Search tips

Topics

1. Full text search 2. Similarity Search 3. No search results?

1. Full text search

The FOTOFINDER search is an exact search.

The search is not case sensitive!

In most cases you can find the pictures you are looking for by using simple search terms.

back

1.1 Refine your search

AND search
You can combine search terms by using: space, + or AND.

e.g: sun ocean, sun + ocean or sun AND ocean
With these searches you find all the pictures which contain the keywords sun and ocean. Please put a space between the keywords and the combine sign.

NOT search
You can exclude search terms by using: - or NOT.

e.g.: sun - ocean or sun NOT ocean
EWith these searches you find all the pictures which contain the keyword sun but not the keyword ocean. Please put a space between the keywords and the exclude sign.

Phrase search
You can search for a phrase by using quotes: "phrase".

e.g.: "the white house"
With this search you find all the pictures which contain the phrase "the white house". Please do not put a space before and after the quote.

OR search
You can search for different terms by using / or OR.

e.g.: bike / motorcycle or bike OR motorcycle
With these searches you find all the pictures which contain the keyword bike or the keyword motorcycle.

Word stem search
You can search for word stem by using (*).

e.g.: child*
With this search you find all the pictures which contain the keywords child or childish or childhood etc... The word stem search is only possible with the (*) at the end of the stem.

Logical functions combination search
You can combine the different logical functions.

e.g.: woman danc* -old
With this search you find all the picture which contain the keywords woman and dance, dancing, danced etc... but not the keyword old.

e.g.: (bik* / skates) teenager -mountain
With this search you find all the picture which contain the keywords bik and all the others which stem from it or the keyword skates and contain the keyword teenager but not the keyword mountain.

e.g.: (bike / skate) (teenager / elderly)
With this search you find all the picture which contain the keywords bike or skate and teenager or elderly.

Filename or image ID search
You can search a pictures with its filename (with .jpg at the end) or its image ID (16- digit FOTOFINDER code).

back

1.2. Extended search options

In addition to the logical search options other search options and search filters are available to refine your research. When you start your first search on the FOTOFINDER homepage, the search options context menu appears as soon as you click on the search field. This context menu also appears in the left side of the display within a search result. You can keep it open or close it/open it again by clicking on the white arrow at the top right of the menu.

"Agencies" search filter
You have your own favourite suppliers and want to search only within these providers?

In the search options menu please select the filter "Agencies". By clicking on the arrow you can choose your own suppliers selection or create a new one by selecting "Create and edit".

Time period search
Searching by time period will display all the pictures which were taken during that time period. Click on the right arrow of the main navigation bar and use the calendar to select the time period. You have enter the dates by yourself if you look for pictures which were taken before 1th january 2000. Please use the following format to enter the date: DD/MM/YYYY or DD.MM.YYYY.

"From until search"
Searching with the from until search will display all the pictures which were taken during that time period. You can use specific (DD.MM.YYYY) or unspecific dates (MM.YYYY or only YYYY).

"Until search"
Searching with until search (you just enter the end date) will display all the pictures which were taken until that date.

"From search"
Searching with from search (you just enter the start date) will display all the pictures which were taken from that date.

"My Price" search filter
With "My Price" you can restrain your search as follows:

Filter is on ("ticked") - the image supplier has agreed to your pricing, you are able to download images directly.
You will find images from suppliers only who have agreed to your pricing (in-house pricing or individual agreement).

Filter is off - You will find all images that are available in your territory.
Send a usage request form or contact us to negotiate a pricing scheme with our suppliers.

You can combine this search option with any of the other search options (Rights-Managed or Royalty-Free, model release, time range).

If you would like to use this filter as your default search setting, please select "agreed by supplier" from the section "Search options" of "My account".

License type (RM or RF) and Model Released (MR) search
The default search covers searches of images with RM (Rights Managed) and RF (Royalty Free) license. The both search filters are ticked in the context menu of the search options. You can deselect one of the search filters to search only for RM or RF.

You can restrict your search to images with Model Released (the images are MR-tagged by the providers) by activating the "Model Released" search filter.

back

1.3 Display of the search result

Ordered by
FOTOFINDER Setting: is the default setting of FOTOFINDER which presents a wide range of agencies and photographers on one page of your search result
Date taken: ordered by the date the pictures were taken, starting with the most recent
Date uploaded: ordered by the date of upload, starting with the most recent
Random: randomized display

Images per page
You can change the number of pictures whiche are displayed on one page.

Sort by agency
You can narrow your search result down to a particular provider. The number in brackets shows how many pictures from the provider match your search.

Search History
This function displays your last 20 search requests.

Image preview
Move your mouse over an image to see a bigger preview. You can turn on or off this function in the display navigation bar.

You can save your search and display settings under the "Search Options" section of "My Account".

back

2. Similarity Search

Discover the Similarity Search

You struggle for words to find the picture? You can't describe with words the picture you are looking for? Or you don't find enough information in the caption?

So as to help you with the picture research we are now proud to present you our new tool: the Similarity Search. This tool analyses formal criteria such as the composition of the picture, the forms and the coloring and searches similar pictures in the whole FOTOFINDER stock.

You can start a Similarity Search with the upload of one picture oder directly from a search result.

back

2.1 Upload function

Upload one picture

You already have an example of the picture you need? You just need to upload this picture from the home page and our tool will show you all the similar pictures you can find in our system. The similarity Search tool browses within our whole stock and search similar pictures to the uploaded picture. This picture has to be a digital one. Every format is supported. In the same way you can find out if a downloaded image in the pase is on our website: you just need to upload it.

back

2.2 Similarity Search from a search result

Enter a keyword and select one picture from the search result

Start as usual an image research by entering search term(s) in the search field and select the appropriate image. Click on the icon under the thumbnail to open the context menu of the Similarity Search ("SIMilarity Search Box") and select the search option to be used:

"Visual search" With this option you search only for visual similar images. No search term is used for this search. "+ Keyword" With this option you combine a SIMilarity Search with a keyword search. You will find all the images which are similar to the primary one and which contain the keyword (i.e.: dog).

Start the SIMilarity Search by clicking on the loupe icon LOUPE.

back

3. No search results?

To as to ensure the best search results, we recommend to:

check the spelling;
- reduce the number of search terms, if necessary;
- separate multiple entries with a space between each word;
- separate composed terms into single words, e.g. "moneybox" into "money" and "box".;

back