Eyedropper: not working as it should

[cmyck]

The Eyedropper tool in Illustrator CS5 doesn't work as it should.

It doesn't pick up the correct color from placed images or even PDFs.

I have tested this with the Color Settings set to North America Web/Internet across the whole suite (PS, IL, ID).

I tested it using RGB images.

Steps to reproduce:

1) Set the color settings in PhotoShop (PS) and Illustrator (IL) to "North America Web/Internet".

2) Create a new document in PS. Example: 100x100 pixels, fill it with 255,0,255 (RBG magenta). Save the document as PSD.

3) Create an new IL document. Adjust the color settings to the same settings as in step 1.

4) Draw a square. Fill it with 255,0,255 (magenta).

5) Place the psd file you created in step 1 and 2.

6) Select the eyedropper tool and sample color from the placed image and the square drawn in Illustrator.

Result:

The sample from the psd yields this color: 215, 71, 250

The square in Illustrator yields this color: 255, 0, 255

Funny: If you rasterize the image (using Object > Rasterize...), sampling from the rasterized image will yield the proper numbers.

Please try to reproduce this problem.

It could be that I'm wrong.

If I'm not wrong I'll submit a bug report.

Cheers,

Phil

ps. Wouldn't it be swell, if the color picker in IL would work the same way as PS's? In PS you can pick colors from the document from the color picker. Oh, right, it's a suite...

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

What was the document color space of the original document? Was it RGB?

I just did the same thing you said you did and I get a nd I get this.

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

Also did this with another color and get the correct color.

200,0,255

I would say you started out with a CMYK document which converted to RGB when you exported to Photoshop or you opened the New Document as a cmyk document.

[Guest]

On a slightly different line; I am new to Illustrator and shocked by the eyedropper's incompitence. I pick for my fill color and it instantly knocks my stroke out to transparent!! Is there a reason for this or is the most basic function on any graphics system on it's back?

[elDudereno]

DelBoy,

The eyedropper is picking everything it is set to pick. If you double click on the eyedropper tool it will bring up a dialogue that displays everything the eyedropper will effect.

[Guest]

Thanks, I'll give that a go tommorrow as I've just packed up for the day (UK Time). So with all those options there I can actually select a fill without losing my stroke color in the process... fingers crossed.

P.S. I moaned in a new post about picking colors whilst in the live bucket tool. Feel free 8o)

[mhds76789790]

thank you

[cmyck]

Wade_Zimmerman wrote:

What was the document color space of the original document? Was it RGB?

Yes, I started out with new documents. And they were set to RGB in the new document dialog.

I just did it again. Same result as in my first post. You are using CS5, right?

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

Yes, CS 5!

I would say something is afoul on your system, would you not say so as well?

[Monika Gause]

The color picker will work as expected with embedded pixel images.

You can't expect the color picker to work the same as in Photoshop when the image is just linked.

[cmyck]

Monika Gause wrote:

The color picker will work as expected with embedded pixel images.

You can't expect the color picker to work the same as in Photoshop when the image is just linked.

Yes, I can expect that. It would be intuitive.

Embedding images is just... yuck.

[cmyck]

Wade_Zimmerman wrote:

Yes, CS 5!

I would say something is afoul on your system, would you not say so as well?

You say it's working for you.

I wonder what could cause such a malfunction. I will try this with a new user.

Thanks for testing!

[CupertinoFruit]

I followed the exact steps mentioned by you with Illustrator CS5 & Photoshop CS5. The Eyedropper picks the same colors for both objects (one created in Illustrator, other place-linked/embedded from Photoshop).

Can't say why you are seeing the difference.

[misshelena]

I'm using, CS3 and I'm having the same problem, it's not working for me, but it use to work, I'm thinking, I must of changed a setting or something and didn't know it, like pressing the CAP Lock and no longer having the arrow. Anyways, I read this posting and it wasn't helpful at all, so I looked esle where, I still haven't fix the auto setting but, I found out if I just Hold down the Shift key while using the Eyedropper it will sample color from any image placed or open in Illustractor.

So there you go. Hope this helps someone that needs it.

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

misshelena wrote:

I'm using, CS3 and I'm having the same problem, it's not working for me, but it use to work, I'm thinking, I must of changed a setting or something and didn't know it, like pressing the CAP Lock and no longer having the arrow. Anyways, I read this posting and it wasn't helpful at all, so I looked esle where, I still haven't fix the auto setting but, I found out if I just Hold down the Shift key while using the Eyedropper it will sample color from any image placed or open in Illustractor.

So there you go. Hope this helps someone that needs it.

Because it is a different issue then the one expressed by the OP you simply weren't using the the eyedropper properly and here the user was having diffculty

obtaining consistent color readings.

Different issue would you not say? In case stated by the OP it is possible that the color settings in Photoshop were different than the color settings in AI for instance it could very well be that in Photoshop it was set to RGBs and in Illustrator to Adobe RGB 1998 then by linking the image the conversion is carried out to the best i can be by Illustrator since there are two rendering intents it would not be expected to obtain the same reading.

You on the other hand were simply not getting a reading because you did not hold down the shift key.

The reason this thread was not useful is that it was not addressing your issue and was not expected to be useful from the get go.

However if you did a better search you might have…and I write might have…fund other threads that do address the issue you write abut it has been covered many times in the past.

[cha-ras]

I had the same issue, was unable to pick any color from images placed in the illustrator. But once you embedded the image, just hold down the Shift Key while using the Eyedropper tool and you would be able to pick colors from an image. Hope this helps.

[nikkid81081045]

I had issues using the eyedropper tool too when I was trying to pull color from an embedded TIFF. Since the TIFF came with the imported layers, it was having difficulties pulling the color from the correct layer, even with doing everyone's suggestions above. I ended up selecting the entire layer group which composed the TIFF image, going to Object > Rasterize. This seemed to do the trick, and the eyedropper finally started to work.

Since this became a flat rasterized image similar to a JPEG, I have a feeling a standard JPEG might work. I might try to experiment again and try Rasterizing just the layer from the TIFF that I'm trying to pull color from and see if that works.

[AriesFaries]

It is due do all the mac & java updates no longer being compatible with cs5: having the same problem except stuck with the shade black: cs5 illustrator eyedropper tool only picking up black for pdf / screenshot images  I mentioned here in more detail with pictures. Lots of other people having same problem. *cs5 is the last software that allows one to debug manually with you bringing up some sort of coding panel but unfortunately this is way out of my field. Looks like adobe cs5 is becoming obsolete: apple sierra and java 8 and adobe cannot be bothered supporting cs5 as adobe wants everyone to upgrade to the cloud (but no one wants to spend that sort of money- i bought cs5 for money it should work!!) i can assure you eyedropper tool definitely use to work as used it heaps from my art projects!

[AriesFaries]

*You can export to photoshop but photoshop and illustrator are different in regards to vectors. If you export to photoshop you can no longer enlarge/decrease images without it becoming pixelly to such would be preferable not to if anyone has another solution?

[AriesFaries]

*Here is a list of things that don't work so don't waste your time on it as i have spent over a week trying to figure this out

-Deleting the illustrator preferences

-Changing eyedropper preferences

-Restarting illustrator/computer

-Clicking random tools such as the measurement tool to restart eyedropper tool

-Starting other adobe software in the hopes it would magically fix

-Running my antivirus

-Time machine All the adobe software would be locked, works same way with microsoft word, haven't done this personally as too much of a hassle with all the other software but in accordance to other sources not working

-clearing some disk space

-praying...(it was worth a try...)

-shutting other software that might conflict with illustrator: eg my wacom tablet software.

*The best thing to do is for everyone with this problem to complain! Problem is out of everyone's hands unlesss some who can debug software sees this!

[AriesFaries]

This bugs effects the eyedropper slightly differently when observing many cases: simply that is chooses a random colour and everything becomes that not matter what you click via eyedropper tool. *All cs5 software.... funny how photoshop is the only one that didn't get effected as it is the most used i suppose.

Adobe illustrator: other cases

Eyedropper: not working as it should

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/688987

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2214589

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2170382

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1198644

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1162359

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/938907

Adobe in design

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/428177

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1239333

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1164798

Adobe pro

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/668425

Adobe flash

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/949813

[Monika Gause]

AriesFaries schrieb:

*cs5 is the last software that allows one to debug manually with you bringing up some sort of coding panel but unfortunately this is way out of my field. Looks like adobe cs5 is becoming obsolete: apple sierra and java 8 and adobe cannot be bothered supporting cs5 as adobe wants everyone to upgrade to the cloud (but no one wants to spend that sort of money- i bought cs5 for money it should work!!) i can assure you eyedropper tool definitely use to work as used it heaps from my art projects!

The debug panel doesn't allow you to "debug" the software. It allows you to read some variables that are used by the software. The software does not need to be debugged. It runs perfectly well in older Mac OS. The eyedropper works as it should in Yosemite. I just tried it.

The problem is that you install each new Mac OS without asking if it is compatible with your software. And you do this because Apple gives it away fo free. If Apple were charging money for their OS, you wouldn't install it, because you could still use Mac OS 10.8 and be happy with it. But with a free OS nobody asks themselves if they *really* need it. And so Apple doesn't need to give a **** if their system is compatible. Nobody blames them if it isn't.

Illustrator CS5 is old technology. It's still 32 bit and doesn't make use of the new possibilities that systems like El Capitan or Sierry have to offer. Why do you install a new system if you want to run the ancient Illustrator version on it that can't even handle larger artworks? And slows down with lots of effects, transparency and all that stuff. It's been made for Mac OS 10.6.

[AriesFaries]

thanks Monika Gause, I've been trying to find a way to downgrade without locking out all of my applications, (time-machining back supposedly puts all the paid software into lockout mode~ office word, adobe etc). Any ideas? I didn't know upgrading would cause so many problems . My Mac kept giving me notifications to upgrade and was not aware of the upgrading consequences, I thought it might have done the opposite and speed things up on the software (I'm such a computer NOOB!). Pity I had to learn the hard way ??? I don't have the codes for my microsoft word so not very sure on how to time machine back without a series of problems

[mariam83356252]

Hi, I solved this issue by making sure that the image i wish to pick a colour from is rasturized before hand.

Select image / Go to Object / Rasterise image / and then try eyedropper tool. This should work. No more getting the black solid colour only.