Photoshop eyedropper background problem
This entry has a really long name just for Google. This is a FAQ to fix a stupid issue that I was having with Photoshop CS’s eyedropper tool. The eyedropper tool is used to select colors on your image, normally it puts these selected colors in a box called the “foreground color” then you can use this color to paint and airbrush and fill whatever you want. Well, recently this tool has helpfully been selecting to the “background color” which does nothing unless you’re using the eraser tool (the background color is really useful in other ways but not in this case.)
I had no idea how I made the switch to the wrong color area and I had no idea how to fix it. I tried to search hoping to find a solution but most of what I found didn’t really help or wasn’t clear enough to make me realize that they could help (this is because there are two ways to fix the problem, one for newer versions of Photoshop and one for the old versions, but they are basically the same solution so my eye glazed over the helpful articles.)
I tried to reset my preferences in Photoshop which messed everything up and it fixed the issue for a bit. But when I started having this trouble again I was determined to figure out what the hell was causing it without screwing up my preferences. Here’s what I found presented here as an incredibly long image. I hope this helps people.
![Photoshop eyedropper tool trouble.Selecting the color to the background color rather than choosing the foreground color. This is an image. =]](http://www.ghostcircles.com/dxs/pic/07-Eyedopper-fix-cs.jpg "Photoshop eyedropper tool trouble.Selecting the color to the background color rather than choosing the foreground color. This is an image. =]")
Yay!
Seriously, thank you SO much. I was puzzled over this issue for the past several days.
This is SUCH a huge usability problem.
Thank you very much for this tutorial. It really solved my problem with eyedropper :-)
Marian
You have saved me! (and everyone within a 50 mile radius of me). Major, serious Kudos!!!!
Thankyou so much!
TY!!!
jesus, you just saved my life.
if you were here right now id buy you coffee, high five you, and then see if you wanted to make out.
you are the wind beneath my wings
Yup, thanks heaps. I was about to blow a vein there.
finally, thanks for this fix, youd think after 3+ years theyd just stick it in preferences
Wow… Thank you so much. I can not tell you how many times on different computers this has happened to me, and each time I want to kill myself or my machine. Thank you!
thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you
i almost commited suicide
THANK F***IN GOD!
Your really clear instructions worked.
I owe you a couple of drinks.
Thank you - teaching photoshop and one machine doing this causing havoc to the class!
Thanks!!! you save me alot of time!