How to Use Stylize in MidJourney
MidJourney is an AI tool that lets you generate high-quality images based on your text prompts, and with the Stylize parameter, you can customize the level of creativity in your creations.
To get started in versions 4+, simply add “–stylize” or “–s” (two dashes) to the end of your prompt, followed by a value from 0 to 1000. (Don't forget the space before the number!) You can also adjust your stylize value in your settings. Type /settings into the prompt bar and choose Stylize low, med, high, or very high. Low is the same as you typing 50, med = 100, high = 250, and very high = 750.
![Screenshot of Midjourney Bot interface with various settings options. The image shows the bot's message indicating 'Adjust your settings here. Current suffix: --v 6' with dropdown menu for 'Midjourney Model V6 [ALPHA]' and buttons for different modes such as RAW Mode, Stylize low, Stylize med, Stylize high, Stylize very high, Public mode, Remix mode, High Variation Mode, Low Variation Mode, Sticky Style, Turbo mode, Fast mode, Relax mode, and Reset Settings.](https://thewomenofai.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Women-of-AI-Midjourney-Stylize-Tutorial-Settings-Screenshot.png)
At 0, stylize (stylization?) is essentially turned off meaning that Midjourney won't do much “prettifying” to your images. The results should look like what you prompt. The default stylize value is 100, which strikes a balance between MidJourney's style and your prompt. For images that more closely match the words in your prompt, try using a value at or below 100. But if you're looking for more artistic and visually creative results, try numbers above 100.
Stylize in Action
Let's look at a prompt – happy cartoon turtle – to see the changes the stylize parameter makes in image output. I'm going to use the same seed for each image so they all start from the same place.






If you look at the examples, the images with lower stylize values (0, 50, 100) are very close to what was prompted. There aren’t many extra decorations, and the backgrounds are fairly plain. At 1000, the image has way more details and extras. The turtle went from a simple cartoon to a much more realistic 3D image in the higher stylize values. Just look at the progression in the backgrounds – at 0 there's a plain colored background, but at 1000 you can see individual blades of grass.
“Wrong” Stylize Value?
We often get questions in our Facebook group from women who are wondering why their images don’t look like the prompt or who want really simple clipart and vector images. When we do a little digging, we often find that they are using a really high stylize value which is allowing Midjourney to add its own “ideas” and make the images so much more than what they’re looking for.
Here is an example of how adjusting the stylize value can result in an image that doesn't match the intent of the prompt. All three images were created with the same prompt and seed. The prompt asked for a flat color, vector-style image of woman with a large trophy. You can see the image complexity increase as the stylize value does.



We're not saying that letting Midjourney zhuzh up your prompts is a bad thing. In fact, it can help you come up with variations that are unexpected or that you didn't even know were possible. But, if you're getting generations that don't seem like what you were expecting, try turning down your stylize value.
Try it out!
The Stylize parameter in MidJourney lets you control the level of Midjourney’s aesthetic in your generated images. By adjusting the value from 0 to 1000, you can choose how closely the generated images follow the words in your prompts. Finding the right balance between prompt alignment and creativity is essential if you have a specific idea about the outcome. Try out different values and see what works best for your project. (Using permutations can help you try out different values quickly and easily!) Using the stylize parameter with other parameters can really up your Midjourney output!