What is the difference between --cref and --sref?

--cref (character reference) tells Midjourney to keep a character's appearance consistent across generations, while --sref (style reference) tells it to match an art style, palette and rendering rather than a specific person.

What does --cw control?

--cw is the character weight from 0 to 100. At 100 Midjourney tries to match the face, hair and clothing of the reference. Lowering it toward 0 keeps only the face, letting you restyle outfit and setting freely. The default is 100.

Can I use a local image as a reference?

No. --cref and --sref require a publicly reachable image URL. Upload your image to Discord or another host first, then paste its direct URL. You can list several URLs after one --cref or --sref to blend references.

Which Midjourney versions support these parameters?

--cref and --sref were introduced for Midjourney v6 and are supported in v6 and later (including niji 6). They are ignored on older model versions, so set --v 6 or higher.

Midjourney Character Reference (--cref) Guide

Midjourney character and style references

Midjourney v6 added two reference parameters that solve the hardest part of AI art workflows — consistency. --cref keeps a character recognisable across many images, and --sref keeps a style consistent. Both take image URLs and an optional weight. This guide builds the exact parameter string for your case.

How it works

--cref <url> conditions generation on the reference person; its weight --cw (0-100) decides how much is copied — 100 grabs face, hair and clothing while 0 keeps only the face so you can change the outfit and scene. --sref <url> conditions on an art style instead, with --sw (0-1000) controlling how strongly that style is applied. References must be public URLs, and you can chain several URLs after one flag to blend them.

Tips for consistent results

Lower —cw to redress your character. At --cw 0 you keep the face but can put them in any outfit or setting.
Blend multiple references. List two or three URLs after --cref to average a character, or after --sref to fuse styles.
Keep your prompt describing the scene, not the face. Let --cref handle identity; use words for pose, action and environment.
Pin the version. These parameters need --v 6 or --niji 6 or later — older versions silently ignore them.