Find Similar Images from One Reference Photo and Prepare Delivery
Use one reference image to search similar material, crop the target when needed, limit the search scope, review results, and add matches to a collection or export them for delivery.
Use one reference image to search similar material, crop the target when needed, limit the search scope, review results, and add matches to a collection or export them for delivery.
This workflow is for cases where you already have one reference image and need to find similar or source material in your local library.
1. Open Reverse Image Search
Open the image search dialog from the search workspace. The reference can be a local image, a screenshot, a clipboard image, or an indexed item.
Click Image at the top, upload or drag in the reference, select a strategy, scope, and result count, then start. Global is a useful first choice for overall similarity.
2. Make the Reference More Focused
If the reference contains unrelated content, try cropping and compare the results. For example, crop only the product from a poster, one person from a group photo, or a local pattern from a long image.
If the subject is clear but the background is distracting, try background removal. If you care about overall layout, mood, or background, keep the original image.
Click Crop, select the subject, and confirm to return to the search dialog.
3. Control Scope and Result Count
Search the whole database when you are unsure where the material is. Search within a folder or collection when you know the likely source. Increase result count if the reference is cropped, compressed, or not an exact original.
4. Review Matched Images
Open candidates in preview. Compare subject, composition, color, clarity, size, and file path. Similar does not always mean identical.
5. Save Candidates to a Collection
Add useful results to a collection so you can review them again, combine candidates from multiple searches, and export a clean shortlist later.
In the Results tab, open the search's Actions menu and choose Convert to New Collection or Add to Existing Collection. This acts on the whole history result, regardless of drawer selection. To keep only some candidates, use an explicitly selected-image collection action in the drawer. Confirm the name or destination. Collections do not copy or move the source files.
6. Export Delivery Results
Export images when the designer or client needs files. Export paths when teammates need to locate originals in the material library.
Open Export in the history result menu to export the whole result. Drawer selection does not limit this menu. Available choices include images, names, images with paths, renamed export, and a spreadsheet. The image drawer also has an Actions menu for the selected images or current group. Export copies output without moving originals or deleting database records; check the chosen output before delivery. Extracted images are not the whole source spreadsheet, PDF, or video. Names export creates CSV with optional full paths; Images with Paths adds a TXT per image; renamed export uses path components rather than sequential numbering; spreadsheet export creates XLSX.
Common Cases
- Results are too broad: narrow the folder or crop the reference image.
- Results are too few: increase result count or use a broader crop.
- You need the original high-resolution file: compare dimensions and file paths before exporting.
- Image search is unavailable: confirm the current database has the required image-search features and finish parsing first.
- Color is the priority: try the Global · Color strategy.
Crop Example
The forest reference was cropped to 720×480 and searched with Global across the sample library. Eight images were returned; the original and its backup ranked first at 96.86%. This example demonstrates this Global search, not Local Keypoints or background removal.