Midjourney Parameters Cheat Sheet: Complete 2026 V8
This Midjourney parameters cheat sheet covers every flag — --ar, --stylize, --chaos, --sref — with V8 defaults, version compatibility, and visuals.
This Midjourney parameters cheat sheet is the one you can actually trust in 2026 — current to V8.1, with a version-compatibility column so you never paste a flag that quietly does nothing. Most cheat sheets online are stuck on V5/V6 defaults, which is why your --stylize or --quality results don't match what they promise.
Below: how parameters work, the full V8 table, every essential flag with what it actually changes, and copy-paste combos by use case. Skim the table, bookmark the combos.
Table of contents
- How Midjourney parameters work
- The full Midjourney parameters cheat sheet (V8 table)
- The essentials: --ar, --s, --c, --no
- Style and character flags (version matters)
- Quality and output: --hd, --q, --style raw
- Deprecated or changed in V8
- Copy-paste parameter combos
- Frequently asked questions
How Midjourney parameters work
Before the table, the mental model — because a Midjourney parameters cheat sheet only helps if you know what a parameter is. Parameters are flags you add to the end of a prompt, each starting with a double dash: --ar 16:9, --s 250. They override the model's defaults — aspect ratio, how much artistic license it takes, how chaotic the variations are.
Two things trip people up. First, defaults are invisible but always active: if you don't set --ar, you still get a default ratio (1:1), and if you don't set stylize, you get a default stylization. Not setting a flag isn't "neutral" — it's "use the version's default." Second, the web app and Discord behave slightly differently in how they surface these — the web UI exposes many as toggles and sliders, while Discord wants them typed. The flag values are the same either way.
🧠 Remember:
Every parameter has a default that's active whether you type it or not. "I didn't set stylize" means "I used the default stylize for this version" — which changes between versions. When output looks off, an unset flag is often why.
The full Midjourney parameters cheat sheet (V8 table)
Here's the consolidated reference. The Version column is the part most cheat sheets get wrong — some flags are locked to specific model versions, and pasting them onto the wrong version does nothing.
| Parameter | What it does | Range / values | V8.1 default | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
--ar | Aspect ratio | e.g. 1:1, 16:9, 4:5 | 1:1 | All |
--stylize / --s | Artistic license vs prompt fidelity | 0–1000 | 100 | All |
--chaos / --c | Variety across the 4 results | 0–100 | 0 | All |
--no | Negative prompt (remove elements) | words | — | All |
--style raw | Reduces auto-beautification, tighter adherence | on/off | off | All (V7+) |
--hd | Native ~2K high-detail render | on/off | off | V8+ |
--quality / --q | Render time / detail budget | .25, .5, 1, 2 | 1 | All (meaning shifted) |
--sref | Style reference (a look via code/image) | code or image URL | — | All (V7+) |
--sw | Style weight (strength of --sref) | 0–1000 | 100 | With --sref |
--oref | Omni Reference (subject/character from image) | image URL | — | V7 ONLY |
--ow | Omni Weight (strength of --oref) | 0–1000 | 100 | V7 ONLY |
--cref | Character Reference (older char-consistency) | image URL | — | V6 / Niji 6 — not V7/V8.1 |
--cw | Character Weight (strength of --cref) | 0–100 | 100 | V6 / Niji 6 — not V7/V8.1 |
--seed | Reproducible starting noise | integer | random | All |
--tile | Seamless repeating pattern | on/off | off | All |
⚠️ Watch Out:
--oref and --ow (Omni Reference) are V7-only — add them to a V8.1 job and they don't work. Likewise --cref/--cw are a V6 / Niji 6-era feature and aren't V8.1 parameters. Any guide listing these as "V8 features" is out of date. To use Omni Reference, switch to --v 7.
The essentials: --ar, --s, --c, --no
Four flags cover 90% of real work — if you only memorize part of this Midjourney parameters cheat sheet, memorize these.
--ar (aspect ratio). Shape of the frame. --ar 16:9 for cinematic, --ar 4:5 for portraits, --ar 1:1 for social tiles. If your subject keeps getting cropped weirdly, your aspect ratio is fighting your composition. (For the why behind frame shapes, see aspect ratio.)
--s (stylize). How much artistic license the model takes. Low (--s 0–50) hugs your prompt literally; high (--s 500–1000) makes it prettier but looser. For most photographic work, --s 100–250 is the pocket.
--c (chaos). How different the four results are from each other. --c 0 gives four close siblings; --c 50+ gives four wild cousins — good for exploring directions early.
--no (negatives). Removes elements — but it splits multi-word phrases into separate tokens, which trips people up constantly. The full mechanics are in the Midjourney negative prompts guide.
Style and character flags (version matters)
This is where the version column earns its keep.
--sref + --sw. --sref applies a look — a numeric style code or a reference image — without changing your subject. --sw (0–1000) sets how hard that style pushes. The full workflow, plus curated codes, is in the sref codes guide.
--oref + --ow — V7 only. Omni Reference pulls a subject or character from a reference image. It's powerful, but it doesn't run on V8.1; you must add --v 7. Midjourney is still training the V8 version, with no public ETA.
--cref + --cw — V6 / Niji 6 era. The older character-reference system. It's incompatible with V7 and isn't a V8.1 parameter, so it's not the answer for current character work. The practical, version-aware way to keep a character consistent right now is in the consistent character guide.
Which flags work on which version, which defaults shifted, what --cref does versus --oref versus --sref — that's a moving target every model update. Suvio tracks what's current so your prompts always use flags that actually fire.
Quality and output: --hd, --q, --style raw
--hd. New on V8: renders natively at roughly 2K resolution, no separate upscale step. Costs more time per job (~12 sec vs ~4 for standard), so iterate on standard and finish with --hd.
--q (quality). Its meaning shifted in V8 — it's now closer to a render-time/detail budget than the old "more detail" dial. Default 1 is right for almost everything.
--style raw. Strips Midjourney's default beautification so the model follows your words instead of its taste. Essential for realism and precise control.
💡 Pro Tip:
Pair --style raw with --s 100–200 (try --s 150). It's the reliable pocket on V8.1: tight prompt adherence without the flat, lifeless look you get pushing stylize too low.
Deprecated or changed in V8
No Midjourney parameters cheat sheet is complete without the flags that changed — if you copied an old prompt and it behaves strangely, one of these is usually why:
::multi-prompt weights (grass::2 sky::1) — a V5/V6 technique. On V8.1, emphasis comes from word choice and order, not::syntax. Drop them.--iw(image weight) — reworked alongside the reference systems; don't assume your old value maps the same way.--qmeaning shifted — see above; it's no longer a straight "more detail" lever.- Default stylize behavior changed — an unset
--sproduces a different look than it did on V6/V7.
⚡ Try This:
Take one prompt and run it three times: --s 0, --s 150, --s 500 (everything else identical). Lining up the three outputs teaches you the stylize scale faster than any chart — and shows you your own preferred pocket.
Copy-paste parameter combos
Ready-made tails to drop after your prompt. Adjust the ratio to your subject.
| Use case | Parameter combo |
|---|---|
| Portrait (realistic) | --ar 4:5 --style raw --s 150 |
| Landscape (cinematic) | --ar 16:9 --s 250 |
| Product (clean studio) | --ar 1:1 --style raw --s 100 |
| Experimental (explore) | --ar 1:1 --c 50 --s 400 |
| Consistent style | --ar 16:9 --sref [code] --sw 100 --style raw |
For the full structure that goes in front of these flags, start with the 5-part Midjourney prompt structure, and the complete guide to AI prompt engineering for the bigger picture. Why natural-language prompts now beat keyword stacks is covered in the Midjourney V8 changes.
The honest catch. This Midjourney parameters cheat sheet is accurate today — but the defaults shift every time the model updates, and version-locked flags multiply the confusion. Suvio tracks what's current across platforms and picks the right parameter combination for what you're trying to create. You focus on the creative idea; the technical syntax stays handled. Get prompts tuned for the latest Midjourney.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important Midjourney parameters?
--ar (aspect ratio), --s (stylize), --c (chaos), and --no (negatives) cover most real work. Add --style raw for realism and --hd for 2K output. This Midjourney parameters cheat sheet lists the rest with their V8.1 defaults.
Do --oref and --ow work on Midjourney V8.1?
No — they're V7-only. Omni Reference hasn't shipped for V8 yet, so you must add --v 7 to use --oref/--ow. Adding them to a V8.1 job does nothing.
What's the default stylize value in Midjourney V8?
--s 100. Lower values hug your prompt; higher values (toward 1000) prettify the image but drift from your wording. For realism, --s 100–250 with --style raw is the reliable pocket.
Did --quality change in V8?
Yes. --q now behaves more like a render-time/detail budget than the old "more detail" dial. Default 1 is right for nearly everything; you rarely need to touch it.
Why does my old Midjourney prompt look wrong now?
Usually deprecated syntax or shifted defaults — :: weights no longer apply, --q changed meaning, and unset stylize renders differently than on V6/V7. Re-check your prompt against the version column in this Midjourney parameters cheat sheet.
Is this Midjourney parameters cheat sheet current for V8.1?
Yes — every default and version flag here reflects V8.1, the default model since June 10, 2026. The version column also flags what's V7-only (--oref/--ow) and what belongs to the older V6/Niji era (--cref/--cw), so you don't waste a render on a flag that won't fire.
Keep reading
Midjourney Prompt Structure: A 5-Part Formula
A repeatable Midjourney prompt structure — the 5-part formula that turns a blank box into the on-target image you pictured, with a before/after for each part.
Midjourney Portrait Prompts: 11 That Actually Work
11 Midjourney portrait prompts that work in 2026 — copy-paste them, then learn the lens, lighting, and stylize choices that make a portrait look real.
Midjourney Negative Prompts: Fix 8 Common Errors
Midjourney negative prompts, done right. Learn how --no really works, why it backfires, and the 8 fixes for bad hands, text, and clutter that actually hold up.