Short answer / recommendation
If you need strict photoreal product shots with believable fabric microdetail and predictable lighting for e‑commerce or lookbooks, Leonardo generally produces more realistic fabric textures and surface micro‑detail out of the box. If you want richer, more cinematic lighting and artistic variety (editorial mockups, stylized campaigns), Midjourney tends to give more dramatic, high‑quality visuals. Choose Leonardo for repeatable product realism; choose Midjourney for high‑impact creative visuals.

Decision criteria (how to pick)
- Realism & texture fidelity: Leonardo > Midjourney
- Lighting control & mood: Midjourney > Leonardo (but Leonardo can be tuned)
- Batch consistency & template workflows: Leonardo is easier for product teams
- Speed & ease of iteration: similar; Midjourney is fast for exploratory art
- Budget & integrations: depends on plan and team needs—test both on a small pilot

Practical prompt tips (use in either tool)
- Use a consistent prompt template: subject, garment spec, camera, lighting, texture details, color, background, negatives. Example: “Photorealistic close‑up of a cotton t‑shirt on a neutral mannequin, 85mm lens, softbox key light left + rim light from right, visible weave and stitching, accurate Pantone 186C color, natural shadows, white seamless background, ultra detailed, sharp focus, no logos.”
- Include fabric keywords (cotton jersey, brushed fleece, merino wool, satin) and finishes (matte, sheen, brushed) to steer surface reflections.
- Add camera/lens & lighting language (macro, 85mm, shallow DOF, softbox, rim light, HDRI daylight) to force realistic speculars and shadow falloff.
- Use negative terms: “no text, no watermark, no extra props” to reduce noise.
- Provide a clear reference image for silhouette and pose when possible (image‑to‑image). Use a color swatch image for accurate color matching.

Batch consistency checklist
- Lock model/version and style presets; don’t switch mid‑batch.
- Use the same prompt template and exact phrasing for all items.
- Fix random seed when available (Midjourney supports --seed) or use the platform’s repeat/duplicate feature.
- Use a single reference mannequin or base photo for all renders (image‑to‑image) so folds and proportions stay consistent.
- Generate at higher resolution or export then upscale with the same tool/setting.
- Render a pilot set of 10–20 items, pick the best, then create controlled variations instead of re‑generating from scratch.

Best‑for / Avoid‑if
- Leonardo: Best for product teams wanting predictable photorealism, texture fidelity, and template batches. Avoid if you need heavily stylized, cinematic art.
- Midjourney: Best for creative/editorial mockups with dramatic lighting and mood. Avoid if you need exact color matching, consistent cut/fit across hundreds of SKUs.

Practical next steps
1) Run a 20‑image pilot in Leonardo using a shared reference and the prompt template above. 2) Test the same prompts in Midjourney to compare mood. 3) Choose platform based on the closest match to your brand standard, then lock model/version and seed and produce the full batch.

If you want, I can draft a ready‑to‑use prompt template specific to your garment types (tees, hoodies, woven shirts) and a short A/B test plan to run across both tools.

Compare Midjourney and Leonardo AI