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ntkirby
Participant
July 22, 2025
Question

Color space with eye dropper vs typing hex code

  • July 22, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 143 views

Hello everyone!

Hopefully someone can help me out here in regards to color spaces, using the eye dropper, and hex codes...

So, here's the situation...

 

Right now, I'm using color space ACES - Raw, color picker and eye dropper are also set to ACES - Raw

I have this color palette at https://www.color-hex.com/color-palette/1061900

Let's say I pick the purple color, which on that palet is 7851A9..

if I use the eye dropper to pick the color, it appears brighter on the color picker, and even brighter when looking at it in the texture properties but has the correct hex code.  But, if I typed in the  hex code, it appears darker in the color picker, but appears correct in the texture properties..

if I switched to ACES - sRGB, same thing happens, except that if I type in the hex code this time, it appears correctly...  
I don't know if this is all buggy, or what...and I know this all sounds strange.

I'm curious as to WHAT I'm doing wrong, and what color space I should be using when creating textures....exporting appears just fine.

2 replies

N
ntkirbyAuthor
Participant
July 30, 2025

Hi, I stuck with ACES - sRGB and didn't have any problems since keeping it there.  I kept everything at default, and no issues.

davescm
Community Expert
davescmCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 30, 2025

The problem with Hex codes is that they are often seen as a universal code and when quoted they are too often not referenced to a colour space. In reality they are just RGB values, expressed in Base16 and, as such, they only refer to a particular colour when referenced to a colour space. That is usually, but not always, sRGB. That is why you see 'correct' colours when using those values in sRGB. To use in a different colour space then they would need to be converted and the result would be different values, but the same colour.

When you use a color picker outside of its own application it normally picks the values used in the monitor colour space - which again is not sRGB. That is why screenshots should be assigned the monitor profile then converted to sRGB before use.
Dave

    Cyril Dellenbach
    Community Manager
    Cyril DellenbachCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    July 23, 2025

    Hello @ntkirby,

     

    First of all, if you don't have specific needs, I advise you to keep the default Color space/management. The color management is dedicated to certain fields (product design/VFX/etc.) with complex needs and can quickly become counterproductive if you're not sure how to use it.

     

    Therefore, as long as you're using painter for a "computer" project (that will be seen on a screen), I advise you to keep using sRGB as a Color Space.

     

    That being said, I've reproduced your workflow, but wasn't able to reproduce the issue. Make sure that when using the color picker, you're also holding the "Shift" key, so you're picking the color from the Base Color channel and not the material.

     

    If the problem persists, could you make a video out of it?

     

    Keep me posted.

     

    Cyril Dellenbach (Micro) | QA Support Artist | Adobe
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