Midjourney V6.1 Explained: New Upscaler + --q 2 for Better Texture and Detail

Midjourney V6.1 pushes both “detail” and “output efficiency” forward, especially for realistic work, portraits, and posters that include text. Below, we break down the most practical updates so you can start using them immediately.

The most visible V6.1 change: smoother anatomy and cleaner images

Midjourney V6.1 improves continuity in areas that often fail—arms, legs, and fingers—so people and animals are less likely to show awkward “breaks” or inconsistencies. At the same time, Midjourney has reduced pixel-level artifacts, making skin, textures, and materials look more stable and closer to real photography.

If you previously generated close-up portraits in Midjourney and found the eyes, facial proportions, or distant hands unconvincing, this V6.1 upgrade will feel very noticeable. For e-commerce style visuals, profile images, and illustration covers, the usable hit rate should be higher.

The new upscaler: not just sharper, but adding missing detail

V6.1 introduces a new upscaler focused on improving image and texture quality—not simply “increasing resolution.” When you upscale a generated image in Midjourney, you’re more likely to get enhanced detail such as fabric weave, skin texture, and metallic reflections.

A practical workflow: first generate a version with the composition you want, then upscale the single best candidate. This way, you spend Midjourney’s compute on a “confirmed good image,” resulting in more consistent final output.

--q 2 mode: turn it on only when you need richer texture

Midjourney V6.1 adds --q 2, which takes longer in exchange for finer texture rendering. It’s well-suited for product close-ups, retro pixel-style texture, or any image where material grain and surface detail matter.

One caution: Midjourney also notes it may sometimes slightly sacrifice coherence to gain detail. In short: if structure is the priority, don’t use it; if texture is the priority, enable it—just don’t run --q 2 by default on everything.

More reliable text in images: lock words in with quotation marks

V6.1 makes a clear improvement in text generation—Midjourney is finally less likely to “scramble letters.” When writing prompts, wrap the exact text you want in quotation marks to get closer to the intended wording, for example a poster title like "SUMMER SALE".

For brand names or short phrases, it’s best to keep text brief in Midjourney and pair it with clear layout instructions (such as “centered title” and “clean typography”). This helps Midjourney place text more accurately and makes later layout adjustments easier.