To sample color in Procreate, tap and hold anywhere on your canvas to invoke the Eyedropper, drag to the exact hue you want, and release your finger to select it. This universal gesture works on both iPad and iPhone, letting you instantly pick up a color from your artwork or a reference image and paint with it immediately.
How to sample color in Procreate: The universal tap-and-hold gesture
The Eyedropper tool is the primary method for sampling color in Procreate on both iPad and iPhone. To use it, tap and hold your finger or stylus on the canvas. Once the Eyedropper appears, drag it to the precise area you want to sample. Release your finger to select that color, which becomes your active color for painting. This gesture works anywhere on the canvas, including over imported reference images or layers, making it essential for coloring, shading and rendering in Procreate.
Sample color on iPad with the Modify button
For a two-handed shortcut on iPad, hold the Modify button on the sidebar with one hand and tap the canvas with your other hand. This instantly invokes the Eyedropper without needing to tap and hold. Release the Modify button to select the sampled color. This method is especially useful when you are already painting with one hand and want to quickly grab a color without changing your grip.
Sample color on iPhone with Procreate Pocket
In Procreate Pocket, the Modify button invokes a floating Eyedropper. Tap the Modify button, then drag the floating Eyedropper to your target color. A loupe appears, showing the new color on its top half and your current color on the bottom half. Lifting your finger sets the new color. You can also access the Eyedropper from the Color panel: tap Active Color, then tap Eyedropper. This path is available for Disc, Classic, Harmony, and Value color models. In Procreate Pocket, the Eyedropper can also be accessed from the top left of the Color panel for Disc, Classic, Harmony, and Value by tapping Active Color > Eyedropper.
Save your sampled color as a swatch
After sampling a color, you can save it for later use. Tap an empty space in the default palette at the bottom of the Color Panel to store the current color as a new swatch. If no empty spaces remain, you can replace an existing swatch by pressing and holding it, then tapping Set. In Procreate, pressing and holding a swatch and then tapping Set is documented for changing a swatch. The default palette appears at the bottom of every tab in the Color Picker, making your saved colors always accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sample color from an imported image in Procreate?
Yes. Import a reference image onto a new layer, then use the Eyedropper (tap-and-hold or Modify button) to sample any color from that image. The sampled color becomes your active painting color.
Does the Eyedropper work on all layers at once?
By default, the Eyedropper samples from all visible layers combined.
Can I sample a color and fill an area at the same time?
Yes. In the Dropper & Fill mode, tap and hold the Eyedropper icon, then drag across the canvas. This samples a color and fills the tapped area simultaneously.
Is there a way to sample color from outside Procreate?
Procreate cannot sample colors from outside the app directly. However, you can import a screenshot or image into Procreate, then use the Eyedropper to sample from that imported content.
Does Procreate support color sampling on Android?
No. Procreate and Procreate Pocket are available only on iPad and iPhone.
