Midjourney DALL-E 3 Stable Diffusion

AI Image Prompts That Actually Work

Formulas, style modifiers, and 500+ examples. From photorealistic portraits to concept art, brand illustrations to product photography.

Ready-to-use prompts Platform syntax guides Style modifier library

The Universal Image Prompt Formula

Every great text-to-image prompt follows this structure — regardless of which platform you use.

[Subject], [Action/Pose], [Setting/Environment], [Lighting], [Art style], [Camera/Lens], --ar [ratio] --q 2 --v 6
Subject — Be Specific
young woman in her 30s weathered leather jacket confident expression auburn hair
Lighting — Biggest Quality Multiplier
golden hour cinematic lighting soft box light dramatic shadows rim lighting neon glow
Camera — Makes It Look Real
85mm lens f/1.4 aperture shallow depth of field Sony A7IV wide-angle

Style Reference Library

Click any style to copy its modifier keyword. Add it directly to any prompt.

📷
Photorealistic
photorealistic, 8K, ultra-detailed, shot on Sony A7R V
🎬
Cinematic
cinematic, movie still, 35mm film, anamorphic lens
🌸
Anime / Manga
--niji 6, anime style, Studio Ghibli, soft pastel colors
🎨
Oil Painting
oil painting, impressionist, textured brushstrokes, palette knife
🌆
Cyberpunk
cyberpunk, neon lights, rain-soaked streets, blade runner
💧
Watercolor
watercolor, flowing edges, transparent washes, wet-on-wet
💎
3D / CGI
3D render, octane render, ray tracing, subsurface scattering
🧙
Fantasy Art
fantasy art, epic, magical concept art, artstation trending
⬜
Minimalist
minimalist, flat design, clean lines, vector, negative space
📻
Vintage / Retro
vintage, retro, 1970s film photography, grain, kodachrome
🎮
Isometric
isometric illustration, flat colors, game art, pixel perfect
🕯️
Dark Academia
dark academia, gothic, moody, candlelight, chiaroscuro
🗿
Baroque / Classical
baroque painting, Rembrandt lighting, museum quality, old masters
🌈
Vaporwave
vaporwave aesthetic, synthwave, purple and pink, retrowave grid
🌿
Studio Lighting
professional studio lighting, soft box, beauty dish, clean background
🎭
Concept Art
concept art, character design sheet, front and side view, turnaround
🏙️
Architecture Render
architectural visualization, unreal engine, photorealistic exterior, golden hour
✏️
Sketch / Line Art
pencil sketch, detailed line art, ink drawing, cross-hatching

Platform-Specific Syntax Guides

Each platform has unique syntax and strengths. Pick yours below.

Midjourney DALL-E 3 Stable Diffusion Adobe Firefly Ideogram Flux
Essential Parameters
--ar 16:9 widescreen --ar 9:16 portrait --ar 1:1 square
--v 6.1 latest v6 --q 2 highest quality --s 750 stylize
--no [thing] exclusions --chaos 20 variation
--weird 500 unexpected results --tile seamless patterns
Quality Boosters
highly detailed masterpiece 4K trending on ArtStation award-winning photography hyperrealistic sharp focus professional
Style Flags
--style raw unfiltered, realistic --style scenic cinematic landscapes --style cute soft and adorable --style expressive vibrant, bold
--niji 6 anime/manga mode --niji 6 --style cute kawaii --niji 6 --style expressive dynamic manga
Permutation & Reference
--sref [url] style reference image --cref [url] character reference --iw 0.5 image weight (0–3) --seed [number] reproducible output
{red, blue, green} permutations ::2 increase prompt weight ::-1 decrease prompt weight
MJ Photorealistic Portrait
portrait of a 35-year-old woman with sharp cheekbones and deep-set brown eyes, cinematic lighting, soft rim light from left, wearing a fitted charcoal blazer, looking directly at camera, shallow depth of field, 85mm lens, f/1.8, photorealistic, 8K, --ar 2:3 --v 6 --q 2
MJ Fantasy Landscape
vast ancient forest with bioluminescent mushrooms and floating islands, golden hour light piercing through misty canopy, a lone stone tower in the distance, epic fantasy concept art, ultra-detailed, cinematic atmosphere, --ar 16:9 --v 6 --q 2 --s 800
MJ Product Photography
premium glass perfume bottle, luxury product photography, white studio background, three-point lighting, gold and amber tones, shot on Hasselblad 100mm macro, f/8, ultra-sharp, reflection on surface, --no shadows clutter background text, --ar 1:1 --v 6.1 --q 2
MJ --niji 6 Anime Character (niji mode)
young female warrior mage with silver hair and glowing violet eyes, dynamic action pose, casting a spell, particle effects, ornate silver armor with flowing cape, fantasy anime, vibrant colors, detailed illustration, --ar 2:3 --niji 6 --style expressive
MJ --style raw Unfiltered Realism (--style raw)
street market in Marrakech at dusk, documentary photography, available light, crowded and vibrant, spice stalls, hanging lanterns, busy vendors, grain, natural colors, imperfect framing, authentic and immersive, --ar 3:2 --v 6.1 --style raw --q 2
MJ --style scenic Epic Landscape (--style scenic)
volcanic island at sunset, dramatic cliffs meeting turquoise ocean, god rays through storm clouds, rainbow in the mist, lone lighthouse on the cliff edge, sweeping aerial perspective, cinematic scale, --ar 16:9 --v 6.1 --style scenic --q 2
DALL-E 3 works best with natural language — no parameter codes. It excels at complex scene descriptions and integrating text into images.
DALL-E Illustration with Text
A clean, modern flat illustration for a tech startup website hero section. The scene shows a small team of diverse people collaborating around a holographic display showing charts and data. Color palette: deep navy blue, bright teal, and white. Style: professional SaaS marketing illustration, similar to Stripe or Notion's website art. Optimistic and forward-looking. No text in the image.
DALL-E Logo Concept
Minimalist logo mark for a company called [COMPANY NAME] that does [WHAT IT DOES]. Single icon — no text. Style: modern, geometric, works as a small favicon. Colors: gradient from deep blue to teal. White background. The icon should visually represent [CORE CONCEPT].
DALL-E Blog/Article Header
Wide-format blog header image (16:9) for an article about [YOUR ARTICLE TOPIC]. Visually striking, conceptual rather than literal. Use [COLOR PALETTE] colors. Style: modern editorial photography with a slight artistic treatment — similar to Wired or Harvard Business Review. Works with white text overlay on the left side.
Stable Diffusion is highly customizable. Negative prompts are especially powerful — use them to eliminate common artifacts.
SD Portrait Template with Negatives
Positive: (masterpiece:1.3), (best quality:1.2), (photorealistic:1.4), beautiful woman, 28 years old, (detailed face:1.2), natural makeup, cinematic lighting, bokeh background, wearing a white linen shirt, outdoor natural setting, golden hour, sharp focus Negative: (worst quality:2), (low quality:2), (bad anatomy:2), blurry, distorted face, extra fingers, deformed hands, ugly, watermark, signature, text, logo, cropped, out of frame
SD Concept Art
Positive: futuristic cityscape at night, (concept art:1.3), ultra-detailed, volumetric lighting, atmospheric fog, cyberpunk aesthetic, neon reflections on wet streets, towering skyscrapers with holographic billboards, (artstation trending:1.2) Negative: (low resolution:2), blurry, ugly, people, cartoon, anime, flat, boring
General Quality Negatives

Use on any prompt to eliminate quality issues.

blurry, low quality, worst quality, bad anatomy, watermark, text, signature, ugly, distorted, out of frame, cropped
Portrait Negatives

Prevents common face artifacts.

extra limbs, fused fingers, bad hands, missing fingers, (disfigured face:1.3), crossed eyes, asymmetrical face, double head
Product Negatives

Keeps product images clean.

cluttered background, multiple products, poor lighting, shadows on background, distorted shape, blurry edges, floating
Adobe Firefly — Built into Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Express). Commercially safe — trained only on licensed content. Best for: design assets, generative fill/expand, vector graphics, content credentials.
Firefly Strengths
Generative Fill expand/replace areas Text to Vector SVG output Structure Reference preserve layouts Style Reference match an image's look
Content Credentials AI disclosure built-in Adobe Stock safe commercial use
Prompt Style Tips
Photo Illustration Art Graphic Vector
Use natural language, be specific about purpose. Describe what the image is for — "suitable for a banner ad" improves composition.
Firefly Marketing Banner Asset
A professional marketing banner background for a summer fitness app launch. Abstract gradient shapes in energetic orange and deep blue. Clean and minimal with space on the left for text overlay. Digital illustration style, no people, no text. Suitable for a 1200x628 social media banner.
Firefly Vector Icon Set
A set of 6 flat vector icons for a fintech mobile app. Icons representing: savings, transfer, investment, card, analytics, security. Consistent style — line icons with rounded corners, 2px stroke, blue accent color. White background, isolated. Suitable for UI use at 48x48px.
Firefly Generative Fill Context
[Use in Photoshop Generative Fill — select empty area and type:]

lush tropical plants and soft natural light coming through large windows, matching the warm indoor lighting of the existing photo, photorealistic, natural bokeh
Ideogram — Best-in-class for AI image generation with accurate text rendering. Use it for posters, logos, t-shirt designs, typographic art, and any image where text must be legible and correctly spelled.
Text in Images — Ideogram Tips
"text in quotes" specify exact text bold typography hand-lettered serif font sans-serif
neon sign style chalkboard vintage label embossed
Best Use Cases
Event posters T-shirt graphics Greeting cards Brand mockups Social quotes Typographic art Sticker designs Product labels
Ideogram Event Poster with Text
Vintage concert poster for a band called "THE VELVET STATIC". Date: "JUNE 21 · BROOKLYN". Retro 1970s rock aesthetic, psychedelic colors, bold illustrated lettering. Poster format, warm orange and deep purple palette, distressed texture overlay. The band name should be the largest text element.
Ideogram T-Shirt Graphic
T-shirt graphic design. A fierce mountain lion illustration in a circular badge shape. Curved text at top reads "SUMMIT SEEKERS" and at bottom "EST. 2024". Style: rugged outdoor brand, vintage national park poster. Black, cream, and forest green. Transparent background for printing.
Ideogram Motivational Quote Art
Minimalist typographic poster. Large bold sans-serif text: "DO THE WORK". Below, smaller text: "consistency beats talent". Clean white background, charcoal grey typography. Small abstract geometric accent — a simple diagonal line or triangle. 4:5 format for Instagram.
Flux (FLUX.1) — Open-weight model by Black Forest Labs. Industry-leading prompt adherence and photorealism. Available via Replicate, fal.ai, and Stability AI. FLUX.1 [dev] for quality, FLUX.1 [schnell] for speed.
Flux Model Variants
FLUX.1 [pro] best quality, API only FLUX.1 [dev] open-weight, high quality FLUX.1 [schnell] 4-step, very fast
FLUX.1 Canny edge-guided gen FLUX.1 Depth depth-guided gen FLUX.1 Fill inpainting/outpainting
Why Flux Stands Out
High prompt adherence Accurate anatomy Good text rendering No watermark LoRA support Commercial license (schnell)
Flux Photorealistic Portrait
Portrait photograph of a 40-year-old South Asian man with a salt-and-pepper beard and warm brown eyes. Soft natural window light from the left, dark studio background. Wearing a deep green linen shirt. Looking slightly off-camera, thoughtful expression. Shot on Canon 5D Mark IV, 85mm f/1.4, shallow depth of field. Photorealistic, skin pores visible, film-like quality.
Flux Complex Scene with Details
A cozy independent bookshop interior on a rainy afternoon. Floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves filled with colourful books, a worn leather armchair near a steamed-up window, warm amber lamp light, dust particles in the air. A tabby cat sleeping on a stack of books in the foreground. 35mm, deep depth of field, rich colours, photorealistic.
Flux Product on Location
A matte black stainless steel water bottle resting on mossy rocks beside a clear mountain stream. Natural daylight, sparkling water in motion, shallow depth of field, green forest background. The bottle label reads "SUMMIT CO." clearly. Premium outdoor lifestyle product photography, no people, photorealistic.

Prompts by Use Case

Complete, copy-paste prompts organized by what you're actually creating.

E-commerce Product Photos
[PRODUCT] product photography, pure white studio background, three-point lighting, placed on a minimal matte surface, 3/4 angle, sharp focus, slight edge bokeh, premium e-commerce hero image, --ar 1:1 --v 6
[PRODUCT] lifestyle photography, used by a person in a natural, aspirational setting, warm home environment, natural window light, candid feel, 35mm, f/2.0, --ar 4:5 --v 6
Architecture & Interiors
modern minimalist living room, architectural photography, natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows, warm oak flooring, neutral linen furniture, wide-angle interior, Canon 17mm tilt-shift, --ar 16:9 --v 6 --q 2
contemporary open-plan office for a tech startup, exposed concrete, glass partitions, biophilic design, people working collaboratively, bright natural light, architectural visualization quality, --ar 16:9 --v 6
Food Photography
[DISH NAME], food photography, top-down flat lay, rustic wooden surface, natural side lighting, small shadows, garnished with fresh herbs, styled for a premium restaurant menu, Canon 50mm f/4, --ar 1:1 --v 6 --q 2
[DRINK/COCKTAIL], close-up, condensation on glass, moody bar, dark background, backlit, dramatic rim lighting, color grade: rich amber, 85mm macro, shallow depth of field, --ar 3:4 --v 6
Fashion & Apparel
fashion editorial, young woman wearing [GARMENT], urban street, brick wall background, dramatic side lighting, editorial style, shot on film, slight grain, color palette: muted earth tones, --ar 2:3 --v 6 --q 2
menswear lookbook, tailored navy suit, minimal white studio, natural daylight, soft shadows, showing fabric texture and tailoring, medium format feel, --ar 3:4 --v 6
Brand Illustrations
Flat vector illustration for a SaaS website about [YOUR PRODUCT], showing a person [DOING RELEVANT ACTION], style: modern startup website art like Linear or Vercel, palette: blue, white, light purple, clean lines, no text, professional and welcoming
Isometric 3D illustration of [CONCEPT — e.g., "a small team celebrating a launch"], bright colors, clean vector aesthetic, Blush Design or unDraw style, pastel color scheme, white background, no text, modern and friendly
Website Backgrounds
Abstract background for a tech company, deep navy and electric blue gradient, subtle geometric patterns, low-opacity grid, glowing particles, sense of depth and movement, suitable for text overlay, no focal point
Serene Japanese zen garden at dawn, morning mist, raked sand, single cherry blossom tree, falling petals, ultra-detailed photography, golden light, color grade: soft pink and grey, --ar 16:9 --v 6 --q 2

10 Pro Tips for Better AI Images

💡
Start with subject, not style
Ground the image in a concrete subject first. Style on a vague subject gives vague results.
📷
Use real camera references
"Canon 5D, 50mm, f/2.8" beats "photorealistic" alone. Real gear references reliably improve quality.
🎭
Name real artists or directors
"In the style of Roger Deakins" is more precise than "cinematic." Use artists with distinctive styles.
⚖️
Use attention weights in SD
Wrap key elements: (sharp eyes:1.4). Higher weight = more attention from the model.
🌅
Specify lighting direction
"Light from upper left" vs. "rim light from right" produces dramatically different moods.
🔄
Generate 4+ variations, pick the best
Variation between outputs is huge. Treat it like a photographer's contact sheet.
📐
Match aspect ratio to use case
1:1 for social, 16:9 for headers, 2:3 for portraits, 9:16 for mobile.
🎨
Limit to 2–3 colors
"Muted earth tones" beats "colorful." Fewer colors = more control over mood.
🔍
Focus detail keywords
"Ultra-detailed fabric texture" vs. "ultra-detailed" — target the detail where you need it.
✂️
Change one element per iteration
Multiple changes make it impossible to know what improved the image.

Generate Text Prompts at the Same Level

Frompting applies 60+ frameworks to any topic — the same precision you'd use for image prompts, but for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Try the Text Prompt Generator Prompt Engineering Guide
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