How to Use the Eyedropper Tool in Photoshop

What the Eyedropper Tool Does

Press I for the Eyedropper Tool and click anywhere in the image: that color becomes your foreground color, shown in the toolbar swatch and in the Color panel (Window > Color). Grab the Brush Tool and you’re painting with the exact color you clicked.

Eyedropper Tool Sample Size: Don’t Use Point Sample

Point Sample makes the Eyedropper Tool read the single pixel under the cursor, and zoomed in you can see how much neighboring pixels vary, so one click can land on a highlight or a shadow instead of the color you meant. The 3 by 3, 5 by 5, and 11 by 11 Average options read the surrounding pixels and average them. Aaron keeps his set to 5 by 5 or 11 by 11; at normal editing zoom it still samples exactly where you click, just without the surprises.

Which Layers Get Sampled

The Sample menu chooses what the Eyedropper Tool reads: Current Layer, Current & Below, All Layers, or the same options with No Adjustments. All Layers samples what you actually see, including adjustment layers, so a Curves layer that darkens the image will darken the sample. The No Adjustments variants read the pixels underneath as if the adjustments weren’t there. The sample ring that appears while you click shows the new color on top and the previous color underneath.

Recolor an Object with the Brush

The Eyedropper Tool earns its keep in combination with other tools. Sample the color of a grape, press B, harden the brush a little, and paint over the odd grape on a new layer. Switch that layer’s blend mode to Hue and the paint only changes the color family, leaving saturation and brightness alone, so the grape takes on the new color while keeping its own shading. A few strokes and the whole bunch matches.

Eyedropper from Inside the Brush Tool

You rarely need to switch tools. While the Brush Tool is active, hold Alt (Option on Mac) and the cursor becomes an eyedropper; click to sample, release, and you’re back to painting with the new color. The same eyedropper is available from any color picker, so in the Character panel you can click the color swatch, sample a grape, and set a line of type in a color pulled straight from the photo.

Eyedropper Tool Quick Reference

• I selects the Eyedropper Tool; click to set the foreground color.
• Sample Size 5 by 5 or 11 by 11 Average for reliable picks.
• Sample: All Layers reads what you see; No Adjustments ignores adjustment layers.
• Alt / Option in the Brush Tool samples without switching tools.
• Hue blend mode recolors without changing brightness or saturation.