10 Midjourney style codes you can copy/paste 🎨

Hello everybody, welcome back to Moodboard 🌴

We just wrapped up the "Midjourney 101" lesson of our AI Content OS program, so I’ve spent the last few days deep in the weeds testing different “style reference” codes.

For those unfamiliar, Midjourney's style reference system lets you experiment with, apply, and combine unique aesthetic styles across your image generations using simple numeric codes. 

It's one of the most powerful (and underused) features in the platform.

Today, I'm sharing 10 of these style codes that you can copy, paste, and apply to your own prompts immediately.

Let's dive in 👇

A Quick "How To" on Style Codes

Before we jump into the styles, here are the basics.

Style reference codes (the “--sref” parameter) tell Midjourney to apply a specific aesthetic or artistic style to your generation. A lot of Midjourney creators will share out their favorites, but you can find popular style codes by checking out the "Explore" page in the Midjourney web app.

To apply the style code, simply add “--sref [number]” to the end of any Midjourney prompt.

For a quick example, here’s the output that we get from the prompt “a cup of coffee” with no style reference applied:

And here’s the output from the prompt “a cup of coffee --sref 3455046537” 👇

With that explanation out of the way, onto the codes!

1. Minimalist Ink Illustration (--sref 3455046537)

This style produces clean, high-contrast black and white illustrations with a hand-drawn quality. Great for editorial illustrations you'd find in literary magazines or thoughtful brand campaigns. This one works especially well for portraits, still life compositions, and architectural scenes.

2. Geometric Collage Mix (--sref 2395769938)

Layered geometric shapes with halftone textures and a color palette of blacks, teals, and soft pinks. Cutout circles, textured gradients, and overlapping forms that give everything an analog, printed feel. The style has that modern editorial look.

3. Cinematic Blur (--sref 1280695140)

Moody, out-of-focus shots with lots of blur and soft lighting. The colors are muted with warm glows breaking through darker areas. Very dreamlike and atmospheric.

4. Vintage Engraving (--sref 573839467)

Classic engraving style with heavy crosshatching and dramatic shadows. Everything looks like it's from an old book or print. The detail work is intense, and the black and white contrast gives everything some serious weight and presence.

5. Laid Back Watercolor (--sref 3463377449)

Soft watercolor style with creams, blues, and terracotta tones. Very sun-drenched and coastal. Palm trees, pastel buildings, warm light. The overall vibe is relaxed and breezy, like vacation postcards or travel illustrations.

6. Classical Oil Painting (--sref 772318403)

Rich oil painting style with visible brushstrokes and traditional lighting. A museum-quality look with deep colors, dramatic shadows, painterly texture. This one is very fun to experiment with!

7. Flash Tattoo (--sref 3453096261)

Bold graphic style with strong outlines and limited colors. Lots of red, black, and cream. Reminds me of an old flash tattoo, with a handmade, slightly rough quality. Very distinctive and punchy.

8. Subtle Realism (--sref 2630032664)

Soft, muted realism with gentle lighting and earth tones. The colors stay in grays, tans, and subtle greens. Everything feels quiet and understated. Outputs look like moody still life photography.

9. Neon Nostalgia (--sref 3861476266)

Saturated pinks and blues with neon lighting and high contrast. Very 80s meets vaporwave. Moody, cinematic, slightly surreal. Retro-futuristic color grading.

10. Bright Pop Illustration (--sref 3237061129)

Vibrant, flat illustration style with bold outlines and a cheerful color palette dominated by pinks, oranges, teals, and greens. The aesthetic is playful and graphic, like modern greeting cards. Everything has a handmade, crafted quality.

Try Them Out!

Try applying the style codes to different subjects than what you see in the examples above. Combine two or three codes together and see what happens.

Start with these 10 codes and build your own library of favorites as you discover what works for your projects.

Have any style codes you love? Send them my way!

I'll feature the best ones in "Volume 2" when I share another round of these.

Until next week,

Ryan