The Stock Search Tab
FP AI Studio is not just an AI generation tool — it also includes a built-in Stock Search tab that connects you directly to Freepik's extensive photo library. This means you can search for real photographs, illustrations, and visual assets without ever leaving the app. Whether you need a reference image for AI video generation, a base photo for AI editing, or simply a high-quality stock image for a project, the Stock Search tab has you covered.
The interface is straightforward: a text search field at the top, a content type filter for photos, and results displayed in a clean 2-column grid layout. It is designed to help you find what you need quickly, preview it in detail, and download it for use — all within a few taps.
Searching Effectively
The search experience starts with typing a query into the search field. The app sends your query to Freepik's library and returns matching photo results. Here are some tips for getting the best results:
- Be specific with keywords. Instead of "nature," try "misty mountain forest at sunrise." Specific queries return more relevant results and save you time scrolling.
- Use descriptive adjectives. Words like "minimalist," "aerial," "close-up," or "vintage" help narrow results to a particular style.
- Think about composition. If you need a specific layout, include terms like "flat lay," "portrait orientation," "wide angle," or "centered subject."
- Combine subject and context. "Woman working on laptop in coffee shop" is far more effective than just "woman" or "laptop."
- Use the photo content type filter. This ensures your results are actual photographs rather than vector illustrations or other asset types, giving you cleaner and more relevant results.
The search queries are sent to Freepik's servers, so you benefit from their advanced indexing and categorization. Even simple one-word searches can return excellent results, but adding context always helps.
Browsing & Previewing Results
Search results appear in a 2-column grid with thumbnail previews. You can scroll through results and tap "Load More" at the bottom to paginate through additional pages of results. This keeps the initial load fast while giving you access to hundreds of images for any query.
When you find an image that looks promising, tap on it to open a full-size preview in a modal dialog. This preview shows the image at its full resolution, allowing you to examine details, check quality, and decide whether it meets your needs before downloading. The modal view is especially useful for evaluating sharpness, color accuracy, and composition at full scale.
If the image is not quite right, simply close the modal and continue browsing. The grid layout makes it easy to scan many options quickly, and the load more pagination ensures you never run out of options.
Downloading Images
Once you find the perfect image, downloading is simple. From the preview modal, tap the download button to save the image to your device as a JPG file. The downloaded image is ready to use in any project, whether you plan to edit it further in FP AI Studio or use it directly in a design, presentation, or social media post.
Downloaded images are saved to your device's storage, making them accessible from your gallery or file manager. This also means you can use them as input for the app's AI tools — a workflow we will explore in the next section.
Combining Stock Photos with AI Editing
The real power of having Stock Search inside FP AI Studio is the ability to use stock photos as starting material for AI editing. Here are some powerful workflows:
Upscale Stock Photos
Found a good stock photo but wish it were higher resolution? Use the Upscale tool to enhance it up to 4x resolution. This is especially useful for stock images that are slightly below your required size for print or large displays.
Relight Stock Photos
The Relight tool can transform the lighting of any stock photo. Take a daytime outdoor portrait and give it golden hour warmth, or add dramatic studio lighting to a flat product photo. This lets you customize stock images to match your project's mood without needing a photographer.
Style Transfer on Stock Photos
Use the Style Transfer tool to apply an artistic style to a stock photo. Provide a reference style image and optionally describe the desired effect. You can turn a standard stock landscape into a watercolor painting, an oil portrait, or a cyberpunk-themed visual.
Expand Stock Photos
Need a wider canvas? The Expand tool uses Flux Pro AI to extend the borders of any stock image. This is perfect when a stock photo has the right subject but the wrong aspect ratio for your project. Expand it to fill a banner, a widescreen background, or a social media cover.
When to Use Stock vs AI Generation
Both stock photos and AI-generated images have their strengths. Here is a quick guide for choosing:
- Use stock photos when you need photorealism and authenticity, such as images of real places, real people, or real products. Stock photos also tend to be more predictable and consistent.
- Use AI generation when you need a specific concept that does not exist as a photograph, when you want a particular artistic style, or when you need full creative control over every element in the image.
- Combine both for the best results. Search for a stock photo that is close to what you need, then use AI editing tools to customize it. This hybrid approach is often faster and produces more polished results than either method alone.
The Stock Search tab in FP AI Studio bridges the gap between traditional stock photography and AI creativity. By placing search, preview, download, and AI editing all in one app, it eliminates the friction of switching between platforms and lets you focus entirely on creating the perfect visual for your project.