4 Minutes
Create, refine, and download your first Midjourney images with a simple visual example.
Create an illustration for a presentation, explore a visual idea, or make something just for fun. This guide takes you from your first description to an image you can download.
You will need a Midjourney account with an active paid subscription. We will use the website; Discord is not needed.
Sign in at midjourney.com and open Create. In the Imagine bar at the top, enter this short prompt:
A panda in watercolor style
Press Enter, or tap the send button on mobile. Wait for the set of four images to finish, then open the one you like best.
Four examples from our existing Midjourney image library, created with this prompt using V7. Your results will vary with the model and settings.
Start with what matters most: the subject, the style, and one or two visual details. You do not need a long list of instructions.
A panda sitting beside bamboo, delicate watercolor illustration, soft green and cream palette, generous white space
Try this as a new prompt in the Imagine bar. Compare it with your first set: does the subject stand out, and do the colors fit what you had in mind?
Keep the panda and bamboo, but replace the watercolor style with a paper-cut illustration. Or keep the style and change the color palette. It is easier to see what helped when you make one change at a time.
Add an aspect ratio at the end of your prompt: --ar 1:1 for a square, --ar 16:9 for a wide presentation image, or --ar 9:16 for a vertical image.
A panda sitting beside bamboo, delicate watercolor illustration, soft green and cream palette, generous white space --ar 16:9
For a slide or social post, leave space for your message and add the final headline in your design app. This keeps the text easy to edit.
Open a favorite image from Create. Use Vary Subtle to explore small changes, or Vary Strong for a bigger departure. Pick the result that best fits your idea.
To explore a different description, reuse the prompt text in the Imagine bar, change the wording, and generate another set. Use the Editor when you want to work on a particular area or adjust the canvas.
A useful stopping point: the main subject is clear, the composition fits where you will use it, and the details look right at the intended size.
Open the finished image and use the download icon near its prompt. You can find it again on your Organize page.
Check the downloaded image at the size you need. If it is too small, use the enlargement option available for that image, such as Upscale or an HD generation, then download that result.
Create one wide illustration for a presentation about learning something new. Choose your own subject, generate a set, explore a variation, and download your favorite. Save the prompt alongside it so you can return to the idea.
Your result: an image you chose and refined, plus a repeatable way to turn your next visual idea into something usable.
Instructions checked against Midjourney documentation on September 23, 2026. Example images are from the existing Mastering AI library.
Official references: Getting started · Prompt basics · Aspect ratios · Refining images · Creating and downloading
