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8

Picker always samples for background colour...?

Community Beginner ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Hi,

Probably a simple fix

but I'm on someone else's computer

so some of the PS settings are different

than mine.

I try to use the colour picker to get colour

in the foreground box, but it always automatically

goes to the background box.

Can someone tell me how to fix this please?
CS4

thanks

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correct answers 2 Correct answers

Deleted User
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

In the color panel make the foreground swatch the active one by clicking on it.

Untitled-2.png

MTSTUNER

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Deleted User
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Unless you have a stuck alt key or something, then the color choosen by

the eyedropper (foreground/background) is determined by which swatch is

active in the color panel. The active swatch should have a black square around it.

If all else fails, resetting the photshop preferences might set things straight.

Hold down the Shift+Alt+Ctrl keys while starting photoshop until you get a dialog

asking to delete the photoshop settings file and click Yes.

MTSTUNER

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Adobe
Participant ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Hm, pushing the <Alt> key puts the colour to the background.

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Hello,

and in my case, holding ALT selects for the foreground colour!

It's backwards and it's irritating to work with...

Help?

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Participant ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Other comands work correctly?

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Now that you mention it, if I click my mouse button to zoom,

an Explorer page with PS Help pops up over and over.

Also really annoying!

Should I reset PS or the tools, you think?

If so, how?

Thanks

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Participant ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Reboot the computer! Either there is a Keyboard error (Keybord ALT is locked), or Photoshop thinks the ALT is locked. Clicking the swatches brings up the colour chooser!

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Rebooted, but still same issue with colour picker!

Ugh

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Guest
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Are you using the eyedropper tool and it sets the background color or

it sets the background color when click on the foreground swatch at the

bottom of the toolbox to bring up the color picker?

MTSTUNER

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

When I use the eye dropper to sample a colour, that colour then

sets the background colour.

If I use ALT, with dropper, it sets foreground... which is opposite

of what should be happening.

Quite strange.

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Guest
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Unless you have a stuck alt key or something, then the color choosen by

the eyedropper (foreground/background) is determined by which swatch is

active in the color panel. The active swatch should have a black square around it.

If all else fails, resetting the photshop preferences might set things straight.

Hold down the Shift+Alt+Ctrl keys while starting photoshop until you get a dialog

asking to delete the photoshop settings file and click Yes.

MTSTUNER

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Participant ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

Window->colour or F6: I can confirm this. Never used that feature to confuse me!   Pressing ALT inverses so selects the foreground.

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Community Beginner ,
Sep 25, 2022 Sep 25, 2022

Usually it does, but if your settings have some how been switched in the color panel, it'll do the opposite. I have no idea how on earth I switched them up, but until I fixed it, I had to press alt everytime to get it to go into the foreground color box. When I figured it out, it was a told face slap, geez, why didn't i figure this out earlier moment ^_^

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New Here ,
Mar 28, 2023 Mar 28, 2023

How'd u fix it?

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New Here ,
Aug 05, 2024 Aug 05, 2024
LATEST

color picker.jpg

You can barely see the outline around the box in the panel, but whatever is outlined with default for the picker.

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Community Beginner ,
May 09, 2023 May 09, 2023

True answer for OP's question

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Guest
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

In the color panel make the foreground swatch the active one by clicking on it.

Untitled-2.png

MTSTUNER

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 05, 2011 Jul 05, 2011

It is the active one, but no matter what, when i use the picker, the background colour changes.

ALT click changes foreground... but should be reversed.

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Explorer ,
Aug 06, 2019 Aug 06, 2019

Thank you MTSTUNER was so frustrating before.

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New Here ,
Aug 16, 2019 Aug 16, 2019

OMG... thank you, this was KILLING ME

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New Here ,
Nov 07, 2019 Nov 07, 2019

Thank you MTSTUNER! It saved my life!

 

____________________________________

my works

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New Here ,
Jan 23, 2020 Jan 23, 2020

ty mtstuner, that was it. much appreciated.

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New Here ,
May 03, 2020 May 03, 2020

Bless your soul

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New Here ,
Nov 07, 2021 Nov 07, 2021

AMAZING! 2021 here

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New Here ,
Apr 26, 2022 Apr 26, 2022

A decade later, this comment is still saving lives. Thanks!!

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New Here ,
Jun 09, 2023 Jun 09, 2023

life saver! that was so so frustrating. it must have happened with newer versions of PS where it selects the background color! fixed! thank you MTSTUNER!

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