elaborate. Get a feel for the system’s capabilities.
• Browse the Discord for inspiration on what’s possible and which prompts work well.
• Upscale images you like to bring out finer details. Generate multiple variations of good outputs.
• If you have an account, save your best work. MidJourney regularly clears out user image libraries.
• Read the info channels on the Discord for help understanding features and best practices.
• Most importantly, have fun with it! MidJourney opens up unlimited creative possibilities.

Conclusion

That covers the basics of how to use MidJourney AI to generate stunning AI artworks using just text prompts. With some practice crafting prompts, you can produce remarkable images suitable for projects and creative work.

The key is experimentation. Try out different prompt phrasings, use upscaling and variations to iterate on outputs, and learn the advanced syntax as you go. Refer to the Discord for guidance and inspiration from other users.

MidJourney is the leading edge of a new wave of creative AI. With this guide, you now have the foundation to take advantage of its image generation capabilities for your own art, design, content creation and more.

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