iStockphoto's multi-faceted searching capability has long been a leader in the microstock industry. Now iStock is officially introducing improved image-search algorithms, which the company has dubbed Best Match 2.0, that learn from customer behavior to fine-tune search results and return more relevant content. (The improvements have been in beta on the site for a while.)

Many of the changes are invisible to the end user. However, one aspect that you can see and control is the Best Match Sort Slider, located in Advanced Search. Setting the Best Match Sort Slider to high causes the search engine to prioritize files with primary subject keywords. Setting it to low gives more prominence to other factors such as concepts and secondary subject matter in the image. A high slider position will find exactly what a designer is searching for whereas a low slider position will show a wider variety of files and is great for brainstorming.

The Vetta Collection
Vetta, Italian for "peak," (and reminiscent of the English "vetted") is a more expensive and more exclusive selection of images. Prices will range from $20 for small to $70 USD for XXXL. To begin with, Vetta contains 35,000 images and vector illustrations meeting the collection’s strict acceptance criteria. Visit iStockphoto.com/vetta or simply perform a search on the site and Vetta images will appear indicated by a gold camera icon.

Sample images from the Vetta Collection: