V8.1 is all about consistency and speed. The look and feel are now much closer to V7, which means fewer surprises. Moodboards and SREF codes are far more stable, so when you lock into a style, you can actually repeat it. HD mode is now the default. It runs about three times faster and costs less, so there’s no reason not to use it. You’re getting higher quality output without the old tradeoff. Standard mode is where this gets interesting for workflow. It’s faster and cheaper, and at full quality it performs like V7 draft mode. This is your testing engine. Use it to explore ideas quickly, then rerun your best results using the “Run as HD” button. A few important tools are back. You can use image prompts again, including image weights, which gives you more control when combining references. There’s also a Prompt Shortener that automatically cleans up long prompts, and the Describe tool now gives you more detailed, V8-style outputs. A couple things to keep in mind. V8 is still in testing and only available on alpha.midjourney.com. Things will change as they continue to refine it. V8.0 will likely go away soon. If you notice anything it handled better, share that feedback. How to use this right now: - Use Standard mode to explore fast - Use “Run as HD” to finalize your best ideas - Lean on SREF and moodboards for consistency - Bring image prompts back into your workflow for control What’s coming next are V8 upscalers, followed by updates to editing tools like inpainting and outpainting.

https://youtu.be/5pmt3tZkagY?is=xXnMXSOE3x-lZZuh

built this today workflow 1.created retro mascot moodboard 2. prompted until got suitable geometry and style 3. took favorite as omni-ref to refine style 4. placed favorite in Nano for accuracy edits (added a specific weighted vest, fixed American flag) 5.will put in Photoshop+ illustrator next to customize the message and get print production ready

You can also make vector svg files, icon sets and mockups: https://youtu.be/TK3z16_Gn4c?is=Y86QzwpwwWAk0cRC