Style weight vs stylize: two controls, two different questions

Decide what you are trying to change

Style weight, --sw, controls the influence of a style reference. Stylize, --stylize or --s, controls the model’s aesthetic interpretation. They serve different purposes, and a higher number is not automatically a better result.

The current official documentation lists 0–1000 for both, with defaults of 100. Check the documentation for your chosen model and compatibility before testing. Stronger reference influence does not ensure an exact object count; stronger stylize does not necessarily mean closer reference matching.

A comparison you can run

These are suggested test points, not a set of experiments completed for this page. Keep your own results and complete settings together.

1. Fix the content, model, reference and format. Record a starting point at sw 100 and stylize 100.
2. Keep stylize unchanged and try sw 50, 100 and 200. Compare palette and surface.
3. Return to sw 100 and compare stylize 50, 100 and 300. Check subject adherence and visual organization.
4. Only then combine your preferred settings in another round.

Troubleshoot in a sensible order

If the subject drifts, simplify the content and look for conflicting style instructions. If the reference feels weak, check compatibility before raising sw. If the image feels crowded, reduce secondary objects before assuming stylize is the cause.

These steps are a diagnostic order, not a formula for guaranteed beauty. The previews below illustrate distinct visual languages; they are not before-and-after results for these settings.