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Select Any Color from Outside of Photoshop Using the Eyedropper Tool

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Select Any Color from Outside of Photoshop Using the Eyedropper Tool Karen Schulz 01
By June 9, 2017 10 Comments

Select Any Color from Outside of Photoshop Using the Eyedropper Tool

Edited 04-26-2023

When working in Photoshop (both in the full Photoshop version and Photoshop Elements), color is an important factor in design. Photoshop offers a variety of tools to make the color selection process easy, and one of the most helpful is the Eyedropper Tool. You can use this tool to select a color on an active document within Photoshop or even a color outside of Photoshop.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to select any color from outside of Photoshop.

Here’s how:

  1. To begin you must have an open document in Photoshop. It can be a document you are working on or a blank document; it doesn’t matter. 
  2. Click on the Eyedropper Tool to select it.
  3. Move your cursor within the bounds of your Photoshop document. Press and hold the left mouse button. 
  4. Drag the Eyedropper onto the page from which you would like to copy a color.
  5. Once you have targeted the color you would like to copy and let go of your mouse.
  6. The selected color will appear as the new Foreground Color.

Hex Code:

Recording the Hex Code will allow you to access the exact color again if desired.

To get the Hex Code your chosen color, click on the Foreground Color to open the Color Picker. the Hex Code will appear at the bottom of the window. 

Select Any Color from Outside of Photoshop Using the Eyedropper Tool Karen Schulz 01

 

Save to the Swatches Panel:

You can also save the newly sampled color in your Swatches Panel for quick access.

Photoshop Elements:

  1. If you do not see your Swatches Panel open, go to Window >  Color Swatches.
  2. With your newly sampled color showing as your Foreground color, right-click inside the open Color Swatches Panel. 
  3. The Color Swatch Name pop-up will open. Give your swatch a new name and click OK.

Select Any Color from Outside of Photoshop Using the Eyedropper Tool Karen Schulz 02

Photoshop:

  1. If you do not see your Swatches Panel open, go to Window > Swatches.
  2. Click on the + icon located at the bottom of the Swatches panel.
  3. In the Color Swatch name pop-up, give your color a name and click OK.

And that’s how easy it is to select a color outside of Photoshop using the Eyedropper tool. 

If you have found this tutorial helpful, please share it.

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Karen Schulz Designs

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Comments (10)

  1. Sheryl Hardin

    Brilliant!

    June 10, 2017 at 9:26 am
  2. Peggy S

    I learned this once but it seemed more complicated. Thank you for your super simple method here! This is so helpful!

    June 10, 2017 at 12:31 pm
  3. hope3173

    That is really neat. Is there a way to save that color for later use?

    June 11, 2017 at 4:17 am
    • Karen

      Great Question! I’ll make that next week’s tutorial! Thanks!

      June 11, 2017 at 6:07 am
  4. lynncald

    thank you!!

    June 11, 2017 at 6:30 am
  5. Cathy L Vernon

    Awesome mini tut Karen! Thank you. I have tried a number of times to do this and couldn’t figure out how! 🙂

    June 16, 2017 at 12:29 pm
  6. Deb Case

    Wow! Great!

    June 18, 2017 at 1:13 pm
  7. prech

    Super simple and works like a charm. Thanks for the tip!

    April 26, 2023 at 11:40 am
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