How to Get and Use the Windows Color Picker

Great for graphics designers or media creators

Have you ever wanted to copy a color from your screen and use it for your projects? Whether designing a website, editing an image, or creating a presentation, you might need to find the exact shade of a color that catches your eye. But how do you do that without guessing or through trial and error?

That’s where the Windows Color Picker comes in handy. It’s a free utility tool from Microsoft that lets you pick any color from any application on your Windows 10 PC. You can then copy the color code in different formats and use it according to your needs.

We’ll show you how to install and use the Windows Color Picker on your Windows PC below.

What Is the Windows Color Picker and What Is it Used For?

The Windows Color Picker is a tool that lets you pick any color from your screen and copy its code in different formats. It’s useful for anyone who works with colors, such as designers, developers, artists, or educators.

The color picker works with any application on your Windows PC. You can use it to find out what colors are used in a logo, an image, or in the app you’re using. You can also use it to create custom themes, palettes, or gradients for your projects.

Once you’ve picked a color, you can copy the color code in different formats, such as HEX, RGB, HSL, or CMYK. Next, you can adjust the color value with sliders or enter values with your keyboard. Finally, you can save the colors you picked to a palette and export them as a text file.

How to Install the Windows Color Picker

The Windows Color Picker is part of thePowerToyssuite, a collection of useful tools for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users. You candownload PowerToys from Microsoft’s websiteorvia the Microsoft Storefor free.

After the installation is complete, launch thePowerToysapp from the Start menu.

In the PowerToys Settings window, pressColor Pickerin the menu on the left. On the right, ensure theEnable Color Pickerslider is switched toOn.

Once Windows Color Picker is enabled, you can start using it immediately.

How to Use the Windows Color Picker

Once you’ve enabled the color picker, you can use it anytime by pressing the keyboard shortcut (Windows key + Shift + C by default) on your keyboard.

Once you activate the shortcut, a small pop-up box will appear next to your mouse cursor. This box will display a preview of the color you are pointing to in the form of a square and its corresponding hexadecimal (hex) code.

You can point your mouse cursor at any on-screen item to find the color at that position. For instance, you could point it at an image you’ve opened or an application’s user interface element (such as a button or sidebar).

To see additional information about a color on-screen, simply hover over it and press the left mouse button. This action will prompt a window to appear, providing you with thehex color code,RGB(red, green, blue)value, andHSL(hue, saturation, lightness)valueof the selected color.

To copy one of these values as a text string to your clipboard, hover over it and select theCopyicon.

The color value you have chosen can be further customized within the color picker by clicking in the center of the large color bar at the top of the window. This action will take you to a new menu with values you can adjust with either your mouse or manually using your keyboard.

When you’re done, clickSelect. The color will be added to the menu on the left for you to use or export later.

If you need to remove a color from the palette on the side of the window, right-click the color square and selectRemove. To export the palette as a text file, right-click any color square and selectExportinstead.

If you choose toExport, you can selectGrouped by colororGrouped by format, depending on how you’d like the file to be exported.

How to Customize the Windows Color Picker

The Windows Color Picker also allows you to customize some of its settings and features. For example, you can change the behavior of the activation shortcut, the default format of the copied color, and the appearance of the editor window.

To customize the Windows Color Picker, openPowerToys Settingsand selectColor Pickerin the sidebar. You’ll see a list of options you can tweak according to your preferences.

Here are some of the settings that you can currently customize:

You can experiment with different settings and see what works best for you. Any changes you make aren’t permanent—you can repeat these steps to restore them afterward.

Using the Windows Color Picker

If you’re a graphics designer or media creator, using the Window Color Picker is a great way to quickly identify colors (and their representative color codes) in different formats and use them in future projects.

However, there are other tools you can use to help you pick out colors. For instance, you could use a color picker extension in Chrome to identify colors you like in Google Chrome (or Microsoft Edge. Also, try inverting colors in pictures to find striking colors for a more dramatic effect in your images.

Are you a graphics designer looking to make a professional document? Then, explore somefree tools to make amazing infographics.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

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