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Dr. Jim Jeffers
Dr. Jim Jeffers
Participant
September 30, 2023
Question

Eye dropper tool in color picker freezes InDesign

  • September 30, 2023
  • 6 replies
  • 2000 views

I have found that if I use try to use the eye dropper feature in the color picker in InDesign that InDesign freezes. It is as if there is a dialog box is open but is not visible on screen. My only option has been to force quit. I have repeated this on multiple documents.

 

I just thought Adobe should know.

I'm working in the lastest Mac OS on an Intel 16" MacBook Pro.

 

    6 replies

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 23, 2025

    Aaron,

    Have you explored any of these resetting ideas?

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/reset-indesign-preferences-and-other-troubleshoo...

    Mike Witherell
    A
    aaron_6047
    Participant
    October 23, 2025

    I'm usually the first to try these fixes, but I just got this computer three weeks ago and haven't done anything to the settings. It started happening week 1 but the frequency increased ever since. I won't try to reset the program simply because it just seems like an intermittent issue. Sometimes the picker works just fine, other times it freezes. 

    My hope is to see if anyone resolved the issue and/or realized it was a user error so I can stop doing the same wrong thing.

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 23, 2025

    Are you running any third party plugins or start up scripts?

    A
    aaron_6047
    Participant
    October 22, 2025

    Just jumping on here to say I have the same issue as of October 22, 2025. Only solution is to force quit the app. Occasionally I have to force quit, open, force quit, and open to resolve the issue.
    MacBook Pro 16-in, Nov 2024, M4 on macOS Sequoia 15.7.1
    InDesign version 20.5 

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    October 23, 2025

    Hi @aaron_6047 , Just to clarify the eyedropper inside the Color Picker (which is not that intuitive) usage expects you to click, hold, and drag to sample color from anywhere on the screen, not just from the Color Picker. When you use the Color Picker’s eyedropper are you clicking, holding, dragging?

     

    A
    aaron_6047
    Participant
    October 23, 2025

    Yes! This specifically is what causes the app to stop responding

      M
      Marcus30397854yp20
      Participant
      February 27, 2024

      I have the same issue.

      Eye Dropper doesn't respond.

       

      And then I can't even close the Pop up Box. So I have to Force quit InDesign. Making it 100 percent unusable. Consistent issue. Also, sometimes the dialoge colour window, just dissapears, and I can't interact with the rest of the interface. Also then requiring a force quit. Can't quit normally because it then spits out the error message 'Cannot handle the request because a modal dialog or alert is active'. But I can't find it anywhere. So I force quit. this is easy to reproduce. Just attempt to use the eye dropper. 


      Running iMac with Sonoma 14.2.1 , with InDesign 2024: 19.2

      64gb of ram

       

      I've tried turning off GPU performance, but the issue remains. 

       

      I.e The eye dropper doesn't do anything, and the dialoge box freezes.

       

      Adobe! what gives? 

       

        E
        Community Expert
        Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        February 27, 2024

        I use it everyday without any issues on very similar specs

         

        No issues my side.

         

        I do have webroot installed and that causes havoc with InDesign.

         

        Maybe there's a thrid party app causing it to behave like this.

         

        Easiest way to determine is to start the os in safe mode and only open InDesign and see if it behaves normally.

         

        If it does then it's another app interacting.

         

        One thing I had to change too was a bunch of os preferences for Sonoma I was getting warnings about an app trying to use video recording when I tried to use the eyedropper first time.

         

        Have to say it took about a week of making changes to os and third party apps for things to work normally.

         

        It's not fun.

          J
          joehahi
          Known Participant
          November 8, 2023

          This is happening to me. Macos ID 2023. These programs get worse every release... Ready to switch platforms. Im over it.

          E
          Community Expert
          Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          November 8, 2023

          What specifically is your issue?

          J
          joehahi
          Known Participant
          October 10, 2024

          The same issue as mentioned in this thread by the author. Still happening in 2024 on Macos Seqouia with INDD 2024. 

          Barb Binder
          Community Expert
          Barb BinderCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          September 30, 2023

          Hi Jim:

           

          Which OS, exactly? Ventura or Sonoma?

           

          ~Barb

          ~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
          Mike Witherell
          Community Expert
          Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          September 30, 2023

          Have you explored any of these troubleshooting ideas?

          https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/reset-indesign-preferences-and-other-troubleshooting/m-p/14117965#M543651

          Mike Witherell
            L
            Lisa37909027nlmh
            Participant
            July 19, 2024

            I am experiencing this same issue. Color picker freezes cursor and does not work as shown in tutorials. Cursor changes to black filled arrow. Macbook Pro M3 chip.

              leo.r
              Community Expert
              leo.rCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              July 19, 2024
              quote

              I am experiencing this same issue. Color picker freezes cursor and does not work as shown in tutorials. Cursor changes to black filled arrow. Macbook Pro M3 chip.


              By @Lisa37909027nlmh

               

              -What's your version of macOS?

              -What's your version of InDesign?

              -Did you try the troubleshooting steps mentioned above?

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