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Choose colors in the Color and Swatches panels

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  1. Photoshop User Guide
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    25. Create brushes in Capture and use them in Photoshop
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  9. Image and color basics
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    7. Invalid JPEG Marker error | Opening images
    8. Viewing multiple images
    9. Customize color pickers and swatches
    10. High dynamic range images
    11. Match colors in your image
    12. Convert between color modes
    13. Color modes
    14. Erase parts of an image
    15. Blending modes
    16. Choose colors
    17. Customize indexed color tables
    18. Image information
    19. Distort filters are unavailable
    20. About color
    21. Color and monochrome adjustments using channels
    22. Choose colors in the Color and Swatches panels
    23. Sample
    24. Color mode or Image mode
    25. Color cast
    26. Add a conditional mode change to an action
    27. Add swatches from HTML CSS and SVG
    28. Bit depth and preferences
  10. Layers
    1. Layer basics
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    1. Select and Mask workspace
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    4. Select with the marquee tools
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    3. Healing brush examples
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  13. Adobe Camera Raw
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    13. Repair images with the Enhanced Spot Removal tool in Camera Raw
    14. Rotate, crop, and adjust images
    15. Adjust color rendering in Camera Raw
    16. Feature summary | Adobe Camera Raw | 2018 releases
    17. New features summary
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    19. Make local adjustments in Camera Raw
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    5. Basic troubleshooting steps to fix most issues
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  17. Text
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    12. Text Engine error using Type tool in Photoshop | Windows 8
    13. World-Ready composer for Asian Scripts
    14. How to add and edit the text in Photoshop
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  19. Filters and effects
    1. Use the Liquify filter
    2. Use the Blur Gallery
    3. Filter basics
    4. Filter effects reference
    5. Add Lighting Effects
    6. Use the Adaptive Wide Angle filter
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  20. Saving and exporting
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    10. Troubleshoot printing problems | Photoshop
  22. Automation
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  23. Color Management
    1. Understanding color management
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    5. Color-managing documents for online viewing
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  24. Content authenticity
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    1. Photoshop 3D | Common questions around discontinued 3D features
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    14. Count objects in an image
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    18. 3D panel settings

Learn how to use the Color and Swatches panels, and edit foreground and background colors.

Color panel overview

The Color panel (Window > Color) displays the color values for the current foreground and background colors. Using the sliders in the Color panel, you can edit the foreground and background colors using different color models. You can also choose a foreground or background color from the spectrum of colors displayed in the color ramp at the bottom of the panel.

The Color panel may display the following alerts when you select a color:

  • An exclamation mark inside a triangle  appears above the left corner of the color ramp when you choose a color that cannot be printed using CMYK inks.

  • A square  appears above the left corner of the color ramp when you choose a color that is not web-safe.

Photoshop Color panel
Color panel

A. Foreground color B. Background color C. Slider D. Color ramp 

Change the color model of the Color panel sliders

To change the color model of the color panel sliders, choose the Sliders option from the Color panel menu.

Change the spectrum displayed in the Color panel

Choose an option from the Color panel menu — RGB Spectrum, CMYK Spectrum, or Grayscale Ramp, to display the spectrum of the specified color model. To change the spectrum displayed in the Color panel, you can select:

  • Current Colors: To display the spectrum of colors between the current foreground color and the current background color.
  • Make Ramp Web Safe: To display only web‑safe colors.

To change the spectrum of the color ramp quickly, shift-click the color ramp until you see the spectrum you want.

Select a color in the Color panel

  1. In the Color panel, click the foreground or background color box to make it active (outlined in black). When the background color box is active in the Color panel, the Eyedropper tool changes the background color by default.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Drag the color sliders. By default, the slider colors change as you drag. To turn off this feature, navigate to Preferences > General and deselect Dynamic Color Sliders.

    • Enter values next to the color sliders.

    • Click the color selection box, choose a color using the Color Picker, and click OK.

    • Position the pointer over the color ramp (the pointer becomes the eyedropper), and click to sample a color. Alt-click to apply the sample to the non-active color selection box.

Select a color in the Swatches panel

Updated in Photoshop 21.0 (November 2019 release)

How to use new Presets in Photoshop

Learn all about applying Photoshop’s new and improved Presets panels. Julieanne Kost explores everything from swatches to patterns, from gradients to styles and shapes.

Julieanne Kost

The Swatches panel (Window > Swatches) stores colors that you use often and display a default set of swatches that you can work with. You can add or delete colors from the panel or display different libraries of colors for different projects.

Apply swatches to layers

To apply a color swatch to text layers or shape layers, do any of the following:

  • Select one or more layers in the Layers panel and then click any of the swatches in the Swatches panel to apply it.
  • Drag a swatch from the Swatches panel onto the layer's content on the canvas area.
  • Drag a swatch from the Swatches panel onto a layer in the Layers panel.  

To apply a color swatch to pixel layers, drag a swatch from the Swatches panel on a pixel layer in the Layers panel. Photoshop automatically creates a fill layer on top of the pixel layer.

Apply swatches to layers

Organize swatches into groups

To organize swatches under a new group:
  1. In the Swatches panel, click the Create New Group icon. 
  2. Specify a group name and click OK. 
  3. Drag a swatch or use the Shift key to select multiple swatches to drag them inside the Group.

To create nested groups:

  1. Select a group in the Swatches panel.
  2. Drag the selected group and place it under another group.  
Create a new group in the Swatches panel

Show legacy swatches

To show legacy swatches, open the Swatches panel menu and select Legacy Swatches.

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