How to Use Midjourney Style References

Style references in Midjourney let you control the visual aesthetics of generated images by referencing existing artwork or photographs. This feature ensures consistent styling across multiple generations and helps achieve specific artistic looks without complex prompting.

1. Add the style reference parameter. Type your prompt followed by --sref and paste the URL of your reference image. The image must be publicly accessible online. Discord attachments work perfectly for this purpose.
2. Control style strength with weights. Add --sw followed by a number from 0 to 1000 after your style reference. Higher numbers apply the reference style more strongly. The default weight is 100, which provides moderate style influence.
3. Combine multiple style references. Add multiple URLs after --sref, separated by spaces. Midjourney will blend the styles from all referenced images. You can assign different weights to each reference by adding ::weight after each URL.
4. Use character references alongside style references. Combine --sref with --cref for complete control over both visual style and character consistency. Place both parameters at the end of your prompt, with --cref typically before --sref for optimal results.
5. Test and iterate your style references. Generate multiple variations with different style weights to find the optimal balance. Use the same style reference across different prompts to build a cohesive visual series or brand aesthetic.