Midjourney tutorial: how to use negative prompts
When creating AI-generated images, there may be times when you need to remove specific objects from the generated assets.
Negative prompts serve this purpose, indicating what shouldn't appear in an image. For instance, if you're creating a vase filled with flowers but don't want roses, you'd use a negative prompt to remove those kind of flowers.
Midjourney offers two methods to achive this result.
Option 1. Negative prompts with --no parameter
To use the no parameter, simply append "--no" to your prompt, followed by the item you wish to remove. For example, use "--no roses". For excluding multiple items, list them separated by commas, like "--no roses, tulips".
Take this prompt as an example:
/imagine prompt: red velvet cake, mouthwatering, slice, vibrant colors, natural lighting
Create your prompt library with Imagifly →
Some of the generated images from this prompt feature a fork; if you wish to remove it, add "--no cutlery" at the end of the prompt:
/imagine prompt: red velvet cake, mouthwatering, slice, vibrant colors, natural lighting, --no cutlery
Create your prompt library with Imagifly →
Negative prompts aren't just for removing objects; they can also refine the style of your generated images.
For example, Midjourney frequently generates images with white borders. To eliminate them, simply append '--no frame' to your prompt. For further details, refer to our article on removing frames and white borders.
You can also use negative prompting to emphasize elements from your initial prompt. This is achieved by introducing contrasting keywords and negating them with the --no parameter.
For instance, take the prompt:
/imagine prompt: cosy french restaurant, interior, contemporary
Create your prompt library with Imagifly →To accentuate the contemporary effect, you might introduce the 'classical' keyword and negate it using the --no operator:
/imagine prompt: cosy french restaurant, interior, contemporary, --no classical
Create your prompt library with Imagifly →Below, a side-by-side comparison of the images created using these two prompts: on the left, the images generated with the original prompt; on the right, the result with the same prompt enhanced with the negated 'classical' keyword, further intensifying the contemporary style.
For more info on the no parameter, check the Midjourney documentation.
Option 2. Negative prompts with multi prompt weighing
The multi-prompting technique allows Midjourney to consider multiple concepts distinctly. Simply insert "::" after every keyword you wish to be recognized as an independent concept.
For instance, using 'cup cake' in your prompt will yield different results than using 'cup:: cake::'. In the first scenario, Midjourney will create images of cupcakes. In the latter, "cake" and "cup" are treated as distinct items in the generated output, creating, for example, images of cake in the shape of a cup.
With multi-prompting, you have the flexibility to assign specific weights to individual keywords by appending a number after the double colon.
Using negative weights instructs Midjourney to either exclude a particular item from the generated image or reduce its prominence, depending on the weight's value.
For example, consider the initial prompt:
/imagine prompt: red velvet cake, mouthwatering, slice, vibrant colors, natural lighting
Create your prompt library with Imagifly →To exclude the fork from the generated images, you can assign a negative weight to the term 'cutlery':
/imagine prompt: red-velvet-cake::1.5, cutlery::-1, mouthwatering, vibrant colors, natural lighting
Create your prompt library with Imagifly →
For more info on the multi-prompting technique, check the Midjourney documentation.
Mastering Midjourney prompt parameters
To learn more about Midjourney parameters, check out our related articles on the subject:
If you want to step-up your game with AI generative tools, consider sticking around. You'll find plenty of tutorials and an app to manage all your prompts.
Imagifly - create your prompt library
The Imagifly app is the perfect place to store your prompt library:
- Create a free account
- Create and save prompts
- Add a cover image that quickly reminds you of the content you can create with a prompt
