Skip to main content
A
AliasMe
Inspiring
May 26, 2018
Answered

Color pick a color with alpha?

  • May 26, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 6950 views

Hi,

If I look at the color dialog(s) I cant seem to find a way to specify an alpha value for the colors.

Is there any way to add an alpha slider to the color picker? I just want the color to have an alpha value, not the layer itself!

Thanks for any help on this!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer rayek.elfin

You've hit one of those (legacy?) limitations or workflow decisions of Photoshop, unfortunately. In Photoshop a colour cannot have an inherent alpha or transparency (opacity) assigned to, because opacity and colour are completely separated.

For example, it is not possible to save a colour swatch with an opacity percentage. Or pick up a colour with its opacity/alpa component.

To work with opacity, you must resort to the opacity slider in the tool settings of the brush or pen tool. Or create a new layer, set the opacity lower, and then paint with your colour. Photoshop won't allow for coloured brushes either, so no luck there either for an alternative workaround.

To be fair, most other applications work this way: Gimp, Krita, etc. Not only Photoshop.

There is one exception to this rule, though: PhotoLine, which does combine the alpha channel in all its operations by default, and doesn't treat it separately. In PhotoLine a colour can be picked up WITH its alpha component, and a swatch can be saved including its alpha component as well, if required.

This is actually super-handy, and it is a real shame most other image editors won't allow for this workflow. I always miss it in Photoshop or Krita.

1 reply

rayek.elfin
rayek.elfinCorrect answer
Legend
May 26, 2018

You've hit one of those (legacy?) limitations or workflow decisions of Photoshop, unfortunately. In Photoshop a colour cannot have an inherent alpha or transparency (opacity) assigned to, because opacity and colour are completely separated.

For example, it is not possible to save a colour swatch with an opacity percentage. Or pick up a colour with its opacity/alpa component.

To work with opacity, you must resort to the opacity slider in the tool settings of the brush or pen tool. Or create a new layer, set the opacity lower, and then paint with your colour. Photoshop won't allow for coloured brushes either, so no luck there either for an alternative workaround.

To be fair, most other applications work this way: Gimp, Krita, etc. Not only Photoshop.

There is one exception to this rule, though: PhotoLine, which does combine the alpha channel in all its operations by default, and doesn't treat it separately. In PhotoLine a colour can be picked up WITH its alpha component, and a swatch can be saved including its alpha component as well, if required.

This is actually super-handy, and it is a real shame most other image editors won't allow for this workflow. I always miss it in Photoshop or Krita.

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices