Midjourney V8.2 styles: choose a look and use a reference

A style reference has a particular job

Use a Style Reference for a visual treatment. It is not a promise to copy a person's identity or an object's construction. On Midjourney's website, paste a prompt into the Imagine bar, choose V8.2 in settings, and add your reference in the Style Reference section of the image panel. In Discord, the documented parameter is --sref followed by an image URL. Midjourney reference instructions.

A useful reference makes its style easy to identify. Look for a consistent medium, a readable palette, and lighting you actually want. If the reference's appeal comes from one famous subject, decide whether you like the treatment enough to apply it to something else.

Five directions to explore

These are original text prompts to experiment with. They are not tested style codes. If you add a style reference, remove text that contradicts its appearance. The Peelaway links let you inspect related curated looks in Peelaway's own gallery.

A quiet cinematic still life

Look for a reference where a limited light source creates the mood. Avoid piling several dramatic lighting instructions onto a reference that is soft and understated.

Related look: Quiet Cinema.

A grainy two-color editorial image

Choose a reference where imperfect ink overlap is visible. Judge the image at a small size: the shop should remain readable without every leaf being defined.

Related look: Riso Day.

An airy field drawing

A lightly worked reference can encourage breathing room. If the result becomes busy, simplify the content as well as the stylistic language.

Related look: Field Sketch.

A tactile paper scene

Look for construction that could plausibly be assembled from paper. Choose a reference with visible layer separation, rather than only a flat illustration of paper shapes.

Related look: Paper Garden.

A poster built around a single gesture

Use a reference with a clear focal point and disciplined palette. Ask whether the subject reads before you examine the texture.

Related look: Cutout Poster.

Reuse the treatment across a small series

Start with three different subjects: a person, an object, and a place. Keep the reference and model version consistent. Change only the subject description for the first pass.

Review whether the color relationships, mark-making, and contrast remain recognizable across all three. If one image fails, decide whether the reference is too dependent on its original subject or the new subject needs a clearer brief. This is an editorial test you can perform, not a guarantee of identical output.

Save the reference, prompt, version, settings, and result together. A prompt without its reference is an incomplete record of the creative direction.

Discover a direction in Peelaway

For a gallery that leads directly into creation, explore Peelaway's curated styles. Choose an example and bring an image, a prompt, or both. If you want to develop your own reusable treatment, read how to create and reuse an image style.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Midjourney style reference code?

Midjourney accepts numerical codes through --sref to select looks from its internal style library. Record the code and model version together; do not assume an unexplained code from a prompt list will reproduce its example. Style code documentation.

Is a Peelaway style ID a Midjourney style code?

No. They identify styles in different products. Use a Peelaway style in Peelaway; use Midjourney's supported reference controls in Midjourney.

Does a style reference preserve the person in my photograph?

It describes the aesthetic. If matching a particular subject matters, use the appropriate subject/editing workflow in your tool and inspect the result separately from style quality.