3.1 – Vary and Remix Lesson

Lesson Overview

This lesson introduces the Vary and Remix tools found in the Midjourney website's image editor. Historically, creating variations or updating details in your generated images required manual commands in Discord, but these processes are now easy to access through direct menu options. Mastering these features is essential for anyone seeking to adjust existing images without starting over completely, whether for creative projects, client work, or personal experiments.

The Vary tool quickly creates new versions of an image—either with subtle tweaks that barely alter the original, or with stronger changes that offer noticeably distinct alternatives. It’s perfect when you want quick variations without needing to rethink your entire prompt. On the other hand, the Remix tool gives you prompt-level control: update a detail, shift the image’s direction, or iterate on a design more purposefully by changing the text prompt that guides the new image—while retaining the essence of the original.

For users accustomed to the Discord workflow, this direct-access editing in the browser saves time and simplifies revision. Vary and Remix are ideal when you want to experiment, refine results, or respond to new ideas on the fly—such as making an animal’s eyes blue, altering pose, or adjusting style for brand consistency.

Who This Is For

Whether you’re exploring Midjourney editing for creative projects or polishing client deliverables, this lesson is designed for users looking to work more flexibly with their outputs.

• Artists and designers wanting to fine-tune generative images
• Content creators improving visual consistency in campaigns
• Educators demonstrating stepwise image evolution
• Marketers adjusting visuals to fit brand themes
• Product or project teams seeking controlled variations for testing or feedback
• Anyone who wants to iterate images without starting from scratch

Where This Fits in a Workflow

Vary and Remix are most useful once you’ve generated an image you mostly like but wish to see alternatives or customize further. After selecting or creating a base image, you can use these tools during the revision, presentation, or improvement stage of your workflow.

For example, a designer may use Vary Strong to quickly generate options for client review, then apply Remix Subtle to update a specific detail based on feedback—such as eye color, object position, or a stylistic tweak. This saves the need for recreating the full prompt or series, making refinement cycles faster and more manageable.

Technical & Workflow Benefits

Prior to these editing features, making adjustments to Midjourney images meant re-prompting or running separate image generations through Discord commands—often leading to inconsistent outcomes or extra work. The Vary and Remix options simplify this process by providing instant menu access. Subtle Vary offers quick, almost identical alternatives for clients who want to “see just a little difference.” Strong variants let you explore broader possibilities. Remix opens up controlled prompt editing, so you can make specific changes—like adding a detail or shifting the theme—without losing connection to your original vision.

For creative professionals and teams, these features increase efficiency, help maintain project consistency, and streamline client feedback rounds. You gain time and creative freedom, since you can iterate directly on preferred images rather than starting over with new prompts every time.

Practice Exercise

Open an image you’ve created in a recent Midjourney session—something with clear subject matter, like a portrait or object.

1. Use the Vary Subtle and Vary Strong tools and observe the differences between each variation and the original.
2. Try the Remix Subtle option and edit the prompt to adjust a specific feature (for example, “with green background” or “wearing glasses”). Submit and review the result.
3. Now, try Remix Strong with a larger prompt adjustment (such as “in cartoon style” or “at sunset”) and compare the outcomes.

Reflection: Which tool gave you the most control over the final image? How did the results differ between subtle and strong approaches?

Course Context Recap

This lesson begins your hands-on experience with editing and refining images in Midjourney, building on earlier fundamentals. You’ve explored how to create controlled variations and targeted updates using Vary and Remix. Next, you’ll move into additional editing actions and workflow strategies to further speed up your creative process and achieve precise end results. Continue through the course for more ways to master image editing and revision in Midjourney.