P: Unable to select a color swatch in the color picker when text is highlighted

[Kris Hunt]

If a text LAYER is selected and you enter the color picker, you are able to select a text color from the Swatches panel. But if some text is HIGHLIGHTED and you enter the color picker, you are unable to select a text color from the Swatches panel; the computer just beeps at you. There's no reason this shouldn't work. It used to work in previous versions of Photoshop.

I am aware that, if you have some text highlighted, you can change the color of the text by clicking on a color swatch without entering the color picker. This is nice, but it should not be the only way to change the color of selected text.

[Jeff Arola]

Yes i see that on both mac and windows with photoshop 23.3.1.

It does work in Photoshop cs6 .

[CoryShubert]

Hi @Kris Hunt,

Curious what happens if you sample the color picker by holding the OPT key, holding down while mousing from canvas to panel?

Thank you,

[Kris Hunt]

The Cancel button changes to the Reset button when the Option key is held down in the color picker.

[CoryShubert]

@Kris Hunt,

It seems this is as designed per the team. If you think this behavior should be changed, please create a post in Ideas where others can vote on the suggestion.

Thank you,

[Kris Hunt]

So they went out of their way to disable what once worked? Did they say why?

[CoryShubert]

I'm sorry @Kris Hunt , I would not have that information. As I said before, if this is a feature that you would like added back in, please create another post for this in the Ideas thread.

Thank you,

[Kris Hunt]

So an Adobe rep contends that the Photoshop developers made a conscious decision to remove the ability to assign a color swatch to highlighted text from the color picker, and rather than admit that it's a bug, suggests I add it as an "idea" to improve the app. So here's an idea: what if you unbroke the ability to assign a color swatch to highlighted text from the color picker? I think that would be a fantastic addition to Photoshop.

[melissapiccone]

You can use the keyboard shorcut opt + delete or alt + backspace to quickly change it to the foreground color. 

[J453]

Hi Kris, Sorry, I've confirmed the behavior changed between 2019 and 2020 releases. I've asked engineering to take a look. 

[-:Nick:-]

请看视频。Photoshop 2019及以前版本的拾色器可以为选择的文字拾取颜色，而Photoshop 2020及以后的版本拾色器无法为选择的文字拾取颜色，这个bug在Windows和Mac版本中都有，请修复一下。

Please watch the video. The color picker of Photoshop 2019 and earlier versions can pick up colors for the selected text, but the color picker of Photoshop 2020 and later versions cannot pick up colors for the selected text. This bug exists in both Windows and Mac versions, please fix it.

[-:Nick:-]

Please fix this problem as soon as possible...

[DaveMez]

I just spent 20 minutes trying to find out why my Photoshop was not working correctly than found this thread. I used to be able to pick a text layer, then apply a swatch from library or other swatch pallette now I cannot change a text color by selecting multiple layers of text and picking a swatch??? Adobe is falling down, bigtime.

[DaveMez]

Am I wrong, or has this taken over a year to fix what was a feature before.. and still not resolved?  

[Kris Hunt]

You are not wrong.

[DaveMez]

What's the Adobe alternative... I'm ready. These folks need some help, they gave up listening.

[Jeff Arola]

Have you checked the just released 24.5 (photoshop 2023  ps ver 24.5) update?

[DaveMez]

figures. new update fixes for me.  Looks like someone is listening, good.

[Kris Hunt]

Hmm. There's nothing in my Creative Cloud app that indicates there's a Photoshop update. All Creative Cloud does is activate unwanted fonts all day long.

[Homestar9]

This issue still persists in Photoshop 25.0 on Windows.

[J E L]

Hi @Homestar9, I'm using Photoshop 25.0 Release with Windows 10. I made a recording to show how colors apply with both the Type Tool and the Eyedropper Tool. Watch the toolbar panel on the far left of the screen and observe the behaviour of the foreground and background swatches when using the Type Tool. With the Eyedropper Tool, even after selecting only one letter in a text layer, all the characters and words will change to the swatch color selected. I'm not sure what is expected that isn't working for you. Can you explain more?

Apologies, we can't upload video files to posts in the Bugs category. Link to video on Dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9fqo2vog4wh9sgj0wm735/ColorTextTestPhotoshop.mp4?rlkey=byzofi8upnbjp1...

[Kris Hunt]

Maybe read the original post? It's not fixed on Mac v25.0.0, either.

[Homestar9]

@J E L, thanks for offering the workaround.  However, as OP described, the bug exists when text is selected, and you are using the color picker.  You cannot select colors from the swatches panel.  This feature used to work in older versions but is currently broken.

[J E L]

Okay, I see. But when I used the Eyedropper Tool (is that what you call the “color picker”?), I can select a color from the Swatches panel. I don't hear any beeping. I guess I'm not understanding this bug, or it's only affecting macOS users. Sorry to not be more helpful.

[Kris Hunt]

It's the thing labelled "Color Picker".

[J E L]

Ah, do you mean and instantly apply a color? I've never colored text that way. Now I want it, too, lol.