Mastering Midjourney’s Style Reference (SREF): How to Create Stunning Consistent Art with Ease
Discover how to use Midjourney’s Style Reference feature to maintain artistic coherence across your AI-generated images—perfect for creators, designers, and digital artists.
What is Style Reference?
Midjourney’s Style Reference (SREF) is a powerful feature that lets you apply the visual characteristics of an existing image to a new AI-generated creation. Unlike traditional image-to-image techniques, this tool ensures that the artistic style—such as color palettes, textures, and lighting—is transferred without copying specific objects or subjects.
For instance, if you have an image with a retro aesthetic and want your new creation to have the same nostalgic feel, simply reference the original image. Midjourney will interpret and apply that style, maintaining visual consistency across different subjects.
How to Use Style Reference
Here’s how you can leverage Style Reference in Midjourney to refine your AI art workflow:
Add an Image to Your Prompt: Upload an image via the “Imagine” bar in Midjourney. You can either select an existing image from your library or upload a new one.
Select the Reference Type: Hover over the image and click the paperclip icon to assign it as a style reference. You can select multiple reference types by holding "Shift" while clicking other icons.
Use It on Discord: If you prefer using Discord, append
--sreffollowed by the image URL at the end of your prompt. If referencing multiple images, separate the URLs with a space.
Best Practices for Maximum Impact
Keep Your Prompt Simple: Avoid including words that describe the style in your text prompt. Let the reference image dictate the aesthetic without unnecessary interference. However, for complex styles, using some descriptive keywords can be beneficial.
Focus on Detailed Descriptions: Instead of instructing Midjourney how to apply the style, concentrate on what you want to depict in your scene.
Choose the Right Style Source: You can pick a style directly from Midjourney’s Explorer section or even from your previously generated images. Once you set the style reference, just input your descriptive prompt—without specifying a style—and Midjourney will apply the selected aesthetic. This is especially useful for maintaining uniformity in projects that require a consistent artistic direction.
Controlling Style Weight
The --sw (style weight) parameter lets you adjust the influence of the style reference on your new image. The default value is --sw 100, but you can increase it up to 1000 for stronger adherence to the style or lower it for a subtler effect.
Random Style Reference and Seed Control
Midjourney also allows for randomized style application using --sref random. This command selects a style from Midjourney’s internal database and applies it to your image. Once used, this style is assigned a unique seed, which you can reuse for future prompts to maintain the same aesthetic.
Adjust the --sw value to control how strongly the random style influences your final image.
Choosing the Right Style Reference Version
Midjourney offers four different Style Reference versions through the --sv parameter. Each version interprets and applies styles uniquely:
--sv 1: The original reference algorithm, creating a highly stylized look.--sv 2: A refined approach that balances realism and artistry.--sv 3: An updated version of--sv 1, optimized for cohesive aesthetics.--sv 4(default): A polished version of--sv 2, offering more predictable results.
Final Thoughts
The Style Reference feature in Midjourney is a game-changer for digital artists looking to maintain a consistent visual identity. Whether you’re creating a portfolio, designing assets, or producing a series of artworks, experimenting with style references and fine-tuning their impact will help you achieve professional-looking results.
By mastering --sref, --sw, and --sv, you can elevate your AI-generated art to a whole new level of customization and creativity.
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