CFG Scale Explained
CFG (Classifier-Free Guidance) Scale controls how strictly the AI follows your prompt vs. being creative on its own.
- Low CFG (1-4): More creative, dreamy, abstract. AI takes liberties.
- Medium CFG (5-8): Balanced. Good for most use cases.
- High CFG (9-15): Strictly follows prompt. Can look oversaturated or artificial.
- Very High CFG (15+): Often produces artifacts. Not recommended.
Recommended Values by Model
| Model | Recommended CFG |
|---|---|
| Flux Dev/Pro | 3.0 - 4.0 |
| SDXL | 6.0 - 8.0 |
| SD 1.5 / CivitAI | 7.0 - 9.0 |
| Anime models | 7.0 - 11.0 |
Tip: Flux models use a different guidance mechanism, so they work best at low CFG (3-4). Using CFG 7+ with Flux often produces worse results.
When to Adjust CFG
- Image looks too random/blurry → Increase CFG
- Image looks oversaturated/artificial → Decrease CFG
- Want artistic freedom → CFG 3-5
- Want exact prompt match → CFG 8-12