Midjourney SREF Deep Dive | Consistent Style Tutorial | Midjourney v6 Tips

Woollyfern
16 Feb 202408:45

TLDRThe video tutorial delves into the Style Reference feature (sref) of Midjourney, a tool that allows users to create images with consistent style aesthetics by referencing their favorite images. The feature is powerful and versatile, offering multiple ways to integrate style references with prompts and parameters. The video explains how to use sref by adding an image URL after the main prompt, and how it differs from the V5 style tuner. It also covers the use of style weight (ssw) to control the influence of the style reference on the output. The tutorial suggests starting with one style reference and experimenting with diverse prompts, and even combining multiple style references with relative weights for more nuanced results. Additionally, it introduces the concept of saving favorite style reference URLs as custom options for convenience, using the 'slash prefer options set' command in Midjourney. The video concludes by inviting viewers to share their thoughts on the feature and to look forward to upcoming content on Midjourney V6 prompts.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 **Style Reference Feature**: Midjourney's new --sref feature allows users to create images with a consistent style aesthetic by referencing a favorite image.
  • 🌐 **URL Integration**: Users can paste the URL of an image from their gallery or Discord to apply its style to their prompts.
  • 🔍 **Style Aesthetics**: The style reference image's visual elements, such as colors and glow, are applied to the generated images to maintain a consistent look.
  • 📷 **Ni V6 Compatibility**: Style references can also be used in Midjourney's anime-trained model, Ni V6, by replacing D-V6 with --ni6.
  • ⚙️ **Style Tuner vs. Style Reference**: Unlike V5's interactive style tuner, style references offer a more straightforward method to achieve similar aesthetics in V6.
  • 📈 **Single Style Reference**: It's recommended to start with one style reference image and test it across various prompts to understand its impact.
  • 🌈 **Style Reference vs. Image Prompt**: Style references focus on applying visual aesthetics, whereas image prompts bring in semantic content from the image.
  • 🔗 **Style Weight Parameter**: The --ssw parameter controls the strength of the style reference's influence, similar to the stylize parameter.
  • 🔄 **Adjusting Style Weight**: Decreasing the style weight can help achieve a balance between the style reference and the prompt's content.
  • 👥 **Multiple Style References**: Adding more than one style reference can enhance the results, allowing for a blend of different aesthetics.
  • ⚖️ **Relative Weights**: Assigning different weights to style references can help prioritize certain visual aspects over others in the final output.
  • 💡 **Custom Options**: Frequently used style reference URLs can be saved as custom options for easy reuse in prompts.

Q & A

  • What is the new feature in Midjourney that allows users to create worlds with a consistent style aesthetic?

    -The new feature is called SREF (Style Reference), which enables users to use their favorite images to influence the style of their generated content.

  • How can users include a style reference image in their prompt?

    -Users can include a style reference image by typing '--sref' followed by a space and then pasting the URL of the image they wish to use as a style reference.

  • What happens when a style reference image is used in Midjourney?

    -Midjourney analyzes the style reference image and attempts to apply the same style aesthetics, such as color palette and visual elements, to the generated results.

  • How is using a style reference different from using a style tuner in Midjourney V5?

    -The style tuner in V5 is a more interactive process that results in a style code to include in prompts. Style references in V6 are considered more powerful and easier to use, and can be thought of as a more direct way to apply a style code to a prompt.

  • What is the recommended approach when first starting to use a style reference?

    -It is recommended to start with one style reference image and test it across a diverse set of prompts to understand its behavior and how it affects the results.

  • What is the difference between an image prompt and a style reference in Midjourney?

    -An image prompt is used to bring in the semantic content from the image, such as characters and places, while a style reference focuses on applying the visual aesthetics, colors, and overall vibe of the image to the results.

  • How can the style weight parameter (--ssw) be used to control the influence of a style reference on the generated results?

    -The style weight parameter can be adjusted with a range from 0 to 1000, where a higher value increases the effect of the style reference on the results. However, the effect does not increase linearly, and there might be a point where further increases have less noticeable effects.

  • Can multiple style reference images be used in a single prompt, and if so, how?

    -Yes, multiple style reference images can be used by providing multiple URLs separated by spaces after the '--sref' parameter in the prompt.

  • How can users assign relative weights to different style reference images in their prompt?

    -Users can assign relative weights by placing two colons and a number after the image URL to indicate the desired level of influence for that particular style reference.

  • What is the 'slash prefer options set' command in Midjourney, and how can it be used?

    -The 'slash prefer options set' command allows users to save their favorite style reference URLs as custom options for easy reuse in prompts. Users can give the URL a code name and then use that name in prompts to quickly include the saved style reference.

  • How can users view and manage their saved custom options in Midjourney?

    -Users can view their saved custom options by typing 'slash prefer option list' to see all saved options. To delete a custom option, they can type 'slash prefer option set' followed by the name of the option they wish to delete.

  • What is the potential future development mentioned in the script regarding the ability to specify different elements from different images in a prompt?

    -The script mentions that in the future, users might be able to tell Midjourney to use colors from one image, characters from another, and the medium from yet another image, although this functionality is not currently available.

Outlines

00:00

🖼️ Exploring Mid Journey's Style Reference Feature

This paragraph introduces the style reference feature in Mid Journey, a tool that allows users to create images with consistent style aesthetics by referencing a preferred image. The feature is powerful and can be used in various ways alongside prompts and parameters. The video encourages viewers to engage with the content and provides a step-by-step guide on how to use the style reference feature. It explains how to input the style reference parameter after the main prompt text using an image URL, either from the Mid Journey gallery or from Discord. The example given demonstrates how the style reference image influences the color palette and visual effects of the generated images. The paragraph also distinguishes between style references and the style tuner from a previous version (V5), and suggests using style codes from V5 as style references in V6 for a similar aesthetic. It concludes with advice on starting with one style reference image and testing it across different prompts to understand its behavior.

05:00

🎨 Customizing Style Reference with Weights and Multiple Images

The second paragraph delves into advanced techniques for using the style reference feature. It discusses the style weight parameter (--ssw), which controls the intensity of the style reference's impact on the generated images, similar to the stylize parameter. The paragraph illustrates how adjusting the style weight can lead to different outcomes, and mentions that the effect of style weight may not be linear, with significant changes at lower values. It also addresses the possibility of using multiple style reference images by separating URLs with spaces, and how combining different style references can yield varied results. The concept of relative weights for style references is introduced, allowing users to give more influence to certain style references over others. The paragraph provides a practical tip for saving frequently used style reference URLs as custom options using the 'slash prefer options set' command in Mid Journey, streamlining the process for users. Finally, it invites viewers to share their thoughts on the style reference feature and to look forward to upcoming video content on Mid Journey V6 prompts.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Style Reference (SREF)

Style Reference, often abbreviated as SREF, is a feature in Midjourney that allows users to incorporate a consistent aesthetic style into their generated images by referencing a particular image. In the video, it is used to create images with a specific color palette and visual style, such as an 'UltraViolet fluorescence look'. It's a powerful tool for maintaining a thematic consistency across different prompts.

💡Midjourney v6

Midjourney v6 refers to the sixth version of the Midjourney image generation software. The video discusses the new features and improvements in v6, particularly focusing on the Style Reference feature. It is the context in which the Style Reference feature is being explored and compared to previous versions like v5.

💡Style Aesthetics

Style Aesthetics refers to the visual characteristics and the artistic style of an image, which includes elements like color palette, lighting, and overall mood. In the context of the video, the Style Reference feature is used to apply the same style aesthetics from a reference image to the generated images.

💡Prompts

Prompts are the textual descriptions or commands that users input into Midjourney to guide the generation of images. They are crucial as they directly influence the output. The video explains how to combine prompts with the Style Reference feature to achieve desired results.

💡Style Weight (SSW)

Style Weight, denoted as SSW in the script, is a parameter that controls the intensity of the style influence from the reference image on the generated image. A higher Style Weight results in a stronger application of the style aesthetics. The video demonstrates how adjusting the Style Weight can refine the output to better match the user's creative intent.

💡Anime Trained Model (NIIV6)

The Anime Trained Model, referred to as NIIV6 in the script, is a specific version of Midjourney's model that is trained to generate anime-style images. The video mentions that Style References can also be used with this model, indicating the versatility of the feature across different styles of image generation.

💡Style Tuner (V5)

The Style Tuner from version 5 of Midjourney is an interactive feature that allows users to adjust the style of generated images. It is compared to the Style Reference feature in v6, with the video suggesting that Style References may be more powerful and easier to use.

💡Image Prompt

An Image Prompt is a URL of an image that is used at the beginning of a prompt to introduce semantic content into the generated image, such as characters, places, and objects. The video contrasts Image Prompts with Style References, highlighting that they serve different purposes in the image generation process.

💡Custom Options

Custom Options in Midjourney allow users to save frequently used parameters, such as Style Reference URLs, for quick and easy access. The video demonstrates how to set and use Custom Options to streamline the image generation process, particularly when using the same Style References repeatedly.

💡Relative Weights

Relative Weights are used when multiple Style Reference images are included in a prompt to specify the influence each reference should have on the final image. By assigning a number after a double colon following an image URL, users can control the dominance of one style over another. The video shows how to use Relative Weights for nuanced control over style application.

💡Consistent Characters and Aesthetics

The goal of using Style Reference in conjunction with Image Prompts is to achieve images that not only have consistent characters but also maintain a consistent visual style or aesthetics. The video explores techniques to combine these elements effectively within the Midjourney platform.

Highlights

Midjourney's new style reference feature (SREF) allows users to create worlds with consistent style aesthetics using favorite images.

The style reference feature can be used by including the parameter '--sref' followed by the URL of an image after the main prompt text.

Midjourney will apply the style aesthetics of the style reference image to the results.

Style references can be used in both Midjourney V6 and Niji V6, the anime-trained model.

Style references differ from the V5 style tuner, offering a more powerful and easier-to-use alternative.

Using a single style reference image on diverse prompts can help understand its behavior across different contexts.

The style weight parameter ('--ssw') controls the strength of the style reference's effect on the results.

The default style weight is 100, with a range from 0 to 1,000, influencing the style reference's impact.

Multiple style reference images can be used by separating each URL with a space.

Relative weights can be assigned to style reference images to control their influence on the results.

Custom options can be set for frequently used style reference URLs using the '/prefer options set' command.

The style reference feature is more interactive and versatile than the V5 style tuner, allowing for a wider range of creative control.

The default style weight might be too overpowering for certain prompts, and adjusting it can refine the results.

Combining style reference with image prompts can yield images with consistent characters and aesthetics.

The behavior of style weight may change with future updates to Midjourney V6.

Saving custom options for style references simplifies the process of using the same images repeatedly.

The new style reference feature is expected to be favored over the V5 style tuner for its ease of use and versatility.

Upcoming series of videos on Midjourney V6 prompts will provide further insights into using the style reference feature.