How to create effective Midjourney prompts

AI-generated art is not just a niche experiment anymore.There are now numerous tools you can use to fuel your creative projects and marketing campaigns. Midjourney, one of the most widely used image models in the world, is central to this surge in AI art, even earning users artistic awards.

Still, for all its popularity, many users don’t know how to prompt Midjourney properly. Have you ever typed a few descriptive words into an AI tool, and the image that came back looked nothing like what you had in your mind? The issue isn’t the AI. It’s how we talk to it.

Clear and well-structured inputs are important for steering Midjourney toward better results. Read on for specific tips on how to write a prompt for Midjourney from scratch, and with the assistance of Jotform’s AI Prompt Generator.

What is Midjourney?

Midjourney is an AI-powered image generation tool that produces detailed visuals based on text inputs. It interprets descriptions in natural language to create original artwork from scratch. You can use it to create anything from ultra-realistic renders to surreal compositions or marketing material.

The model ran through Discord in it’s early days. Users interacted with a chatbot that turned short phrases or complex instructions into visual content. They also have a web app now, which they introduced in 2024. The structure of your prompts determines how well the model generates outputs.

Digital artists can use Midjourney for concept development and portfolio pieces. Content creators can build thumbnails, backdrops, and stylized portraits. Marketing teams can generate campaign visuals. And Midjourney has become a go-to tool for social media content, mood boards, web design mockups, and educational graphics.

Plans and pricing

Midjourney offers four subscription plans to support different creative workloads, all billed monthly or annually.

• Basic plan: Costs $10 per month or $96 per year and comes with 3.3 hours of Fast GPU time. Relaxed generation mode and video creation are not available at this tier.
• Standard plan: Costs $30 per month or $288 per year and comes with 15 hours of Fast GPU time and unlimited image generation in Relax Mode.
• Pro plan: Costs $60 per month or $576 per year and comes with 30 hours of Fast GPU time, unlimited image and video generation in Relax Mode, and access to Stealth Mode for private outputs.
• Mega plan: Costs $120 per month or $1,152 per year and comes with 60 hours of Fast GPU time along with all features from the Pro tier, and is suitable for high-volume creators.

GPU hours can be purchased at a flat rate at all tier levels. 

The basics of prompting Midjourney

To effectively prompt in Midjourney, you just need to know how to describe what you see in your head. The clearer your input, the closer the output will match your vision.

First off, you have to be specific. For example, if you use a vague phrase like ”a forest,” the tool will be left guessing what type of a forest you’re picturing. But saying ”a dense pine forest at sunrise, fog rolling between trees, golden light filtering through branches,” givesthe model more direction on what to create.

You can make your Midjourney prompts more descriptive across several dimensions:

• Color: Specify palettes, like muted earth tones or black and white.
• Style: Mention which visual genres you’re interested in, such as sketch, surreal, or photorealistic.
• Mood: Describe the mood, like chaotic or dreamlike, to give the output an emotional tone.
• Composition: Add terms like “close-up,” “wide shot,” “centered,” or “overhead view” to guide the layout.

Midjourney also understands artistic references. Entering “in the style of Van Gogh” or “inspired by Studio Ghibli” generates an image based on  well-known design principles. These references help the AI anchor your visual request in a known creative style.

The best AI prompt examples are mid-range in length. Midjourney processes inputs based on a token system (roughly aligned with word and character count). There’s no need to write a paragraph. Concise, detailed inputs tend to work best.

You can also use parameters to control the technical side. For example, ar 16:9 changes the aspect ratio and stylize 1000 influences how strongly Midjourney applies its artistic interpretation.

Step-by-step guide: How to write effective Midjourney prompts

To get the result you’re looking for, you need to guide the AI with meaningful, well-structured context. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start with a clear subject

State what you want the image to center on. Let’s say, for example, you want to generate the image of an old city street. It’s a simple subject, but you’ve set the direction.

Prompt preview:

“Generate an old city street”

2. Add style and mood descriptors

Now, describe the atmosphere. You could say, “rain-soaked cobblestones, soft neon reflections, 1950s noir film look.” These words bring in mood, time period, and texture.

Prompt preview:

“Generate an old city street, rain-soaked cobblestones, soft neon reflections, 1950s noir film look”

3. Include composition and perspective details

Think of yourself as a filmmaker or photographer. To set the scene, you can give perspective details like, “wide-angle view, low-camera angle, inward-learning buildings, blurred silhouette in the distance.” These details help Midjourney figure out how to arrange elements.

Prompt preview:

“Generate an old city street, rain-soaked cobblestones, soft neon reflections, 1950s noir film look, wide-angle view, low camera angle, inward-leaning buildings, blurred silhouette in the distance”

4. Use Midjourney parameters for fine-tuning

Midjourney parameters help fine-tune the image. For example, you can use ”style raw” to reduce the platform’s artistic filters. If you want to specify the model version, use “v 6.”

Prompt preview:

“Generate an old city street, rain-soaked cobblestones, soft neon reflections, 1950s noir film look, wide-angle view, low camera angle, inward-leaning buildings, blurred silhouette in the distance –ar 16:9 –style raw –v 6”

5. Experiment and iterate

Now, run your prompt and see if you’re happy with the final image. If not, you can make revisions, like changing the era or tweaking the lighting.

Reiterated version can look like this:

“Generate an old city street, rain-soaked cobblestones, soft neon reflections, 1950s noir film look, wide-angle view, low camera angle, inward-leaning buildings, blurred silhouette in the distance, warm rim light, subtle fog, reflective puddles –ar 16:9 –style raw –v 6 –stylize 250 –chaos 15 –seed 18742 –no text, watermark”

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Here are some common mistakes people make when learning how to write prompts for Midjourney, along with simple solutions:

• Entering overly complex or lengthy prompts: Midjourney can get confused if prompts try to do too much at once. Stick to one main idea, and limit extra details to what directly supports that concept. Break complex scenes into shorter, focused prompts and test them individually before combining.
• Using vague language and ambiguous descriptions: Phrases like “a beautiful scene” are subjective. Instead, be descriptive. For example, “warm golden light at sunset” offers much clearer direction. When you’re specific about the ideas, the image the AI delivers will be closer to what you see in your head.
• Ignoring negative prompts: If you’re getting unwanted elements (like text in images, distorted faces, or extra limbs), use the –no parameter. For example, your prompt could be “portrait of a woman –no text, blurry, extra limbs.” Negative prompts help refine outcomes by telling the model what not to include.
• Misunderstanding parameter interactions: Parameters like stylize, quality, and aspect ratio can influence each other. For example, a high stylize value may override detailed prompts, while style raw helps retain your input more closely. Test changes one at a time to see how they affect results.
• Failing to iterate and refine prompts: One try is rarely enough, so don’t assume the first prompt will be perfect. Save versions and tweak one variable at a time to compare outcomes.

Introducing Jotform’s AI Prompt Generator: The perfect companion for Midjourney users

Don’t want to spend the time writing Midjourney prompts from scratch? There’s an automated solution, AI Prompt Generator.

What is Jotform’s AI Prompt Generator?

You now know how to write a Midjourney prompt manually, but why go through the trouble when there’s a solution as intuitive as Jotform’s AI Prompt Generator? This creative tool turns quick ideas into detailed, platform-ready prompts. It’s ideal for artists, content creators, marketers, and teams who want to produce high-quality AI art without spending hours tweaking descriptions.

You don’t have to be a prompt engineer to use Jotform’s prompt generator. Select your platform, (Midjourney in this case) and choose a model. Then, type in a short idea.

The tool will generate a fully built-out prompt that includes structure, tone, and formatting tailored to the platform you selected. You can use the prompt as is or add any details you may have missed earlier. If you want to customize with artistic direction, scene composition, or specific parameters without overthinking the phrasing, this is one of the best AI tools for you.

Key benefits over manual prompting

Ever wondered, what are AI agents? They are tools that think, respond, and take action based on your input. Jotform’s AI Prompt Generator acts as your creative assistant, offering the following benefits over manually writing Midjourney prompts:

• Less trial and error: The platform converts short ideas into ready-to-use prompts and saves time you’d otherwise spend rewording or restructuring inputs.
• Platform-specific formatting: You can automatically format prompts to suit tools, like Midjourney, ChatGPT, Claude, and DALL·E, so you’re not juggling prompt styles across platforms.
• Built-in style and mood language: Jotform’s platform adds descriptors, like lighting, color, tone, texture, and emotion, to your prompt.
• Visual composition guidance: The platform incorporates camera angles, framing, and layout suggestions for AI image generators.
• Parameter handling without guesswork: It can be hard for you to remember Midjourney parameters and what they do, especially if you’re new to it. Jotform’s tool includes relevant parameters based on your input, so you don’t have to memorize technical tags.
• Accessibility for all skill levels: The clean, intuitive interface is designed for both technical users and beginners, which means that whether you’re on a team or working solo, you can work confidently.
• Scalability for agencies and teams: The prompts are easily repeatable across projects and clients. Marketing departments and content product teams managing multiple workflows don’t have to run the tool repeatedly.
• Free: There’s no cost to generating prompts, so it’s an easy addition to your creative toolkit.

How it works

Here’s a look at how to prompt Midjourney using Jotform’s AI Prompt Generator.

Step 1: Choose Midjourney as your AI platform

Jotform’s prompt generation capabilities are not limited to Midjourney. It can also generate prompts for Dall·E, ChatGPT, and other platforms. So, first select Midjourney as your platform. This tells the generator to format your prompt specifically for image creation, using Midjourney’s structure and supported parameters.

Step 2: Enter a basic concept or theme

Type in a short idea. It can be something as simple as “a Korean street.” You don’t need to add every detail, just the core visual you want to explore.

Step 3: Receive a fully optimized, detailed, ready-to-use prompt 

The AI takes your idea and expands it into a prompt that includes artistic direction, lighting, mood, composition, and formatting. It’s ready to copy and paste directly into your Midjourney workspace in Discord.

Optional: Customize for style, mood, and parameters

If you want to customize your output even more, you can add your own preferences, like an art style or a mood. You can also include Midjourney parameters for aspect ratio or stylization.

As you can see, creating a Midjourney prompt using Jotform is a simple process that helps you get high-quality outputs without spending precious time tweaking inputs.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to write a Midjourney prompt from scratch and create one using Jotform, try your hand at automated art generation. Just remember to be specific about what you’re imagining. With a little practice, you should be able to avoid pitfalls and test and tweak to get the output you want.

If you want to make the process easier, try the Jotform AI Prompt Generator. Its user-friendly functioning speeds up the process of turning simple ideas into detailed prompts for Midjourney.

Going forward, we’re likely to see more improvements in Midjourney’s features and in the AI art space on the whole. So, the sooner you master prompt writing, the more prepared you will be to use these tools and capabilities in the future.