Get One Consistent Look in Midjourney: Style References, Personalization and Moodboards

Make a logo, six Instagram posts and a flyer that all look like the same brand, or a picture book where every page matches, without describing the style from scratch every time.

Checked October 19, 2026. Researched and drafted with help from Grok Bot.

Quick answer

• Midjourney has four ways to lock in a look. Pick by how exact you need it:
  • Style Reference (--sref + an image): copy the vibe of one image (colors, medium, texture, lighting), not its objects or people.
  • Style code (--sref + a number): reuse a look from Midjourney's style library, the same every time.
  • Personalization (--p): your own taste, learned from images you pick.
  • Moodboard (--p + a moodboard ID): a style built from a set of images you choose.
• Turn the strength up or down: --sw (0–1000, default 100) for style references; --stylize (0–1000, default 100) for Personalization and Moodboards.
• Keep your text prompt about content, not style. Midjourney's own advice: describe what you want to see, and let the reference handle the look.
• All four work in version 6 and later, on the website and in Discord.

Which tool for which job

Don't mix these: Moodboards don't work with --sv (style reference version) or --sw.

Which should you start with? The verdict

Quick questions

Does a style reference copy the people or objects? No. Midjourney says it captures the overall style (colors, medium, textures, lighting), not objects or people.

Can I turn my own image into a style code? No. Midjourney says you can't create a style code from an uploaded image. Use the image as a Style Reference instead, or see Midjourney's separate Style Creator feature.

Why does my moodboard code keep changing? When you add or remove images, the moodboard makes a new code for that version. Copy the ID to use the latest version, or reuse an older code from a past prompt to keep the old look.

Do old style codes still work? The style reference system changed between V6 and V7, so older codes may look different now. Midjourney says to add --sv 4 or switch to V6 to use old codes.

Is there a free plan? No. Plans start at $10/month (Basic). Companies earning over $1 million a year must use Pro or Mega.

Before you start

• A paid Midjourney plan (from $10/month) and a midjourney.com login.
• Gather 8–20 example images you have the right to use: your own photos, past Midjourney images, or brand assets. Files should be .png, .gif, .webp, .jpg or .jpeg.
• Write down your set in one line: "6 Instagram posts for a cozy neighborhood bakery: bread, coffee, storefront, staff, pastries, a sale announcement."

Option 1: Style Reference from an image

1. In the Imagine bar, click the image icon to open the images panel.
2. Upload an image (or pick one you uploaded before).
3. Drag it into the Style Reference section.
4. Click the lock icon to keep it pinned for your next prompts.
5. Type a content-only prompt, like a loaf of sourdough on a wooden table, and submit.
6. Too strong or too weak? Add --sw 50 (gentler) or --sw 300 (stronger).

In Discord: add --sref and the image URL to the end of your prompt. Separate several URLs with spaces. You can weight them: --sref URL1::2 URL2::1.

Option 2: Style codes (most repeatable)

1. Go to the Explore page and open the Styles tab (top right).
2. Browse Random or Popular, or search a word like "watercolor" or "photographic."
3. Click a code to see examples. Choose Try Style to rerun your last prompt with it, or Copy to add it to the Imagine bar.
4. Like codes you want to keep. They collect under the Likes tab.
5. Feeling lucky? Add --sref random. After you submit, "random" turns into a real code you can reuse.

Tip: rerolls and variations keep the same style code, so your set stays matched.

Option 3: Personalization (your taste, everywhere)

1. Go to the Personalize page and find your Global V7 Profile.
2. Click its thumbnail, then click the images you like best from the grid. Keep going until the progress bar unlocks your profile.
3. Turn it on with the Personalization button next to the Imagine bar (it changes color), or add --p to a prompt.
4. To use a specific profile, copy its ID with the use icon and add --p pID.

Version note: there's no Global V8 profile yet. Your Global V7 profile works in V8.1 and V8.2, and you can create extra V8 profiles.

Option 4: Moodboards (best for a brand set)

1. Open the Moodboards page from the main menu and click New Moodboard.
2. Name it (for example "Bakery brand").
3. Add images: upload from your device, paste image URLs, or pick from your Midjourney gallery.
4. Use it: click the use icon to add --p mID to your prompt, or set it as a default under the Personalization button's dropdown.
5. Dial it with --stylize: lower for a light touch, higher for a stronger look.

Try it: a 6-post bakery Instagram set (Moodboard)

Set your "Bakery brand" moodboard, then run each prompt with the same moodboard code and --ar 4:5:

a sourdough loaf cooling on a rack, morning light --p [your code] --ar 4:5

a latte with heart foam art on a marble counter --p [your code] --ar 4:5

a small bakery storefront on a quiet street, autumn leaves --p [your code] --ar 4:5

a smiling baker dusting flour on dough, hands in focus --p [your code] --ar 4:5

a tray of cinnamon rolls, top-down view --p [your code] --ar 4:5

a chalkboard sign leaning on a bakery door, empty space for text --p [your code] --ar 4:5

What good looks like: six images with the same color palette, light and texture, so they look like one feed. Add your sale text in Canva or another design app, since AI text can be unreliable.

Try it: a picture-book look (style code)

Find a soft, storybook-style code in Style Explorer, then keep it fixed for every page:

a small fox reading a book under a mushroom, gentle evening light --sref [code] --sw 150

the same small fox crossing a stream on stepping stones --sref [code] --sw 150

Note: style tools keep the look consistent. Keeping the same character from page to page is a different job (see the V8.2 Edit Model guide, coming soon).

Common mistakes and fixes

Prompt pack

[content description] --sref random

[content description] --sref [code1] [code2] --sw 100

[content description] --p [moodboard code] --stylize 250

[content description] --sref [image URL] --sw 50

[content description] --p --ar 1:1

Same job in other chatbots

Next level

• Fix Part of an Image With the V8.2 Edit Model (coming soon).
• Animate Your Midjourney Images (coming soon): video, extend and loop.