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1CreativeFlair
Participating Frequently
January 29, 2020
Answered

Is there a keyboard shortcut to pick the background color when using the brush tool?

  • January 29, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 2135 views

Some of my brushes dynamically use both the foreground and background colors. It is super quick to select the foreground color by alt clicking, but I haven't found a quick way to select the background also.  It would be great if we could shift-alt click for the background color. Is it possible to make a keyboard shortcut to select the background color in addition to the foreground color? 

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Correct answer c.pfaffenbichler

You could spring-load the Eyedropper Tool by pressing (and keeping pressed) I and then with alt pick up the background color. 

On releasing the I-key the Brush Tool should still be selected. 

1 reply

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
January 29, 2020

You could spring-load the Eyedropper Tool by pressing (and keeping pressed) I and then with alt pick up the background color. 

On releasing the I-key the Brush Tool should still be selected. 

1CreativeFlair
Participating Frequently
January 29, 2020

I would still love to be able to alt-shift click for the background (while in the brush tool). It is a tiny bit faster and less awkward, and every bit of efficiency adds up over time.    

c.pfaffenbichler
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 29, 2020

The modifier for the Eyedropper Tool to select the background color is alt and double-alt does not work out. 

Maybe you could change the single-key-shortcut for the Eyedropper Tool to a key closer to the alt-key? (A dubious work-around for a small improvement admittedly …) 

 

Some Photoshop keyboard shortcuts cannot be edited by users so far – which some people consider to be an annoyance, so maybe you want to add a comment and/or your vote to threads on the issue or post a specific Feature Request: 

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/azerty-keyboard-shortcut-for-backslash-show-and-hide-overlay-mask-make-it-assignable

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/alt-shortcuts