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The Beginner‘s Guide to Using Midjourney AI

What Exactly is Midjourney and Why Should Beginners Care?

In just under a year since its initial beta launch, creativity tool Midjourney has exploded to over 1 million users thanks to its stunning ability to transform text prompts into nearly photorealistic images using artificial intelligence.

As a social media expert, I‘m fascinated by its potential to revolutionize how creators ideate and produce visual content. For beginners looking to dip their toes into AI-powered image generation, Midjourney represents an accessible entrypoint before rivals like DALL-E 2 thanks to its free tier and passionate community support.

In this guide, I‘ll share everything beginners need to know to start creating their own visionary masterpieces with Midjourney today. Let‘s begin!

Midjourney vs Other AI Image Generators

While tools like DALL-E 2 pioneered the technology, Midjourney stands out through its shockingly polished and detailed outputs even in early versions. Images unrealistic for previous image AI like floating castles or octopuses driving cars actually manifest beautifully.

Midjourney also encourages community involvement through its Discord server for users to share creations and help each other create. This collaboration unlocks Midjourney‘s full potential for beginners and veterans alike.

Here‘s a quick comparison to other options out there:

Midjourney DALL-E 2 Stable Diffusion
Accessibility Free tier available Closed beta waitlist Can download open source
Image Quality Polished and detailed More photorealistic Inconsistent
Prompt Flexibility Very flexible Moderate flexibility High flexibility

For beginners, Midjourney strikes the right balance of quality, capability, and accessibility today.

Step-by-Step Guide To Using Midjourney

Ready to start prompting Midjourney to design anything you can imagine? Here‘s my easy 6 step guide to get up and creating:

Step 1: Join Midjourney‘s Discord Server

Midjourney is powered community engagement through Discord, so you‘ll need to join here to gain access. It‘s completely free to join.

Make sure to verify your email address so you can access all channels.

Step 2: Navigate to the Newbies Channel

On the Discord, you‘ll see a whole menu of channels on the left side. Look for #newbies-general to get started. This channel allows completely unlimited generations without needing a paid membership.

Step 3: Enter Your Prompt with /imagine

In the #newbies-general channel, type /imagine then hit space to enter your text prompt. This tells Midjourney what type of image you want it to generate.

For example, you may enter: 

/imagine an astronaut riding a galloping horse through a vibrant nebula, highly detailed digital illustration

Let your imagination run wild! Just keep prompts under 160 characters.

Step 4: Midjourney Creates 4 Images

Over the next minute Midjourney‘s AI will churn out 4 images based on your prompt. They will appear right in the Discord channel for you to view.

Don‘t worry if the first attempts don‘t perfectly match your vision. We‘ll improve on them next.

Step 5: Upscale Favorites for Higher Resolution

See an image you like but want a larger, more polished version? Type U1 to upscale image #1 or U3 for #3, etc.

This increases resolution for printing or downloading.

Step 6: Generate New Variations

To explore new options based around a concept you like, you can enter V2 to have Midjourney produce 4 new variations on image #2.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you‘re happy, squeezing as much value from your 25 free daily image allowance.

Crafting Creative Prompts: 5 Expert Tips

As Midjourney‘s capabilities expand almost daily, properly phrasing your prompts makes an incredible difference in the quality of output.

After generating over 500 images, here are my top prompt crafting tips for beginners:

Tip 1: Use Emotive, Descriptive Adjectives and Actions

Give Midjourney a story to tell or emotional quality to convey through colorful adjectives like "triumphant", "ethereal", "desolate", etc. Also use verbs that imply movement when possible.

Example: ancient wizard summoning a flowing river of lava, by greg rutkowski

Tip 2: Combine Contrasting Concepts

Have fun blending ideas that normally don‘t belong together. This novelty stretches Midjourney‘s creative boundaries in exciting ways. Like an astronaut riding a galloping horse through a nebula!

Tip 3: Build Iteratively Upon Successes

Like any artist, save your best Midjourney outputs to a favorites album. Then reuse pieces of those winning prompts in future generations. This compound effect produces dazzling images over time.

Tip 4: Browse /imagine Channels and Trends for Inspiration

See what fellow Midjourney creators have made for fresh inspiration. Saving samples you like also trains the AI to improve a style with each new generation.

Tip 5: Follow Prominent MJ Artists on Social Media

Twitter, Reddit, and Discord have vibrant communities creating mind-blowing Midjourney art. Follow hashtags like #midjourney and top creator accounts for a constant influx of inspiration.

Limitations Beginners Should Understand

Of course even the most advanced AI has some constraints. As a beginner, be aware:

  • Details get hazy at higher resolutions
  • Hands, feet and expressions can appear unnatural
  • Heavily mixed styles cause weird artifacts
  • Truly photorealistic human faces remain challenging
  • Don‘t violate Discord or Midjourney content guidelines

But part of the creative fun lies working within limitations! See what boundary-pushing surprises you discover through enough experimentation.

Next Steps After Mastering The Basics

Once you‘ve generated your first sci-fi landscape or two via Midjourney‘s 25 free daily image allowance, here are some recommended next steps:

  • Add the Bot to Your Own Small Discord Server: Want to keep creating past the 25 image cutoff each day? Create your own Discord server and add the Midjourney bot integration. Share access with up to 1,000 friends to unlock higher limits.
  • Purchase a Paid Membership: For $10-$60 monthly based on tier, paid Midjourney memberships grant perks like boosted image allowance to 60 images daily, faster response times, member exclusive channels, and more.
  • Save Your Favorites and Join the Midjourney App Waitlist: Ensure you save images you love to your Discord or desktop since generations get deleted over time as channels refresh. And join the waitlist for Midjourney‘s upcoming standalone app for enhanced capabilities.

I sincerely hope this guide has illuminated everything needed to unlock Midjourney‘s magical, otherworldly image generation powers for yourself as a beginner. What incredible realities will you dream up today?