Find Reference Images by Color

Use color search when you remember a palette more clearly than a filename. In refern, a query such as color:#3a2b1e searches image color. It is different from label:blue, which finds a color label you assigned to an entry.

Start with a color you can name

Choose a hex color from the palette you are working with and enter it through the search controls or the color: operator. Inspect the results at a useful size. A match may contain the color in a large background area rather than in the subject you care about.

Do not assume a color search understands "blue coat" or "warm window light" from the hex value alone. Add subject notes or tags when you need to preserve that distinction.

Separate palette from value and light

Two images can share colors while using them differently. Compare the proportion of each color, the light-dark structure, and where the strongest accent appears. For a board, select examples that illustrate the specific relationship you want to explore.

For example, a muted-green landscape and a muted-green interior might both be useful for atmosphere. Only one may answer a question about reflected light on foliage. Write that question beside the selected reference.

Save a reusable selection

Apply a meaningful tag to the useful images or arrange them on a canvas. A label can represent a workflow status, such as "review," without pretending to describe the image's actual palette.

If results are missing, check search scope, content roots, and whether the images have been processed. Changing filters cannot recover a disconnected source file.

Use visual similarity to explore an overall look, or the palette organization guide to keep a reusable collection. Color search is a discovery aid, not a calibrated proof of how an image will reproduce on another display or in print.