Aspect Ratio

Midjourney images start as squares, but you can change this using the aspect ratio parameter: --aspect or --ar

Midjourney images start as squares, but you can change this using the aspect ratio parameter: --ar or --aspect

Examples of images in different aspect ratios overlaid on a grid

What is Aspect Ratio?

Aspect ratio is a way to describe how wide and tall an image is. It's shown as two numbers, like 1:1 or 4:3, that tell you how the width compares to the height. For example, a 4:3 aspect ratio means the width is 4 parts, and the height is 3 parts.

By default Midjourney images are square, meaning the width and height are the same, so the aspect ratio is 1:1.

Choosing an aspect ratio helps you decide if your image will be wide (landscape) or tall (portrait). Use a bigger first number for a wide image and a bigger second number for a tall image.

Important: Aspect ratio isn't the same as image dimensions. The final size of your Midjourney images will also depend on the Midjourney version and Upscaler you're using.

Setting the Aspect Ratio

  • Add --ar #:# to the end of your prompt in the Imagine bar.

    Using --ar on midjourney.com

    You can choose a default aspect ratio for all your images in the settings panel. To do this, click the settings Settings Icon button in the Imagine bar. Once you set it, this will apply to all your future prompts.

  • Add --ar #:# to the end of your prompt in Discord.

    Using --ar in Discord

1:1 – Perfect square, popular for social media profile pictures and posts.
4:3 – Slightly rectangular, used in older TV screens and computer monitors.
2:3 – Common in printed photography and picture frame sizes.
16:9 – Widescreen, the standard for HD videos and most modern TVs.
9:16 – Vertical orientation, common for mobile content on social media.

  • To find the aspect ratio of an image, use its dimensions. For example, if your image is 1920x1080 pixels, enter --ar 1920:1080, and Midjourney will simplify it to --ar 16:9. For something like 8.5x11 inches, remove the decimals (Midjourney doesn’t accept them) and enter --ar 85:110. This makes it easy to match your image's proportions.
  • You can change a generated image's aspect ratio using the pan and zoom out tools on both the web and Discord, or by using the Web Editor on midjourney.com
  • • The default aspect ratio is 1:1.
    • --ar cannot contain decimals. Use 139:100 instead of 1.39:1.
    • Some aspect ratios may be slightly changed when upscaling.
    • Older Midjourney versions may not support all aspect ratios.
    • Extremely wide and tall aspect ratios are experimental and may produce unpredictable results.