Choosing Colors - Adobe 29180155 - Photoshop Elements 4.0 Tutorial

Choosing colors

Choose a color with the Eyedropper tool
Choose a color from the toolbox
Use the Color Swatches panel
Use the Adobe Color Picker
Choose a color with the Eyedropper tool
The Eyedropper tool makes it easy to copy a color without having to select a swatch. It copies, or samples, the color of an area in your photo to
set a new foreground or background color. You can sample from the active image, from another open image, or from your computer's desktop.
If you want the color always to be available, you can add the sampled color to the Color Swatches panel. You can also specify the size of the area
that the Eyedropper tool samples. For example, you can set the eyedropper to sample the average color values of a 5-by-5- or 3-by-3-pixel area
under the pointer.
Selecting a foreground color with the eyedropper.
A. Point sample B. 5 by 5 Average sample
1. Select the Eyedropper tool in the toolbox.
2. (Optional) To change the sample size of the eyedropper, choose an option from the Sample Size menu in the Tool Options
bar:
Point Sample to get the precise value of the pixel you click.
3 By 3 Average or 5 By 5 Average to get the average value of the specified number of pixels within the area you click.
3. In the Tool Options bar, select where the color picker tool must sample from. Choose from All Layers or Current Layer.
4. Do one of the following to choose a color:
To select a new foreground color from an image, click the desired color in your image. To select a color that appears
elsewhere on your computer screen, click inside your image and drag away from it.
To select a new background color from an image, Alt-click (Option-click in Mac OS) the color you want.
As you click and drag the Eyedropper tool, the foreground color box changes.
5. Release the mouse button to pick the new color.
Note: You can temporarily switch to the Eyedropper tool while using most painting tools, which allows you to change colors quickly without
selecting another tool. Simply hold down the Alt key (Option key in Mac OS). Once you've chosen your color, release the Alt key (Option key in
Mac OS).
Choose a color from the toolbox
Do one of the following:
To set the foreground and background boxes to black and white, click the Default Colors icon.
To switch the colors in the two boxes, click the Switch Colors icon.
To change the foreground color, click the topmost color box in the toolbox, and then choose a color from the Color Picker.
To change the background color, click the bottom color box in the toolbox, and then choose a color from the Color Picker.
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