The Midjourney Zoom Out Feature is Here!

Zoom Out / outpainting has arrived in Midjourney and it's more than I could have ever hoped for! As the name indicates, the Zoom Out feature allows you to zoom out on an image. Some refer to this as "outpainting".

The creative flexibility that Zoom Out unlocks is huge! Prompters can design characters and zoom out to place them in different environments and create establishing shots with ease. Previous cropping issues are no longer a frustrating problem when you can just zoom out. Not to mention the fun of zooming out over and over and over again just to see where you end up 😀.

Zoom Out is available for v5 images (v5, v5.1, or v5.2). Unfortunately, images made using previous MJ versions cannot be zoomed out at this time. However, going forward, I think it's safe to assume that Zoom Out will be available in future MidJourney version releases.

In this article, I will walk you through what the Zoom Out feature looks like, setting Custom Zoom prompts, share example images, and answer a few questions on how zoom interacts with other parameters such as --tile.

How to Use Midjourney Zoom Out & Custom Zoom Prompts

Basic usage

Upscale a v5+ image
Click one of the Zoom Out buttons beneath the upscaled image

To use the Zoom Out feature, you must first upscale a v5+ image (or load a previous v5+ upscaled image using /show your_job_id_here to Discord). Underneath your upscaled image, you will see 3 zoom buttons: Zoom Out 2X, Zoom Out 1.5X, and Custom Zoom. If you use a non-square aspect ratio to create your upscaled image, you'll also see a Make Square button, which does what it says and outpaints the appropriate sides to make the image a square 1:1 aspect ratio.

Have you ever had issues with images being cropped so tightly that important parts of the image are cut off?

I don't know how many times, I've created an image with a 2:3 or 9:16 aspect ratio, but the character or animal in the image is not completely in the frame.

Zoom Out provides a solution to this cropping issue. No more re-rolling and trying to get just the right prompt to squeeze the character or scene into the aspect ratio that I want.

Custom Zoom

Why might you use Custom Zoom?

You want to zoom out by a value other than 1.5X or 2X
You want to change your prompt text or other parameters

Custom zoom allows you to specify the --zoom parameter to any value between 1 and 2. Clicking the Custom Zoom button also gives you a pop-up where you can modify your prompt. Just like clicking a "V" variations button when "Remix mode" is enabled, you can edit anything in your prompt.

By modifying your Custom Zoom prompt, you have more control over the type of environment a character ends up in, for example. Perhaps you start with a close-up of a face and want to see potential characters in different environments. Custom Zoom lets you do that.

Example 1: Placing a character in different environments

In the example below, I started with the prompt /imagine mystical face, white fabric, intricate details, close-up --v 5.2 --stylize 666 --chaos 15. I upscaled one of the results. Then, under the upscaled image, I clicked Custom Zoom. In the box that popped up, I DELETED the prompt text "mystical face, white fabric, intricate details, close-up" and REPLACED it with "galaxy, stars". I also set the --zoom parameter to 2, so that I would get a 2X zoom out.

MidJourney custom zoom screenshot example

I did multiple rounds of upscaling and 2X Zoom Outs with that same "galaxy, stars" prompt. The result was a full body image of a character in a galaxy/star-like environment.

Then, I placed the character in two additional environments by going back to the original face image, clicking Custom Zoom, and replacing the prompt text with the new environment. For each environment, I went through a series of upscales and 2X Zoom Outs.

I think the results turned out pretty cool!

Example 2: Placing a character in different environments & changing aspect ratio

In this example, I started with an image of a happy cat. Using Custom Zoom, I changed the prompt text to describe the environment I wanted and I changed the aspect ratio to 3:2.

How does Midjourney's Zoom Out interact with "V" buttons and --tile?

Can you go directly to zooming out by adding --zoom to the prompt when you click a "V" (variations) button?

No.

You need to upscale the image you want first, then you can Zoom Out using one of the Zoom buttons.

Can you use --tile with Zoom Out?

Not directly.

When you Zoom Out on an upscaled image that was made using the --tile parameter, the zoomed out result will not be a tile image. If you use Custom Zoom and add --tile to the prompt, the --tile will be stripped from the prompt and your results will not be tiled.

If you really want a zoomed out tile image, make your starting grid of --tile images, upscale one of them, and zoom out on the upscaled image. You will get a grid of 4 zoomed out images. Click a "V" button to create variations of one of the zoomed out images and add --tile to the prompt. This will give you a new grid of 4 images, similar to your grid of zoomed out images, but these will be tile/seamless friendly.

Not sure what tile images are? Check out this article.

Note: to be able to change your prompt when you click a "V" button, you need to have "Remix mode" enabled. To be sure this is enabled, type /settings in Discord. Then check that "Remix mode" is highlighted.

More Zoom Out Examples with Prompts

Summary

In conclusion, the Midjourney Zoom Out feature offers an incredible range of creative possibilities.

It allows prompters to design characters and zoom out to place them in different environments, overcome cropping issues, and add depth to compositions.

The Custom Zoom option further enhances control by enabling users to adjust prompt text and parameters, such as aspect ratios, offering even more creative freedom.

Zooming out repeatedly and turning the series of resulting images into a video can also be a lot of fun!

I hope you found this article useful. If so, let me know in the comments!

Midjourney’s Zoom Out Feature: Unlocking Creative Flexibility with Zoom Out Prompts