tutorials8 min readJune 16, 2026

Midjourney v6 Prompt Guide: What Changed and What Works Now

Midjourney v6 completely changed how prompts work. Here's what's different, what still works, and the new syntax you need to know.

VisualPrompts

Midjourney v6 Prompt Guide

Midjourney v6 isn't just an upgrade — it's a paradigm shift in how you write prompts. Natural language now outperforms keyword soup.

What Changed

Natural Language > Keyword Lists

v5 and earlier rewarded comma-separated keyword dumps. v6 actually understands sentences.

v5 style: "beautiful woman, portrait, golden hour, bokeh, 85mm, film grain, kodak portra 400" v6 style: "A portrait of a woman in her thirties, golden hour sunlight catching her hair, shot on Kodak Portra 400 with a shallow depth of field that blurs the background meadow"

Length Matters More

Short prompts now produce generic outputs. Aim for 2-3 detailed sentences minimum.

Style References Changed

The --style parameter works differently. Use --style raw for more photographic results.

New Parameters

ParameterWhat it does
--style rawLess Midjourney stylization, more photographic
--stylize 0-1000Control how much MJ applies its aesthetic (default 100)
--weird 0-3000Introduce unusual/surreal elements (default 0)
--tileCreate seamless repeating patterns
--cwCharacter weight for character references

Prompt Templates That Work

Photorealistic Portraits

A [age] [gender] with [distinctive features], [lighting condition], 

wearing [clothing], [setting/background], shot on [camera/lens],

[film stock or digital style] --ar 4:5 --style raw --v 6

Product Shots

A [product] on a [surface] with [background], [lighting style], 

commercial product photography, [color palette], [mood] --ar 16:9 --style raw --v 6

Concept Art

A [scene description] in the style of [art movement/artist], 

[time of day], [weather/atmosphere], [color mood],

detailed concept art, [medium] --ar 16:9 --v 6

Common Mistakes

  • Still using v5 syntax — comma lists work but underperform vs. natural language
  • Forgetting --style raw — without it, MJ adds heavy stylization
  • Too short — one-liners produce generic results in v6
  • Over-specifying — too many conflicting directions confuse the model
  • midjourneyimage generationguidev6

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