How to Pick a Color from an Image in Paint.NET

Extracting an exact color from an image in Paint.NET is a straightforward process using the built-in Color Picker tool, often referred to as an eyedropper. This guide walks you through selecting the tool, sampling primary and secondary colors directly from your canvas, and adjusting sampling settings to ensure you capture the exact shade you need for your project.

Step 1: Open Your Image

Launch Paint.NET and open the image you want to sample by clicking File > Open, or by dragging and dropping the file directly into the workspace.

Step 2: Select the Color Picker Tool

Locate the Tools palette (usually on the left side of the screen). Click on the Color Picker icon, which looks like an eyedropper. Alternatively, press the shortcut key K on your keyboard to instantly activate the tool.

Step 3: Choose Your Target Color

Hover your cursor over the exact pixel or area of the image containing the color you want to extract:

• To set the Primary Color: Left-click on the desired color.
• To set the Secondary Color: Right-click on the desired color.

Once clicked, the sampled color will immediately appear in the Colors palette as your active primary or secondary color, ready to be used with brushes, shapes, or fill tools.

Step 4: Configure Color Picker Settings (Optional)

On the toolbar at the top of the window, you can refine how the tool samples colors:

• Sampling Size: By default, the tool samples a single pixel (1x1). You can change this dropdown to larger averages, such as 3x3 or 5x5, which is helpful for noisy or textured images where individual pixels vary drastically.
• Sampling Basis: Choose between Layer (samples only the currently active layer) or Image (samples the composite color visible across all visible layers combined).
• Color Picker Behavior: You can set the tool to switch automatically to the previous tool after picking a color, saving you time if you only need a single sample while painting.