Advanced Pro Tips Expert Level

Advanced Prompt Engineering: Pro Techniques

📅 January 2025 ⏱️ 18 min read 👁️ 22.1k views ⚡ 12 techniques

Master Level Techniques

Ready to go beyond basic prompts? This guide covers the advanced techniques that separate amateur AI artists from professionals. You'll learn parameters, weights, multi-prompts, and workflows used by top creators.

Warning: These techniques require understanding of basic prompting. If you're new, start with our beginner guides first!

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1. Prompt Weighting

INTERMEDIATE

Control the importance of each element

Prompt weighting lets you increase or decrease the influence of specific words in your prompt. This gives you precise control over what the AI emphasizes.

Midjourney Syntax:

:: for weights

cat::2 dog::1

(cat has 2x importance)

Stable Diffusion Syntax:

(word:weight) or (word)

(cat:1.5) (dog:0.8)

((word)) = more emphasis

📋 Example - Midjourney:

"beautiful landscape::2 tiny cabin::1 mountains::1.5 sunset::2 --ar 16:9"

💡 Pro Tips:

  • • Use negative weights (::-.5) to reduce elements in Midjourney
  • • Don't go above 2x weight - diminishing returns
  • • Weight the subject higher than background elements
🔀

2. Multi-Prompts (Prompt Blending)

ADVANCED

Combine multiple concepts seamlessly

Multi-prompts allow you to blend multiple separate concepts into one image. Each concept is treated independently before being merged.

Midjourney Multi-Prompt:

"hot dog" = a heated canine

"hot:: dog" = hot + dog (separate concepts)

"fire::1 ice::1 dragon::2" = fire/ice dragon blend

📋 Creative Blend Example:

"robot::1.2 samurai::1 cherry blossoms::0.8 futuristic japan::1 --ar 16:9 --v 6"

🎯 Use Cases:

  • • Blending art styles (impressionism::1 cyberpunk::1)
  • • Hybrid creatures (lion::1 eagle::1 wings::0.5)
  • • Mixed environments (underwater::1 space::1)
🌱

3. Seed Control

INTERMEDIATE

Reproducible and consistent results

Seeds are like DNA for your image. Using the same seed with the same prompt produces similar results. This is essential for iteration and consistency.

Why Use Seeds?

  • ✓ Reproduce favorite results
  • ✓ Iterate on compositions
  • ✓ Test prompt variations
  • ✓ Create consistent series

Syntax:

Midjourney: --seed 12345

SD: seed: 12345

Use --sameseed for grid consistency

📋 Iteration Example:

"portrait of a warrior, golden armor, dramatic lighting --seed 42069 --v 6"

🎲

4. Chaos & Stylize Parameters

ADVANCED

Control randomness and artistic interpretation

These Midjourney-specific parameters control how wild and artistic the AI gets with your prompt.

--chaos (0-100)

Controls variation between images

  • 0 = Very similar results
  • 50 = Moderate variation
  • 100 = Maximum randomness

--stylize (0-1000)

Controls artistic interpretation

  • 0 = Literal interpretation
  • 100 = Default (balanced)
  • 1000 = Maximum artistic liberty

📋 Exploration Mode:

"abstract cosmic entity, ethereal, transcendent --chaos 80 --stylize 750 --v 6"

📐

5. Strategic Aspect Ratios

INTERMEDIATE

Match output to your needs

Ratio Use Case Platform
1:1Social media, avatarsInstagram, profiles
16:9Landscapes, YouTubeDesktop, video
9:16Vertical contentTikTok, Stories
21:9Cinematic, ultrawideFilm, banners
2:3PortraitsPinterest, posters
3:2Classic photographyPrints, portfolios

📋 Cinematic Landscape:

"epic mountain vista at golden hour, cinematic composition, volumetric fog --ar 21:9 --v 6"

6. Quality & Resolution Control

INTERMEDIATE

Balance speed vs detail

--q .25

Draft

4x faster, rough

--q 1

Default

Balanced

--q 2

High

2x slower, detailed

🚀 Workflow Tip:

Use --q .25 for exploration, then upscale winners with --q 2

🚫

7. Advanced Negative Prompting

PRO

Surgical precision with exclusions

Beyond basic negatives, pros use weighted negative prompts and embeddings for precise control.

Stable Diffusion - Weighted Negatives:

(blurry:1.5), (deformed hands:1.8), (extra limbs:1.4), (watermark:2.0)

Higher weight = stronger exclusion

📋 Pro Negative Template:

"(worst quality:2), (low quality:1.5), (blurry:1.3), (deformed:1.8), (extra limbs:1.5), (bad anatomy:1.5), (watermark:2), (signature:1.5), (cropped:1.2)"

🎨

8. Style References (--sref)

ADVANCED

Copy styles from reference images

Midjourney's --sref parameter lets you reference an image's style without copying its content. Perfect for consistent aesthetics.

Syntax:

your prompt --sref [image URL] --sw [0-1000]

--sw = style weight (default 100)

📋 Style Transfer Example:

"portrait of a wizard in enchanted forest --sref https://example.com/style.jpg --sw 150 --v 6"

👤

9. Character References (--cref)

PRO

Consistent characters across images

The --cref parameter maintains character consistency across multiple generations. Essential for storytelling and series.

Perfect For:

  • • Comic/manga series
  • • Character design sheets
  • • Storyboarding
  • • Brand mascots

Parameters:

  • --cref [URL] = Character reference
  • --cw [0-100] = Character weight
  • --cw 0 = Face only
  • --cw 100 = Full character

🔥 Pro Workflow: From Concept to Final

1

Exploration Phase

Use --chaos 50-80, --q .25 for rapid iteration. Generate 20-50 variations.

2

Lock the Seed

Find a winner, note the seed. Now iterate with prompt changes only.

3

Refine with Weights

Adjust element weights to perfect the composition.

4

Final Render

Switch to --q 2, --stylize 100, upscale 4x for final output.

📋 Parameter Quick Reference

Parameter Values Effect
--ar1:1, 16:9, etcAspect ratio
--chaos0-100Variation randomness
--stylize0-1000Artistic interpretation
--seed0-4294967295Reproducibility
--q.25, .5, 1, 2Quality/speed
--notextNegative prompt (MJ)
--srefURLStyle reference
--crefURLCharacter reference
::numberPrompt weight (MJ)

Ready to Create Like a Pro?

Put these techniques into practice with our free prompt generator!