SDXL, CFG, Sampling Steps Sweet Spot

I’m trying to find the best CFG-steps combo or the new SDXL 1.0 model.

This helps me when I need to create graphics quickly. I’ll be able to plug in a “safe” CFG and sampling steps value.

Running X/Y plots take a long time, so hopefully my research can help others get things done more quickly.

Setting Up The Initial Broad Test For SDXL, Sampling Steps and CFG

Prompt: dslr photorealistic photo of a couple in a garden with flowers smiling during summer

Negative prompt: naked, nude, cleavage

• Sampler: DPM++ SDE Karras
• Seed: 3245738335
• Size: 823×1216
• Model hash: 31e35c80fc
• Version: v1.7.0

Images within the red border are what I consider the “safe zone”. As you can see, images beyond the red border have these issues:

• they stop looking realistic
• they look similar to images with lower CFG

Narrowing Down

Although image quality remained good and photorealistic beyond 31 steps, I didn’t do another plot because the images looked very similar.

So, I ran another X/Y plot. This time,

• CFG = 1 to 6
• Sampling Steps: 6-31 in increments of five.

I liked the combination of CFG 4 and Steps = 21. So I used that.

Here are some images that I created using these configs.

person walking at a beach with sunset behind
Negative prompt: naked, nude, cleavage
Steps: 21, Sampler: DPM++ SDE Karras, CFG scale: 4, Seed: 1751675822, Size: 1216×823, Model hash: 31e35c80fc, Version: v1.7.0

person at a beach looking at the sunset
Negative prompt: naked, nude, cleavage
Steps: 21, Sampler: DPM++ SDE Karras, CFG scale: 4, Seed: 2870723780, Size: 823×1216, Model hash: 31e35c80fc, Version: v1.7.0

cartoon illustration of a monster running after a person
Negative prompt: naked, nude, cleavage
Steps: 21, Sampler: DPM++ SDE Karras, CFG scale: 4, Seed: 2493599865, Size: 823×1216, Model hash: 31e35c80fc, Version: v1.7.0

many people dancing in the night club having fun smiling drinking
Negative prompt: naked, nude, cleavage
Steps: 21, Sampler: DPM++ SDE Karras, CFG scale: 4, Seed: 269466023, Size: 823×1216, Model hash: 31e35c80fc, Version: v1.7.0

space with a spaceship flying earth in the background
Negative prompt: naked, nude, cleavage
Steps: 21, Sampler: DPM++ SDE Karras, CFG scale: 4, Seed: 2456595872, Size: 823×1216, Model hash: 31e35c80fc, Version: v1.7.0

person at a beach looking at the sunset
Negative prompt: naked, nude, cleavage
Steps: 21, Sampler: DPM++ SDE Karras, CFG scale: 4, Seed: 2870723780, Size: 823×1216, Model hash: 31e35c80fc, Version: v1.7.0

If you’re looking to create photorealistic images, I’d suggest you go straight to using RealVisXL instead. SDXL can create photorealistic images, but sometimes, your prompts might create illustrations or graphics.