Midjourney’s web editor is more like a “post-production toolbox,” and the most useful tools in it are Reframe (recomposition) and Repaint (localized redraw). They turn the pain point of “having to reroll after generating an image” into a controllable fine-tuning workflow. Below, I’ll explain clearly—based on real operations—how to use them and when to use them.
What is Reframe: change the composition without redoing the main subject
The core of Reframe is “keep the main subject and rearrange the image boundaries.” You can turn the original image into a landscape poster, a portrait cover, or move a character from centered to the rule-of-thirds position. Midjourney will automatically fill in the newly revealed background areas. For fixed-aspect needs like e-commerce hero images or social media covers, Reframe saves far more rework than running /imagine again.
How to use Reframe in Midjourney: change aspect ratio and viewpoint in three steps
On the Midjourney web app, open an image that has already been generated and upscaled. In the image details page, find Reframe in the toolbar. First choose a target aspect ratio (e.g., 1:1, 16:9, 9:16), then choose the direction to expand outward or drag the framing box, and finally submit to generate. If the result isn’t satisfactory, prioritize slightly adjusting the framing box position and running Reframe again—this is more stable than repeatedly “pulling cards.”
How to use Repaint: fix details with “local masking + supplemental prompts”
Repaint is suited for “local errors” such as fixing hands, changing text areas, or replacing small props, helping you avoid the style drift that can happen when regenerating the whole image. In the Midjourney web app, click Repaint, use the brush to paint over the area you want to modify, then in the prompt describe only the replacement content you want to appear (for example, “fix the fingers into natural five fingers,” “replace the cup with a transparent glass cup”). Keep the painted area as small as possible and the prompt as specific as possible—the hit rate in Midjourney will be noticeably higher.
More stable with references: use Character/Style Reference together
If you’re making a series, it’s recommended to use references together: for character consistency, use --cref (character reference image link) and control character weight with --cw; for style consistency, use --sref (style reference image link) along with --sw to adjust style strength. This makes the backgrounds expanded by Reframe and the local edits produced by Repaint less likely to suddenly “switch art styles.” For brand visuals or serialized characters in Midjourney, reference parameters are almost a must-have.
Usage tips: when to Reframe first, and when to Repaint first
If the composition is wrong, use Reframe first; if the details are wrong, use Repaint first—this is the most time-saving order. If you need both a new aspect ratio and local fixes, usually Reframe first and then Repaint, because Reframe may add edge areas that need to be repainted. One last reminder: Midjourney’s local editing depends on the information in the original image—the clearer the original and the more distinct the subject, the more stable Reframe and Repaint will be.
