Reverse Image Searches
I've discussed where to find stock imagery, but there are times you'll already have an image and need to find the source in order to credit, license, purchase or find a higher resolution version. I am often given presentation files filled with photos pulled from the web and other random places. Generally I can't use imagery if I don't know where it came from and if I suspect it might not be legal to use. In instances like this, I turn to TinEye.com.
TinEye is my favorite of the reverse image search sites. It allows you to upload an image from your computer (if it is within a PPT file, right-click and save the image to your desktop first) or even to type in a URL if you've found an image on someone's blog, for example, and would like to find its origin.
TinEye doesn't always work, of course, but I would say I have success 80-90% of the time, which is pretty good.
Another type of reverse search is Google's "Similar Images" search. After a Google Image Search, many of the results will offer a "Similar" link that will serve to further refine your search if you're after something very specific. Unfortunately, Google does not currently allow you to upload your own imagery like TinEye.
If you have questions about legal usage of stock imagery, someone recently turned me on to stockphotorights.com that explains a lot.
What's That Font?
Another type of reverse searching I do all the time is a reverse font search. If you have a graphic with an interesting font you'd like to use yourself, head to WhatTheFont. Just like TinEye, you can upload an image or specify a URL. WhatTheFont will then quickly walk you through a manual identification of the various letters in the graphic and then return it's best guesses as to the typeface (in descending order of confidence) along with info on where to purchase the font. WhatTheFont isn't perfect and is more likely to return correct search results for more popular fonts. If it doesn't ID the exact font, it will still suggest something close which sometimes is just as good.
If you need more expert font help, you can head to typophile.com, a site by and for those that love typography. The site's members are often more than willing to help identify an obscure font for the mere challenge of it.
