Planet Photoshop

Change the default Eye-dropper sample setting

August 30, 2010 by Corey Barker Tip of the Day Leave a comment

The sample size of the Eyedropper tool (I), found in the Options Bar, controls the size of the area that’s evaluated when it provides color and tonal feedback, but it can also affect how certain selection tools work,e.g., the Magic Wand or the Color Range command. The default Sample Size value is Point Sample, which samples a single pixel; however, this isn’t ideal for photographs, where using 3 by 3 Average or 5 by 5 Average will give you better results.

Posted by Corey Barker

Corey is the newest education and curriculum developer for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. He is a graduate of the Ringling School of Art & Design in Sarasota, Fl, with a degree in Illustration. Over the years, Corey has worked as a graphic artist in a variety of disciplines such as illustration, commercial design, large format printing, motion graphics, web design and photography. His expertise in Photoshop and Illustrator have earned him numerous awards in illustration, graphic design and photography. Using Photoshop since Version 2, his expertise and creativity have evolved exponentially with every new version, which makes Corey an invaluable addition to the NAPP team.