125+ Prompts To Create Posters With Midjourney

How to create vintage posters, including prompts and leading artist styles

One of the things that makes Midjourney so powerful is its ability to create posters. Posters are a great way to promote events, products, or ideas, and Midjourney can help you create posters that are both visually appealing and effective. It is still in beta, but it has already been used to create some amazing works of art.

Midjourney is in a class of AI tools called generative AI, which uses deep learning techniques to establish its own descriptive framework for creating and describing images. This means that even its developers don’t know what it knows! So, no all-encompassing dictionary of terms can ever exist for Midjourney prompts. We’re all learning!

In this post, I will help you understand many of the things I learned from working with Midjourney to help you get closer to your desired poster.

How to Construct Your Midjourney Prompt

Midjourney only pays attention to the first 60 words, and it pays more attention to the first words than the last words. So, since writing full sentences will likely confound your prompting efforts, instead use complete phrases ordered separated by commas. I recommend starting with your content type in the first 2–5 words, as it will dramatically improve your consistency in results.

Also, avoid writing complete sentences. Instead, favor descriptive phrases.

[content type], [description - subject + adjectives], [style], [composition]

Identify the content type. Explicitly state the type of photography scene, such as a cinematic portrait or black and white photograph.
Describe your content. Be as specific as possible, especially when there is a chance it could be mistaken as something else. Be sure to use detailed adjectives.
Include the style. Include the name of a specific photographer or technique to invoke their art style, such as Ansel Adams or double exposure.
Describe the composition. Especially for photos, here is where you describe the camera view, scene, time of day, lens filter, film and camera types, and camera settings.
Avoid using banned words or topics. As a rule, keep your images PG-13 without sex, gore, violence and drugs.

350+ Midjourney Prompts

List of over 350 adjectives, styles and compositions in Midjourney for future reference and inspiration.

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250+ Midjourney Prompts for Photography

Midjourney is a powerful AI tool that can be used to create photorealistic images, surreal landscapes, and a litany of…

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Using Existing Images To Influence Midjourney Prompts

Often you know what kind of design you want because you’ve seen something similar. Never fear—using an existing image to influence Midjourney of your desired style and composition is pretty easy.

To add images to a prompt, type or paste the web address where the image is stored online. The address must end in an extension like .png, .gif, or .jpg. After adding image addresses, add any additional text and parameters to complete the prompt.

You can also just drop your photo into Discord using the plus sign at your prompt. Then open the image and copy it’s address.

To add an image to your prompt:

Image prompts go at the front of a prompt.
Prompts must have two images or one image and additional text to work.
Your image URL must be a direct link to an online image. It is safer and faster to put it directly into Discord and work locally.

Pro tip: The de>/blend command is a simplified image prompting process optimized for mobile users.

Text Will Be A Problem

Since posters are ads for products, events or ideas, you’ll often want to add text. The bad news is Midjourney will not be your friend here. It does not understand how to do typography at all. You will need to use photo editors like Canva, Gimp or Photoshop to edit in your text.

Since lettering will be a problem, I advise you approach building your poster in layers. Use Midjourney to create the background image, then use your graphics editor to do the text work.

Examples of how Midjourney warps text. Prompts from left to right: travel poster, dominican republic, realistic, miniaturecore — ar 2:3; Dubonnet Poster, wine, frogcore, flowing lines, playful — ar 2:3; educational poster, water conservation, playful, vivid, Aestheticcore — ar 2:3

Left is the raw file from Midjourney, right is after editing in Canva. Prompt: travel poster, Dominican Republic, beach, palm trees, almond trees, surfing, vivid colors, frogcore — ar 2:3

Scene Descriptors for Midjourney Posters

Posters

Ad Posters are designed to promote a product or service. They often feature eye-catching visuals and strong calls to action.
Concert Posters are used to advertise upcoming musical performances. They typically feature the artist’s name, the date and time of the show, and the venue.
Dubonnet Posters are a type of advertising poster that was popular in the early 20th century. They were created for the French wine company Dubonnet and often featured beautiful women and exotic settings.
Graphic Design Poster Art is a broad category that encompasses posters that are created using graphic design principles. These posters can be used for a variety of purposes, such as advertising, public service announcements, or simply to express the artist’s creativity.
Travel Posters are designed to encourage people to visit a particular destination. They often feature beautiful scenery, iconic landmarks, and local culture.
Political Posters are used to promote a particular political cause or candidate. They often feature strong visuals and persuasive messages.
Social Awareness Posters are used to raise awareness of social issues, such as poverty, hunger, or environmental degradation. They often feature powerful images and messages that are designed to shock and inspire viewers.
Educational Posters are used to teach people about a particular subject, such as science, history, or health. They often feature clear and concise information that is easy to understand.
Theatrical Posters are used to advertise upcoming plays, musicals, and other theatrical productions. They typically feature the title of the production, the cast, and the dates and times of the performances.
Film Posters are used to advertise upcoming movies. They often feature striking visuals and taglines that are designed to generate excitement and anticipation for the film.
Anti-War Posters are used to protest against war and violence. They often feature powerful images and messages that are designed to shock and inspire viewers.
Environmental Posters are used to raise awareness of environmental issues, such as pollution, deforestation, and climate change. They often feature striking visuals and messages that are designed to encourage people to take action to protect the environment.
Health Posters are used to educate people about health and safety issues. They often feature clear and concise information that is easy to understand.
Public Service Announcement Posters are used to raise awareness of important social issues, such as drunk driving, domestic violence, and HIV/AIDS. They often feature powerful images and messages that are designed to educate and inspire viewers.

Cores

Aestheticcore is a broad term that encompasses a variety of aesthetics, such as cottagecore, dark academia, and grungecore.
Altcore is a style that is characterized by its alternative and unique aesthetic. It often features dark colors, bold patterns, and eclectic mix-and-match pieces.
Astralcore is a dreamy and ethereal aesthetic that is inspired by the stars and planets. It often features soft colors, celestial motifs, and a sense of wonder.
Badcore is a style that is characterized by its edgy and rebellious aesthetic. It often features dark colors, distressed denim, and combat boots.
Candycore is a sweet and playful aesthetic that is inspired by candy and sweets. It often features bright colors, pastels, and sugary motifs.
Carcore is a style that is characterized by its love of cars and car culture. It often features vintage cars, hot rods, and racing stripes.
Cartelcore is a style that is inspired by the Mexican drug cartels. It often features dark colors, leather, and chains.
Cutecore is a sweet and innocent aesthetic that is inspired by all things cute. It often features pastel colors, animals, and flowers.
Dark academia is a style that is inspired by old universities and libraries. It often features dark colors, tweed, and leather-bound books.
Darkcore is a dark and edgy aesthetic that is often inspired by horror, death, and the occult. It often features black, red, and purple colors, as well as skulls, bones, and other macabre motifs.
Discocore is a style that is inspired by the disco era of the 1970s. It often features bright colors, platform shoes, and glitter.
Emocore is a style that is inspired by emo music and culture. It often features black, white, and gray colors, as well as band t-shirts, skinny jeans, and eyeliner.
Fairycore is a whimsical and magical aesthetic that is inspired by fairies and folklore. It often features pastel colors, flowers, and nature motifs.
Flowercore is a style that is inspired by flowers and nature. It often features bright colors, floral prints, and delicate fabrics.
Frogcore is a style that is inspired by frogs and all things amphibian. It often features green, brown, and yellow colors, as well as frogs, lily pads, and other amphibian motifs.
Gothcore is a dark and dramatic aesthetic that is inspired by goth music and culture. It often features black, white, and red colors, as well as fishnets, leather, and spikes.
Grungecore is a style that is inspired by grunge music and culture. It often features dark colors, flannel, and ripped jeans.
Hatecore is a style that is characterized by its anger and hatred. It often features black, red, and white colors, as well as skulls, bones, and other macabre motifs.
Hippiecore is a style that is inspired by the hippie movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It often features tie-dye, peace signs, and flowers.
Horrorcore is a style that is inspired by horror movies and literature. It often features dark colors, blood, and gore.
Indigocore is a style that is inspired by the indigo children, a group of people who are said to be born with special gifts and abilities. It often features purple, blue, and green colors, as well as crystals, mandalas, and other spiritual motifs.
Kawaiicore is a cute and adorable aesthetic that is inspired by Japanese culture. It often features bright colors, Hello Kitty, and other kawaii characters.
Lolitacore is a style that is inspired by the Victorian era and Japanese Lolita fashion. It often features pastel colors, lace, and frills.
Magecore is a style that is inspired by magic and witchcraft. It often features black, purple, and green colors, as well as pentagrams, wands, and other magical symbols.
Melancholycore is a style that is characterized by its sadness and melancholy. It often features dark colors, rain, and flowers.
Mermaidcore is a style that is inspired by mermaids and the ocean. It often features blue, green, and purple colors, as well as seashells, starfish, and other ocean motifs.
Monstercore is a style that is inspired by monsters and the macabre. It often features black, red, and purple colors

Popular Poster Artists for AI Art

Alphonse Mucha

A Czech artist who is best known for his Art Nouveau posters. His work is characterized by its flowing lines, stylized figures, and rich colors. Mucha’s posters were often used to advertise products and events, but they also had a strong artistic merit. (1860–1939)

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

A French artist who is best known for his posters of the Parisian nightlife. His work is characterized by its bold colors, simplified forms, and dynamic compositions. Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters were often used to advertise cabarets and other entertainment venues, but they also captured the spirit of the Belle Époque era. (1864–1901)

Jules Chéret

A French artist who is considered the father of the modern poster. His work is characterized by its bright colors, simple designs, and elegant typography. Chéret’s posters were often used to advertise theater productions and other cultural events, but they also helped to popularize the art of the poster. (1836–1932)

Käthe Kollwitz

A German artist who is known for her powerful and moving prints and posters. Her work often dealt with social and political issues, such as poverty, war, and the Holocaust. Kollwitz’s work is a powerful testament to the human spirit. (1867–1945)

Leonetto Cappiello

An Italian artist who is best known for his advertising posters. His work is characterized by its bold colors, simple designs, and dynamic compositions. Cappiello’s posters were often used to advertise products and services, but they also had a strong artistic merit. (1875–1942)

A.M. Cassandre

A French artist who is best known for his Art Deco posters. His work is characterized by its geometric shapes, bold colors, and elegant typography. Cassandre’s posters were used to advertise a wide range of products and services, and they helped to define the Art Deco style. (1901–1968)

Paul Colin

A French artist who is best known for his posters for the Ballets Russes. His work is characterized by its dynamic compositions, bold colors, and stylized figures. Colin’s posters helped to popularize the Ballets Russes and to make them a household name. (1892–1985)

James Montgomery Flagg

An American artist, comics artist and illustrator. He worked in media ranging from fine art painting to cartooning, but is best remembered for his political posters, particularly his 1917 poster of Uncle Sam created for United States Army recruitment during World War I. (1877–1960)

Shepard Fairey

An American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. His style has been described as a “bold iconic style that is based on styling and idealizing images.” (1970–)

J. Howard Miller

An American graphic artist. He painted posters during World War II in support of the war effort, among them the famous “We Can Do It!” poster. Aside from the iconic poster, Miller remains largely unknown. (1898–1985)

Drew Struzan

An American artist, illustrator and cover designer. He is known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include The Shawshank Redemption, Blade Runner, Mallrats, as well as films in the Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, and Star Wars film series. He has also painted album covers, collectibles, and book covers. (1947—)

Robert Wesley Wilson

An American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters. Best known for designing posters for Bill Graham of The Fillmore in San Francisco, he invented a style that is now synonymous with the peace movement, the psychedelic era and the 1960s. (1937 —2020)

William Reynold Brown

An American realist artist who painted many Hollywood film posters. He was also briefly active as a comics artist. (1917 — 1991)

Frank Kozik

An American graphic artist best known for his posters for alternative rock bands. Kozik has worked with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Melvins, The Offspring, Butthole Surfers, and Helmet.

Bill Gold

An American graphic designer best known for thousands of film poster designs. During his 70-year career, Gold worked with some of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers, including Laurence Olivier, Clint Eastwood, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Elia Kazan, and Ridley Scott. Among Gold’s most famous posters are those for Casablanca, The Exorcist and The Sting. (1921—2018)

Victor Moscoso

A Spanish–American artist best known for producing psychedelic rock posters, advertisements, and underground comix in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s. He was the first of the rock poster artists of the 1960s era with formal academic training and experience. He was the first of the rock poster artists to use photographic collage in many of his posters. (1936—)

Richard Amsel

An American illustrator and graphic designer. His career was brief but prolific, including movie posters, album covers, and magazine covers. His portrait of comedian Lily Tomlin for the cover of Time is now part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Institution. He was associated with TV Guide for thirteen years. (1947—1985)

Milton Glaser

An American graphic designer. His designs include the I Love New York logo, a 1966 poster for Bob Dylan, and the logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University, and Brooklyn Brewery. (1929–2020)

James Northfield

An Australian graphic artist who illustrated many commercial and government advertisements which depict Australian scenery, wildlife and daily life and also demonstrate the priorities of the government of the day. Northfield is best known as the designer of a series of posters for the Australian National Travel Association and a series of patriotic posters during World War II. (1887—1973)

Charley Harper

An American Modernist artist, he was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters, and book illustrations. Charley Harper illustrated numerous books, notably The Golden Book of Biology, magazines such as Ford Times, as well as many prints, posters, and other works. As his subjects are mainly natural, with birds prominently featured, Charley often created works for many nature-based organizations, among them the National Park Service.

Shigeo Fukada

A Japanese sculptor, medallist, graphic artist and poster designer who created optical illusions. His art pieces usually portray deception. The New York Times described how Fukuda’s posters “distilled complex concepts into compelling images of logo-simplicity”.

That’s all for now — hope you enjoyed it!

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