Using the Color Sampler tool to measure color in Photoshop

The Eyedropper’s cousin, the Color Sampler tool, looks like an eyedropper with a small target next to the icon. It also shares the Eyedropper’s flyout menu. The moniker of “Sampler” is kind of misleading because this tool only measures the colors you click. Aside from merely obtaining the numeric value of a color, another use of the Color Sampler tool is to monitor changes to your image after you apply color-correction techniques and filters.

Follow these steps to use the Color Sampler tool:
1. Select the Color Sampler tool in the Tools palette and then click the color you want to measure.
Note the target icon that appears on your image. It is labeled as #1. Photoshop automatically opens the Info palette and shows you the numeric values for that color.

2. Repeat Step 1 up to three more times for a total of four targeted colors.
Target icons appear for your second, third, and fourth samples.

3. With the Color Sampler tool, drag the targets to sample new areas of your image if you want. Delete a target by Alt+clicking (Option+clicking) it.
You can actually measure a fifth color by just moving the Color Sampler cursor around the image. The numeric value displays in the upper portion of the Info palette.