To use the eyedropper in Procreate, tap and hold anywhere on the canvas until the loupe appears, then drag to the desired color and lift your finger to select it. This lets you instantly pick and match colors from your canvas to maintain color consistency without interrupting your drawing flow.
How to use the eyedropper in Procreate
Procreate offers three primary methods to invoke the Eyedropper. The most direct is the tap-and-hold gesture: press and hold one finger on the canvas, and a loupe appears showing the new color on the top half and the current color on the bottom half. Drag the loupe to the color you want, then release to set that color as active. The Eyedropper can be accessed by tapping and holding on the canvas with one finger as a shortcut, without needing to select it from the toolbar. You can sample multiple colors simultaneously by long-pressing and dragging your finger on the canvas. Alternatively, tap the square Modify button on the sidebar to bring up the Eyedropper, or hold the Modify button and tap anywhere on the canvas to select a color. The Eyedropper tool can be used as a color picker by tapping and holding on the color picker circle next to the Eyedropper button to choose a color from the wheel or enter specific values. For Apple Pencil users, you can also invoke the Eyedropper through gesture controls. On iPads with a physical keyboard, you can use the 'I' key as a shortcut to activate the Eyedropper tool.
Customize your Eyedropper gesture
To tailor how you access the Eyedropper, navigate to Actions → Prefs → Gesture Controls → Eyedropper. Here you can choose your favorite method from three documented options: Modify Button, Apple Pencil double-tap, and Apple Pencil Squeeze. When using these gesture methods, the Eyedropper appears where you last marked the canvas; you then drag it to the desired location and lift to select the color.
Using the Eyedropper in Procreate Pocket
Procreate Pocket documents the same tap-and-hold Eyedropper gesture on the canvas. You can also access the Eyedropper from the top left of the Color panel for Disc, Classic, Harmony, and Value by tapping Active Color then Eyedropper. Additionally, tapping the Modify button in Pocket invokes a floating Eyedropper that stays visible until you drag it to the desired color. Note that Procreate works on iPhone and iPad, not Android; Procreate is documented as an iOS app, and there is no Android version supported.
Tips for precise color matching
For repeated use of a sampled color, lock it by tapping and holding the Eyedropper button in the toolbar. You can adjust the sample size of the Eyedropper by tapping and holding on the canvas with the tool activated, then choosing from different sizes in the menu. You can adjust the opacity and size of the sampled color by tapping and holding the Eyedropper button and using the sliders in the menu that appears. The Eyedropper samples across layers, so you can pick colors from any visible layer and apply them to another. Combine the Eyedropper with the Paintbrush tool to create strokes in the exact same sampled color, ensuring precise color matching. After sampling a color, you can experiment with different blend modes by tapping the blend mode icon in the toolbar. Procreate provides a color history palette where you can store and access recently sampled colors. If you make a mistake, use Procreate's undo and redo features to quickly revert or restore your actions. For more control over your workflow, explore Procreate tools, layers and file management to organize your canvas efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn on the Eyedropper via Gesture Controls?
Go to Actions → Prefs → Gesture Controls → Eyedropper and choose the gesture you want, such as Modify Button, Apple Pencil double-tap, or Apple Pencil Squeeze.
Where is the Modify button located?
The Modify button is the square button on the sidebar of the Procreate interface.
Does Procreate support Android?
What does the loupe display mean?
The loupe shows the new color you are sampling on the top half and your current active color on the bottom half, helping you compare them before selecting.
