What is the difference between --sref and --style in Midjourney?

--sref (style reference) applies a numeric aesthetic preset to your image. --style controls the rendering approach such as --style raw which removes Midjourney default enhancements. They serve different purposes and can be combined.

Can I use --sref and --style together in Midjourney?

Yes. --sref sets the aesthetic direction while --style raw changes how Midjourney renders. Using --sref with --style raw often gives cleaner, more accurate style application.

What does --style raw do in Midjourney?

--style raw removes Midjourney default aesthetic beautification and renders images closer to what your prompt literally describes. It is often used with --sref for purer style code application.

Should I use --sref or --style for consistent branding?

Use --sref for consistent visual aesthetics across images. --style controls rendering approach but does not give you repeatable aesthetics the way SREF codes do.

Midjourney --sref vs --style: What's the Difference?

Midjourney has two separate style-related parameters that beginners often confuse: --sref and --style. They sound similar but do fundamentally different things. Using the wrong one will give you results you didn't expect — and understanding the difference unlocks significantly more creative control.

What is --sref?

The --sref (style reference) parameter applies a specific visual aesthetic from Midjourney's internal style library. You pass a numeric code, and that code encodes a complete aesthetic: colour palette, lighting quality, texture, and rendering style.

a woman in Paris --sref 2471217796

Think of --sref as choosing a visual preset or filter. The code determines the overall look and feel of the output, regardless of the subject matter in your text prompt.

What is --style?

The --style parameter controls which version of Midjourney's rendering engine is used. It doesn't apply an aesthetic — it changes how the model processes and renders your prompt overall. The key values are:

--style raw — Reduces Midjourney's automatic "beautification" and produces more literal, unprocessed interpretations of your prompt. Useful for photorealistic or documentary-style work.
--style cute, expressive, scenic, original — Model-specific presets available in certain versions (mainly for Niji and older models).

Side-by-Side Comparison

Here's the clearest way to think about it:

--sref = "make it look like this aesthetic" (cinematic, airy, dark, editorial)
--style = "render it this way" (raw/unprocessed vs auto-beautified)

Can You Use Both?

Yes — and it's often a great combination. --style raw combined with a strong --sref code gives you the literal, unprocessed rendering of --style raw, but with the aesthetic character of your chosen sref code applied. This often produces cleaner, more intentional results than either parameter alone.

When to Use --sref

Use --sref when you want to apply a specific visual aesthetic consistently across multiple prompts. It's ideal for brand consistency, social media content, and any creative work where repeatable visual style matters. Browse 2,248 curated sref codes with previews to find the right aesthetic for your project.

When to Use --style

Use --style raw when Midjourney's automatic processing is interfering with your intended result — for example, when your photorealistic prompts are coming out over-saturated or artificially beautified. --style raw tells Midjourney to back off and be more literal.

The Combination to Know

For the most consistent, high-quality commercial results:

your prompt here --sref [CODE] --style raw --sw 200

This combination applies your chosen aesthetic (--sref), prevents Midjourney from over-processing it (--style raw), and strengthens the sref application (--sw 200). It's the workflow used by many professional Midjourney creators.