Doing a Tool Switching the Easy Way

[Sepiana]

Sometimes, when you are working with the Brush tool, you may want to pick up a new color from your photo or project for the foreground color, i.e., a new color to be used by this tool.  This is usually done in four steps:

1. Leave the Brush tool.
2. Activate the Color Picker tool (Shortcut = I).
3. Pick a new color.
4. Reactivate the Brush tool.

Fortunately, there is a shortcut that enables you to simplify your workflow by just toggling these two tools.

Press the Alt key (Option key on a Mac) on your keyboard.

This will temporarily change the Brush tool into the Color Picker tool. To return to the Brush tool, . . . just release the Alt/Option key.

NOTE:  The Color Picker tool was named "Eyedropper" in earlier versions of Elements.

[Major Major]

Great tip.

[Sepiana]

Craig, thanks! Hope you can make good use of it!

[flora]

Very useful. Thanks. I had two colours in the background/foreground and could select either for my brush. Useful if you are working with two particular colours.

[Sepiana]

You are most welcome! Pleased you find this tip useful.