Eyedropper not working correctly

[tracyp32215871]

Used to be able to eyedrop across multiple pages for colors and styles, yet this is no longer working correctly. Color selections just coming up black of not on the same spread. Stop breaking it please! please! please!

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

Hi Tracy:

It's unlikely the Eyedropper is broken but there are multiple reasons why it isn't working the way you want it to.

1. What version of InDesign are you using?
2. Double click on the Eyedropper and check what it is set to pick up.
3. Look for a frame on top of whatever object you are trying to sample from.

More information and screen shots will help us help you faster.

~Barb

[JonathanArias]

you can’t use paragraph and object styles? that is faster than using the eye drop tool

[Srishti Bali]

Hi Tracy,

I would like to know if the suggestions shared above worked for you, or the issue still persists. If it is still not working, you may also try resetting preferences for InDesign: Set preferences in Adobe InDesign

Please note: Resetting preferences will remove all the custom settings and Illustrator will launch with default settings. You can also take a backup of the folder in case you want to. Location is mentioned in the article.

Thanks,

Srishti

[Red Point]

I stopped using the eye dropper in Indesign for picking colors, as it never really works. In my eyes, it has been completly over-engineered. The whole point of a picker tool is simplicity. If you you need to go through a checklist of 20 items in InDesign (or other Adobe Apps) just to get the color picker to work, it is really pointless. What I do is create a screenshot in Windows, and then pick the color in Snagit, copy HEX code and enter it manually. That works realiably every time, and I don't need to check the forums every time just to pick a color in Adobe Apps. 

[Red Point]

... but entering a hex code in Indesign can also be a very challenging task: If you don't remove the # symbol, InDesign will not accept the color. Together with the eye dropper, picking a color in Indesign is very time consuming and can fill a whole afternoon (;

[c2x2c]

eyedropper on indesign is one of the most useless/bugged/ impossible to understand or use tools in all of adobe