Color drop on Procreate is the drag-and-drop gesture that flood-fills an area with your active color, not a separate tool. The Color Drop tool icon resembles a droplet and is located in the toolbar on the left side of the screen. The Color Drop tool works by sampling the color of the pixel you tap on, not averaging colors in the surrounding area. To use it, simply drag the Active Color circle from the top-right corner of your screen onto the area you want to fill and release your finger or Apple Pencil.
What is color drop on Procreate?
ColorDrop in Procreate is the action of dragging the Active Color into an area of your artwork and releasing it to flood-fill that area. It is not a button or menu item, it is a direct gesture that works the same way on both Procreate for iPad and Procreate Pocket. This gesture is essential for quickly blocking in colors during coloring, shading and rendering in Procreate, saving you from manually painting every section.
How to use ColorDrop to fill an area
- Drag the Active Color directly onto the area you want to fill. A preview of the fill will appear.
- Release your finger or Apple Pencil to commit the fill.
- To fine-tune the fill boundary before releasing, keep holding after the preview appears. A thin blue bar will show above the canvas, this is the ColorDrop Threshold indicator.
In Procreate Pocket, drag the Active Color into the artwork area you want to fill.
Fine-tuning your fill with ColorDrop threshold
While holding the Active Color on the canvas, a blue bar appears above your artwork. Drag left on this bar to fill less area (tighter edges) and drag right to fill more area (allowing the fill to bleed across edges). This adjustment is called the ColorDrop Threshold. Procreate remembers your last chosen threshold setting for the next time you use ColorDrop.
Advanced ColorDrop shortcuts and features
Apple Pencil hover shortcut
On Procreate for iPad, hover your Apple Pencil over the Active Color and double-tap the pencil. A colored dot detaches from the Active Color and hovers over the canvas, letting you tap precisely where you want to drop the color.
Continue Filling mode
After completing a ColorDrop, Procreate activates Continue Filling. This lets you keep tapping other areas to fill them with the same active color. To exit Continue Filling, tap the checkmark at the top of the screen or switch to another tool like Paint.
You can customize shortcuts for the Color Drop tool by going to Prefs > Gesture Controls in the app's settings.
Troubleshooting common ColorDrop issues
If ColorDrop fills too much or leaks outside the shape, adjust the ColorDrop Threshold by dragging left to tighten the fill. If the fill still bleeds, check that the outline of the area is fully closed with no gaps. Also verify that no layer is set to Reference in the layer settings, as this can cause unexpected fill behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a ColorDrop?
Yes, use the Undo button at the top of the screen or the two-finger tap gesture to revert the last ColorDrop action. If you make a mistake, you can shake your device to revert the changes.
Does ColorDrop work on Procreate Pocket and iPad?
Yes, the same drag-and-drop gesture works on both Procreate for iPad and Procreate Pocket. There is no official Android version documented.
What is the difference between ColorDrop and the Eyedropper tool?
ColorDrop fills an area with the active color, while the Eyedropper tool samples a color from the canvas to set it as the new active color. They are opposite actions: one applies color, the other picks it.
Does ColorDrop have a size or opacity slider?
No. The only documented adjustment for ColorDrop is the ColorDrop Threshold, which controls how much the fill bleeds across edges. There is no separate size or opacity setting for the fill gesture.
