Guides / Images
How to Edit Images in Muse: Follow-Ups, Reference Photos and Fixes
The fastest way to a great image in Muse usually isn’t a perfect first prompt. It’s a good first image followed by a few precise edits. Muse Image was built to keep edits consistent across several rounds, and it ranked second on Arena’s editing leaderboards at launch. Here’s how to use that well.
Edit with a follow-up message
After Muse creates an image, just reply with what you want changed. You can also upload your own photo and ask for changes to it. Muse keeps the rest of the image the same and applies your change.
Starting with “Keep everything the same, but…” is a simple habit that makes a big difference. It tells Muse clearly what to protect and what to change.
Say exactly what should change
Vague edits like “make it better” or “make it pop” give Muse nothing to act on, and it may ignore them or change the wrong thing. Name the specific element and the specific change:
- Instead of “fix the lighting”, say “make the lighting softer and less contrasty”.
- Instead of “change her outfit”, say “change her jacket to a long navy wool coat”.
- Instead of “less busy”, say “remove the people in the background”.
Change just one area
Muse can edit a single region of an image while leaving the rest untouched. Describe the area by its position or contents (“the sign on the left”, “the sky”), or, where the app lets you, mark the area on the image and describe the change. This is ideal for fixing a small mistake, like a garbled word on a sign or an extra finger.
Combine reference photos
You can give Muse several images and ask it to combine them, such as a person, an outfit, a product and a location. This is called multi-reference composition, and it’s one of Muse Image’s strengths.
- Upload each reference image.
- Label each one with its role: “Image 1 is the character”, “Image 2 is the outfit”, “Image 3 is the location”.
- Describe the scene you want: “Show the character from image 1 wearing the outfit from image 2, standing in the location from image 3, at golden hour.”
If Muse ignores one of the references, send them one at a time with a short caption each, then ask for the combined scene.
Restore old photos
Muse can clean up scratched or faded photos. Upload the photo and ask for a gentle restoration, for example: “Restore this photo: remove scratches and dust, fix the faded colours, and keep the faces exactly as they are.” Asking it to keep faces unchanged helps avoid the uncanny look of over-processed restorations.
Remove objects
To remove something, name it and say what should replace it: “Remove the bin on the right and fill the space with more of the brick wall.” Telling Muse what goes in the gap gives a cleaner result than just saying “remove”.
When to start over
Editing works best when the image is mostly right. If the composition, camera angle or main subject is wrong, a new prompt is usually faster than a long chain of edits. Long edit chains can also slowly drift, so if quality starts to slip, take the best version so far and start a fresh chat with it as a reference.
Quick reference
| You want to… | Try saying |
|---|---|
| Change the mood | “Keep everything the same, but make it a rainy evening.” |
| Fix one detail | “Only change the sign on the left so it reads ‘OPEN’.” |
| Swap clothing | “Same person and pose, but wearing a red raincoat.” |
| Change the framing | “Same scene, but a wide shot from further back.” |
| Remove something | “Remove the car and continue the street behind it.” |