How to Use the Eyedropper Tool in Adobe Photoshop

The Eyedropper Tool in Adobe Photoshop is one of those features that seem simple, but punches well above its weight. It enables you to pick colours straight from an image, making it much easier to create cohesive colour schemes, or replicate a specific tone. For anybody who uses Photoshop and is after polished, professional looking work, this tool is fantastic.

Let’s take a closer look at the Eyedropper Tool and how it works. We’ll also check out some of the options it has.

What is the Eyedropper Tool?

At its core, the Eyedropper Tool is used to sample colours from any part of an image or document in Photoshop. Once a colour is sampled, it can be used for anything, including backgrounds, foregrounds, brush strokes, and more.

This tool is widely used by digital artists, graphic designers, and photo editors because it helps to ensure colour accuracy and consistency across projects. Plus, it’s really easy to use!

Using the Eyedropper Tool in Adobe Photoshop

1. From the Tools Panel, select the Eyedropper Tool
   Make sure that the Show Sampling Ring option is ticked in the Options Bar.
2. Move the Eyedropper Tool over your image.
   The sampling ring shows the current foreground colour and the colour you’re about to pick.
3. Click on the desired area to sample the colour.

As you move the tool across the image, you’ll notice the sampled colour updates in real-time, which makes it easy to experiment with different tones.

Eyedropper Tool Options

The Eyedropper Tool comes with several options located in the Options Bar.

These let you fine tune the way it works. These are:

Sample Size

Defines how the Eyedropper Tool collects colour data.

• Point Sample: Picks the exact colour of the pixel you click on.
• 3×3 Average: Samples an average colour from a 3×3 pixel square.
• 5×5 Average: Samples an average from a larger 5×5 pixel area.
• Larger averages, like 11×11 or 101×101, are great for smoothing out noisy or highly detailed images.

Sample Options

Controls which layers the tool uses when picking a colour.

• Current Layer: Samples only the active layer.
• Current Layer and Below: Samples from the active layer and those beneath it.
• All Layers: Samples from every visible layer.
• All Layers (No Adjustment): Ignores adjustment layers.
• Current & Below (No Adjustment): Includes the current layer and those beneath, skipping adjustment layers.

Sampling Ring

This shows a small ring around your cursor that displays the new sampled colour compared to the previous foreground colour. It’s always a good idea to enable this for a quick preview of how the sampled colour fits into your design.

Pro Tips

• Turn Off the Caps Lock: If your tool icon looks like a crosshair instead of the eyedropper, check if Caps Lock is on. This toggles the cursor appearance.
• Experiment with Sample Sizes: For detailed work, use the Point Sample. For a smoother colour average, try a larger sample size like 5×5 or 31×31.
• Combine it with Other Tools: Try using the Eyedropper Tool with brushes, gradients, or the paint bucket to instantly apply your sampled colours.

Conclusion

The Eyedropper Tool helps to ensure colour consistency in your work. Whether you’re designing a logo, editing photos, or painting a digital masterpiece, mastering this tool will save time and elevate your work. Take some time to explore its settings and options, and you’ll gain the confidence to tackle any project with ease and precision.