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Answered

How do you select color from outside of Illustrator?

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
September 6, 2016
8 replies
38399 views

Hey, does anyone know what happened to the color selector in Illustrator? In Photoshop, you can sample a color from anywhere outside of the app window by clicking and dragging with the eyedropper tool. I know you used to be able to do it in Illustrator too, but now it doesn't seem to be working. I tried googling the answer, but all I get are about a hundred people showing how to do it in 2012, 2013. Nothing newer than that, which leads me to believe that they much have changed something in a recent version of Ai. Not sure how to do it now. Basically, what I need to know is, How do you select color from outside of Illustrator these days? I have the most current version - Ai CC 2015.3 I believe.

Thanks much!

Ben

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Correct answer defaultkitty

You have to set permissions to allow Illustrator to record your screen, as that's what it needs to do to sample outside itself.

Not sure on PC, but on Mac, it's under System Preferences > Security & Privacy, and then under the Privacy tab, you can select which apps you'd like to allow to "record" the screen outside their app window.

D

defaultkittyCorrect answer

Participant

You have to set permissions to allow Illustrator to record your screen, as that's what it needs to do to sample outside itself.

Not sure on PC, but on Mac, it's under System Preferences > Security & Privacy, and then under the Privacy tab, you can select which apps you'd like to allow to "record" the screen outside their app window.

H

hmnewberry

Participant

Has anyone figured out how to do this on PC? I am unable to color sample from the web still and have tried everything.

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

Maybe this is already in the manty answers, but did you try to hold down the Shift key while using the Eyedropper?

Department4

Known Participant

Getting the same issue as original poster in AI 2021. Using eyedropper tool, I click within AI and then drag to an outisde window (image loaded in Safari) and despite hovering over a pink color, the eyedropper tool stays a dark grey. Frustrating.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Does Illustrator have the necessary privileges to record the screen in the system?

sabergfx

Participating Frequently

I had the same issue but I figured out the problem and here is my story:

1. I had two monitors connected to my desktop PC.

2. One of the monitors was connected to my High-end Graphic Card and the other was connected to the integrated graphic on the motherboard.

3. Whenever I grabbed the eye dropper and dragged it over the monitor which was connected to the GPU, everything worked fine.

4. As soon as I turned to the monitor with the integrated Graphic, I would only get black (sometimes white), no matter what I drag over.

5. So the solution is if you are on a multiple monitor setup, then keep to the monitor your Illustrator is open on.

I had no such issues in Photoshop though, and everything works fine there. In other words. this is an Illustrator problem only.

A

AdmiralGomez

Participant

To my knowledge, you can't use the eyedropper when you open the color picker. But you CAN simply select an object, then just press "i" and the eyedropper will appear. Click anywhere it and will populate the swatch on the toolbar with the color you selected and turn whatever object you selected that color.

N

neernitt

Participant

Same issue.

Windows 10 , adobe illustrator cc 2017. Any workaround ?

D

d0nut247

Inspiring

print screen button - hit paste - eye dropper, delete screen grab...?

N

nebo7Author

Known Participant

eh... unfortunately, I think this is the best way to do this - you're right. I wish it worked the other way. Bummer.

Thanks though!

Ben

barbara_a7746676

Community Expert

You can still do it in Illustrator CC 2015.

The trick is to select the Eyedropper tool, hold down on the Illustrator pasteboard, don't release your mouse, and drag the Eyedropper anywhere on your monitor. You will see the fill color swatch at the bottom of the Tools panel changing as you drag. When your Eyedropper is on top of the color you want, release your mouse.

barbara_a7746676

Community Expert

Just adding that you don't need any modifier keys, like Shift. Just hold down the Eyedropper and drag.

Ray Yorkshire

Participating Frequently

It's working exactly as Barbara described on my Mac. Select the eyedropper, hold the mouse button down on the artboard—don't release—drag over anything outside of AI and the color changes in the Fill or Stroke box, whichever is active. Release when you get the desired color loaded.

On my windows 7 its works too but

by selecting the eyedropper

then holding down the shift and left mouse

and with both still pressed - drag out of illustrator and release on the chosen colour

Just sampled Barbs nice brown hair here on my second monitor

N

nebo7Author

Known Participant

Also, not sure if this makes much of a difference, but I'm using a PC (unfortunately).

Jacob Bugge

Community Expert

nebo,

What happens if you ShiftClick?

N

nebo7Author

Known Participant

When I shift-click it, the selection turns black. Doesn't select any other colors. When running it slowly, It seems like it picks the colors of the palettes & frame as I exit Ai (black being the outermost color of the frame), but then nothing. Alt does nothing either.

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

What happens if you don't Shift-click, but just hold down the Shift key while dragging the Eyedropper tool with the mouse button down (or whatever you have as device)?

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