Midjourney for Beginners 2026: Get Your First Great Image in 10 Minutes

Before You Start: What You Need

• A Discord account (free at discord.com)
• A Midjourney subscription (from $10/month — no free trial)
• 5 minutes to set up

Step 1: Subscribe to Midjourney

Go to midjourney.com and click "Sign In." Choose your plan (the Standard plan at $30/month is recommended for most beginners — you get unlimited relaxed generations so you can experiment freely without worrying about limits).

Step 2: Join the Midjourney Discord

After subscribing, you'll be directed to join the Midjourney Discord server. Join it — this is where you'll find the bot, community galleries, and help channels. Alternatively, you can use the web interface at midjourney.com, which is easier for beginners.

Step 3: Generate Your First Image (Web Interface)

The easiest way to start is the web interface at midjourney.com:

1. Log in at midjourney.com
2. Click "Create" in the left sidebar
3. Type your prompt in the text box at the bottom
4. Press Enter or click the arrow button
5. Wait 30-60 seconds for your 4 image variations

Step 4: Generate via Discord (Alternative)

In the Midjourney Discord server, find any bot channel (channels named #newbies-X or your private server after subscribing). Type:

/imagine prompt: your description here

Press Enter and Midjourney generates 4 images. Click U1/U2/U3/U4 to upscale a specific image, or V1/V2/V3/V4 to generate variations of that image.

Step 5: Your First Good Prompt

Use this beginner-friendly formula: "[What you want], [art style or photography style], [lighting], [mood] --ar [aspect ratio]"

Example prompts to start with:

• "Cozy coffee shop interior, morning light, warm tones, film photography, inviting atmosphere --ar 16:9"
• "Portrait of a young woman in a flower field, golden hour, soft focus, dreamy, pastel colors --ar 4:5"
• "Futuristic city skyline at night, neon lights, rain, cyberpunk aesthetic, ultra-detailed --ar 16:9"

Step 6: Upscale and Download

When you get a result you like, click U1-U4 to upscale it (generates a higher-resolution version). Then click on the upscaled image and download it. The image is yours to use on any paid plan.

Beginner Tips

• Be specific: Detailed prompts consistently beat vague ones
• Use --ar: Always specify aspect ratio for your intended use (16:9 for horizontal, 9:16 for vertical/mobile, 1:1 for square)
• Experiment with Vary: The V buttons create variations of an image — great for exploring different versions
• Save what works: When you find a prompt that produces great results, save it as a template

Learn advanced prompting → | Explore styles & parameters → | Complete Guide →