Earlier this year, you may recall that Google launched its search options, which allow users to have more customized control over their search results. It includes ways for users to browse results by videos, forums, reviews, etc.
It also includes sorting options, related searches and the “wonder wheel.” The search options appear on the left hand side of the screen when turned on, and in some ways is kind of similar to Bing’s “explore pane.” The biggest difference is that Google’s Search Options are not turned on by default. Because of this, I’m curious about how many people actually use them frequently.
In any case, Google has now made Search Options available for image search. Options include the ability to browse results by size, type (Face, Photo, Clip Art, Line Drawing), and Color. You can browse by full color, black and white, or by a specific color (via clickable palette).
It’s not that the ability to search with these options is new, but the presentation of them is. Although, size search has actually been revamped. “In addition to choosing from commonly searched-for sizes, now you can search for an exact image size or any image larger than a certain size,” explains Google. “You can find images of practically any size, including 70 megapixels or more.”
The company promised that Search Options would become available on more of its search properties. This is one example of that, and we should probably expect more. I would guess we’ll begin seeing more options come to Google News, Blog Search, Google Video, etc.