3.8 – Image Editing with Editor Lesson

Lesson Overview

This lesson gives you hands-on experience using Midjourney’s image editing features. You’ll explore how to make precise changes to images you’ve generated—whether that’s removing unwanted elements, adding new ones, or changing the overall shape and dimensions of your work.

The editor presents several key options: erase and restore (to target certain image parts), brush size (for either tiny or large-scale changes), scaling and aspect ratio (to reshape your canvas and add space for new content), and edit prompt (to instruct Midjourney on what to add or modify). These tools work together, allowing you to make incremental changes without redoing your image from scratch.

This lesson is especially helpful for anyone who needs to customize generative images, such as making an art piece more suitable for a project, fixing small flaws, or reworking an image to fit a new format. For example, you may want to turn a square portrait into a wide banner, add details like sunglasses, or seamlessly add a new object into the scene.

Real-world uses include updating marketing materials, creating visually aligned training content, or simply experimenting with creative ideas by changing and expanding upon existing AI creations.

Who This Is For

Learn how to get more out of your AI-generated images with editing—no design background required. This lesson suits:

• Designers looking for quick ways to edit and refine images
• Content creators aiming to customize graphics for different formats
• Marketers adapting visuals for campaigns and social media
• Educators creating or tweaking custom illustrations for materials
• Anyone exploring creative editing of AI images with flexible tools

Where This Fits in a Workflow

Image editing with the Midjourney editor is typically used after you’ve generated an initial image and want to refine, enhance, or adapt it for a specific need. For example, you might:

• Take a generated portrait and adapt it for a presentation by erasing, restoring, and reformatting elements
• Add visual details (like objects or accessories) to an image for a banner, ad, or social post
• Repurpose one favorite image for multiple output sizes, such as thumbnails and full-width headers

This step bridges the gap between “first draft” generation and polished, application-ready images, letting you iterate without starting over.

Technical & Workflow Benefits

Previously, editing AI images often meant generating entirely new outputs for every adjustment. The Midjourney editor speeds up the process by letting you focus on just the sections that need change. Instead of retyping prompts or redrawing, you simply use tools like erase and restore to target areas, and adjust brush size for control.

For instance, suppose you want to add sunglasses to a character or widen a scene to fit a specific web layout. Rather than regenerating from scratch (which risks losing attributes you liked), you erase a small section, change the prompt, and only that piece updates. You can also swap between undo and redo until you get the edit just right.

This targeted editing means higher-quality outputs in less time, predictable results, and less frustration with “almost perfect” images that miss just one detail. It’s especially helpful for busy professionals, collaborative projects, and scenarios where quick iterations matter.

Practice Exercise

Try refining an image using these steps:

1. Generate an image with Midjourney using a prompt like “An oil painting of a royal queen sitting on a decorative chair in a throne room.”
2. Open the image with the editor. Use the erase tool to remove a part you want to change—such as the queen’s eyes—and use the edit prompt to add an accessory (for example: “Queen wearing a pair of sunglasses”).
3. Adjust the aspect ratio to make the image wider (for example, switch to 4:3), then use the brush to erase space where you want something new to appear. Add to the prompt (such as: “large, brightly colored flowers sit in a vase on a table next to her”).

After the images are generated, compare the changes: Did the edits match your intent? What would you adjust further next time?

Course Context Recap

This lesson builds on your previous experience generating, remixing, and adjusting AI images. Now, you can focus on practical editing—changing specific parts, resizing, and adapting results without starting from zero. Up next in _The Ultimate Guide to Generative AI_, you’ll see how these techniques fit into larger creative workflows and continue to deepen your image creation skills. Explore the full course to keep expanding your knowledge and creative power.