How to use image references on Midjourney

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Image references in Midjourney allow you to use existing images as visual guides for generating new artwork. You can upload images directly to Discord or use image URLs with the --iw parameter to control reference strength.

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Prerequisites

Active Midjourney subscription
Discord account with Midjourney bot access
Basic understanding of Midjourney prompts
Images uploaded to Discord or accessible via URL

Step-by-Step Instructions

Upload your reference image to Discord

Click the plus (+) icon next to the message input field in your Midjourney Discord channel. Select Upload a File and choose your reference image from your device. Wait for the image to fully upload and display in the chat before proceeding.

Keep reference images under 25MB and in common formats like JPG, PNG, or WebP for best results.

Copy the image URL

Right-click on your uploaded image and select Copy Image Address or Copy Link depending on your browser. This will copy the Discord CDN URL to your clipboard. You can also use direct URLs from other websites that host images publicly.

Make sure the URL ends with a file extension like .jpg or .png for optimal recognition.

Start your Midjourney prompt with the image URL

Type /imagine in the Discord channel, then paste your image URL at the very beginning of the prompt field. Add a space after the URL, then write your text description of what you want to generate based on the reference image.

You can use multiple image references by including multiple URLs separated by spaces at the start of your prompt.

Adjust image weight with --iw parameter

Add --iw followed by a number between 0.5 and 2 at the end of your prompt to control how strongly the reference image influences the output. Higher values like --iw 2 make the result more similar to the reference, while lower values like --iw 0.5 provide subtle influence.

The default image weight is 1.0, which provides balanced influence between the reference image and text prompt.

Use style reference for artistic influence

For style-only influence without affecting composition, use --sref instead of placing the URL in the main prompt. Type your text prompt normally, then add --sref [image_URL] at the end to apply only the artistic style of the reference image.

Style references work best with images that have distinct artistic styles, textures, or color palettes.

Combine multiple reference types

You can use both content and style references in the same prompt by including image URLs at the start for content reference and adding --sref [style_URL] for style reference. Adjust their influence with --iw and --sw parameters respectively.

Start with default weights and adjust based on your results to find the perfect balance.

Execute and refine your prompt

Press Enter to submit your prompt and wait for Midjourney to generate the four initial variations. Review the results and use the U buttons to upscale promising images or V buttons to create new variations based on specific results.

If the reference influence is too strong or weak, adjust the --iw value and try again with modified parameters.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Reference image not being recognized or ignored

Ensure the image URL is accessible and ends with a proper file extension. Try re-uploading the image to Discord and copying a fresh URL, or check that external URLs are publicly accessible.

Generated images too similar or too different from reference

Adjust the --iw parameter value. Use --iw 0.5 for subtle influence or --iw 2 for stronger similarity. You can also modify your text prompt to be more or less specific.

Error message about image format or size

Resize your image to be under 25MB and ensure it's in a supported format (JPG, PNG, WebP, or GIF). Use image editing software to compress or convert the file if needed.

Multiple reference images causing conflicting results

Limit to 2-3 reference images maximum and ensure they have compatible styles or subjects. Use --iw values to balance their influence, or separate them into different prompts for better control.

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