A color picker (also color chooser or color tool) is a

graphical user interface A graphical user interface, or GUI, is a form of user interface that allows user (computing), users to human–computer interaction, interact with electronic devices through Graphics, graphical icon (computing), icons and visual indicators such ...

widget, usually found within

graphics software In computer graphics, graphics software refers to a program or collection of programs that enable a person to manipulate images or models visually on a computer. Computer graphics can be classified into two distinct categories: raster graphics ...

or online, used to select colors and, in some cases, to create

color scheme In color theory, a color scheme is a combination of 2 or more colors used in aesthetic or practical design. Aesthetic color schemes are used to create style and appeal. Colors that create a harmonious feeling when viewed together are often u ...

s (the color picker might be more sophisticated than the palette included with the program). Operating systems such as

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

macOS macOS, previously OS X and originally Mac OS X, is a Unix, Unix-based operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 2001. It is the current operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. With ...

have a system color picker, which can be used by third-party programs (e.g., Adobe Photoshop).

History

The concept of color pickers dates back to the early days of computer graphics and digital design. Early versions were rudimentary, often featuring basic color palettes and limited functionality. In the 1960s and 1970s, early color pickers were simple graphical interfaces designed to facilitate color selection for primitive computer graphics. During this period, computers had very limited capabilities, and color selection was often restricted to basic options such as black and white or a limited range of primary colors. These tools were used primarily in early computer graphics programs, where designers would manually select colors from a set palette or input numerical color values. The development of color pickers was closely tied to the advancement of display technology and the increasing use of computers for graphic design and digital art. As hardware capabilities improved in the 1980s, so did the sophistication of color pickers. With the advent of personal computers and graphical user interfaces (GUIs), software like MacPaint and DeluxePaint allowed users to select colors from a palette or through more interactive controls. These programs introduced the concept of RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values, giving users the ability to mix colors on-screen by adjusting each component of the color model. Although rudimentary by today's standards, these early tools laid the foundation for more advanced color selection methods that would emerge later.

Purpose

A color picker is used to select and adjust color values. In

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...

and

image editing Image editing encompasses the processes of altering images, whether they are Digital photography, digital photographs, traditional Photographic processing, photo-chemical photographs, or illustrations. Traditional analog image editing is known ...

, users typically choose colors via an interface with a visual representation of a color—organized with quasi-perceptually-relevant hue, saturation and

lightness Lightness is a visual perception of the luminance (L) of an object. It is often judged relative to a similarly lit object. In colorimetry and color appearance models, lightness is a prediction of how an illuminated color will appear to a stand ...

dimensions ( HSL) – instead of keying in

alphanumeric Alphanumericals or alphanumeric characters are any collection of number characters and letters in a certain language. Sometimes such characters may be mistaken one for the other. Merriam-Webster suggests that the term "alphanumeric" may often ...

text values. Because color appearance depends on comparison of neighboring colors (see

color vision Color vision, a feature of visual perception, is an ability to perceive differences between light composed of different frequencies independently of light intensity. Color perception is a part of the larger visual system and is mediated by a co ...

), many interfaces attempt to clarify the relationships between colors.

Interface

Color tools can vary in their interface. Some may use sliders, buttons, text boxes for color values, or direct manipulation. Often a two-dimensional square is used to create a range of color values (such as lightness and saturation) that can be clicked on or selected in some other manner. Drag and drop, color droppers, and various other forms of interfaces are commonly used as well. Usually, color values are also displayed numerically, so they can be precisely remembered and keyed-in later, such as three values of 0-255 representing red, green, and blue, respectively.

Eyedropper

The eyedropper is a tool present in most color pickers and

that allows a user to read a color at a specific point in an image, or position on a display. This enables the color to be transferred to other applications particularly quickly.

Working

A color picker has two main parts, first a color slider and second a color canvas. The color slider has a linear or radial

gradient In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar-valued differentiable function f of several variables is the vector field (or vector-valued function) \nabla f whose value at a point p gives the direction and the rate of fastest increase. The g ...

of the seven rainbow colors i.e. Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. It allows you to choose any of the seven primary colors. The color value chosen from the color slider instantly reflects in the color canvas. The color

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable Plain weave, plain-woven Cloth, fabric used for making sails, tents, Tent#Marquees and larger tents, marquees, backpacks, Shelter (building), shelters, as a Support (art), support for oil painting and for other ite ...

is a mixture of two linear color gradients. First a linear gradient of the current chosen color and second a linear gradient of the black color. This mixture of color gradients lets you choose a lighter and darker version of the current chosen color from the color slider.

Notes

References

External links

Various color formats
{{GUI widgets picker Color schemes Graphics software