Searching for the perfect stock image can be maddening, especially when a search results in 10,000+ matches. How do you find the image you need without wasting hours sorting through options? One way to speed things up is with Adobe Stock's visual search. Visual search enables you to conduct searches based on a selected image instead of a text entry. 

Like most stock services, Adobe Stock allows you to use keywords to search for images. Though entering the words snow white might return images of snowy mountains, when what you really want is the fairytale character. This is where Adobe Stock’s visual search function is particularly useful. Finding images using images means there’s no need to translate visuals into verbiage.

Say, for example, you see an image in an auto ad and decide that something similar would make the perfect background for your new beverage campaign. Drag a PNG or JPEG of the sample image into our search field. Using machine learning, Adobe Stock will display the results in your browser window—showing images with color, tone, and composition similar to the initial ad. Even if your sample is low resolution, Adobe Stock will find and display high-resolution matches.

Using visual search, what if your results are still broad? Simply add a few keywords to refine your search. Boolean Operators, which establish relationships between search terms, let you combine words for even more-precise output. For example, searching wine and cheese in Adobe Stock results in 40,312 assets featuring both wine and cheese. Entering wine or cheese results in 1,464,071 assets with either wine or cheese. Entering wine not cheese results in 640,259 assets that display wine without cheese.

Any of these searches would take quite a long time to review. By putting quotes around your keywords, Adobe Stock returns results containing that exact phrase, in that exact order. Entering “red wine” and “blue cheese” yields 393 images, which is much more manageable! Keep in mind that your results may vary, as Adobe Stock adds over 45,000 fresh assets each day.

To learn more about how to make your stock searches efficient while taking advantage of the millions of assets that comprise the Adobe Stock marketplace, visit: helpx.adobe.com/stock/how-to/visual-reverse-image-search.html.