Midjourney Handouts for Trip 19

Problem

Creating authentic 1940s-era handouts for Delta Green campaign that need:

•Visual authenticity (photos, aged documents, postcards)
•Exact text and dates (German postcards, business cards, newspaper articles)
•Consistent dark horror/thriller aesthetic

Failed Approaches

❌ Attempt 1: Generate everything with Midjourney

•
Problem: AI-generated text is unreliable
- •Dates become wrong ("15.6.39" → "15.8.42")
- •German handwriting looks "AI-gibberish"
- •Addresses get mangled
- •Cannot control exact layout
•Result: Wasted time regenerating, still got wrong text

❌ Attempt 2: Use v6.1 parameter

•
Problem: Version parameter is obsolete
- •v7.x is current default
- •Adding --v 6.1 is unnecessary
•Result: No benefit, just extra tokens in prompt

❌ Attempt 3: No moodboard selection

•
Problem: Generated images didn't match campaign aesthetic
- •Too bright, generic AI look
- •Inconsistent style across handouts
•Result: Images looked out of place

Working Solution

Decision Matrix: Midjourney vs HTML

Use Midjourney for:

•✅ Photographic images (landscapes, portraits, objects)
•✅ Scenes requiring visual atmosphere
•✅ Front sides of documents with visual content (postcard fronts)
•✅ Period-appropriate imagery (1940s scenes, vintage photos)

Use HTML for:

•✅ Documents with text (letters, newspapers, business cards, postcard backs)
•✅ Material where exact text/dates/layout is critical
•✅ Anything where AI-generation would produce incorrect text
•✅ Complex layouts with specific structure

Moodboard Workflow

Before generating, ensure Trip 19 moodboard is selected:

•Navigate to Moodboards (left sidebar in Midjourney)
•If multiple moodboards selected: Click "Unselect All" (top right)
•Hover over "Trip 19" card
•Click "Select" button that appears
•Verify "Selected (1)" is shown and Trip 19 has "Selected" badge

Why this matters:

•Trip 19 moodboard provides consistent dark horror/thriller aesthetic
•Prevents generic AI look
•Maintains visual consistency across all campaign handouts

Prompt Best Practices

DO include:

•Clear subject description
•Period details ("1939 German postcard", "vintage 1940s")
•Material characteristics ("aged paper", "sepia-toned", "faded colors")
•Aspect ratio: --ar 3:2 or --ar 16:9
•Optional: --style raw for less AI-processed look

DON'T include:

•Version parameters (--v 6.1) - v7.x is default
•Exact text that needs to be correct (use HTML instead)
•Complex multi-line text layouts

Example prompt:

code

Vintage 1939 German postcard, front side showing picturesque Bavarian landscape
with alpine mountains and traditional village with church spire, sepia-toned
photographic print, faded warm colors, realistic aging with slight yellowing
and corner wear, white border typical of 1930s postcards, text at bottom
"Grüße aus Deutschland" in period-appropriate typography, authentic pre-war
German postcard aesthetic --ar 3:2 --style raw

Download & File Management

After generation:

•Click on generated image
•Click menu icon (three dots) → "Download image"
•Chrome downloads to ~/Downloads/ by default
•
Locate file:
bash
```
ls -lt ~/Downloads/ | head -5
```

•Move to SL folder and rename:

bash

mv ~/Downloads/kullendorff_Long_filename_hash.png \
   "D:\GDRIVE\My Drive\Johan\Gaming\Gammal leka bäst\Delta Green\Trip19\SL\descriptive_name.png"

•Verify:

bash

ls -lh "D:\GDRIVE\My Drive\Johan\Gaming\Gammal leka bäst\Delta Green\Trip19\SL\descriptive_name.png"

Concrete Examples

Example 1: German Postcard (Hybrid Approach)

Front side - Use Midjourney:

•Generated: germany_postcard_1939_front.png
•Visual content (Bavarian landscape) needs photographic quality
•Generic German text can be AI-generated

Back side - Use HTML:

•Created: germany_postcard_1939_back.html
•Exact German text: "Das Paket kommt wie besprochen. Bitte vorsichtig behandeln. - R"
•Specific postmark date: "FRANKFURT 15.6.39"
•Precise address layout to Senator Lundeen
•HTML ensures text accuracy, user takes screenshot

Example 2: Business Card

Front side - HTML preferred:

•Created: reinhardt_business_card.html
•Exact name, title, address, phone number critical
•HTML allows precise typography and layout

Back side - HTML:

•Handwritten note simulation with CSS
•Exact text: "Kalenko - 1942"
•Rotated italic font mimics handwriting

Example 3: Meta-Documentation

Use Midjourney for:

•Created: late_night_coding_4am.png
•Atmospheric scene of developer at 4 AM
•Visual storytelling, no exact text needed
•Dark moody aesthetic matches Trip 19 moodboard

Best Practices

•Plan before generating: Decide Midjourney vs HTML first
•Check moodboard: Always verify Trip 19 is selected
•Keep prompts focused: Describe visuals, not exact text
•Use descriptive filenames: germany_postcard_1939_front.png not image1.png
•Store in SL folder: All handouts go to SL/ directory
•Document in HTML: Link to generated images from SL guide pages

Lessons Learned

"Hammer and Nail" Problem:

•Having Midjourney doesn't mean everything should be AI-generated
•HTML is often better for text-heavy documents
•Choose the right tool for the task

Trial and Error Avoided:

•Selecting moodboard first = consistent aesthetic
•Skipping version parameters = cleaner prompts
•Understanding Downloads workflow = faster file management

Time Savings:

•HTML for exact text = no regeneration loops
•Moodboard selection = first generation usually works
•Clear decision matrix = less second-guessing

midjourney-handouts