Picking the perfect hues for your design projects, on or offline, can be a tricky business. Using the swatches palette in Photoshop you can grab a full color palette from any photograph or image and save the swatches. Here’s how it works.
1. Open your image in Photoshop. It’s always a good idea to work on duplicates of your original files, just in case of accidents. To make a copy choose Image > Duplicate.
Image Credit: Jennifer Farley
2. To reduce the number of colors in the image down to 256, choose Image > Mode > Indexed. If your image is in CMYK mode, you’ll need to convert it to RGB and then Indexed. A dialog box opens up with options for converting your image to Indexed Color. Choose Local (Perceptual) in the Palette drop down box.
3. Still in the Indexed Color dialog box, set the number of colors to 256, set Forced to None and Dither to None. Click OK. (Note: If you want only a few key colors from the image, set the number of colors to 20)
4. Now you will be able to see a color table created when you converted to Indexed Color. Choose Image > Mode > Color Table to view it and the colors selected from your image.
5. Now you can save the table, otherwise you’ll lose the new palette you’ve created. Hit the Save button on the Color Table dialog box and then save it into Photoshop > Presets > Color Swatches folder.
6. You may find that your photograph is not looking so hot since you converted it to Index Color. You’ve stripped out potentially millions of colors and reduced it down to 256. Just close the image without saving.
7. To load up your palette with your new swatches, open the Swatches palette and from the drop down menu in the top right corner choose Load Swatches. Browse to the folder where you saved your color table and open up the new palette. Palettes can be saved as .ASE, .ACT or .ACO so make sure you are searching for the file format that you saved you swatches in.
And there you have it! You now have a set of colors that will NOT clash if you use them in a design with your original image.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Making Swatches from Photos in Photoshop
How can I create a color palette from a photo in Photoshop?
Creating a color palette from a photo in Photoshop is a simple process. First, open the image from which you want to create the color palette. Then, go to the ‘Window’ menu and select ‘Swatches’. Click on the small icon in the top right corner of the ‘Swatches’ panel and select ‘New Swatch’. A dialog box will appear where you can name your new swatch and select the color from the image using the eyedropper tool. Repeat this process for all the colors you want to include in your palette.
Can I save my custom color swatches in Photoshop?
Yes, you can save your custom color swatches in Photoshop. After creating your color swatches, go to the ‘Swatches’ panel menu and select ‘Save Swatches’. You can then name your swatch set and save it in a location of your choice. This allows you to easily access and use your custom color swatches in future projects.
How can I load my saved color swatches in Photoshop?
To load your saved color swatches in Photoshop, go to the ‘Swatches’ panel menu and select ‘Load Swatches’. Navigate to the location where you saved your swatch set, select it, and click ‘Load’. Your saved color swatches will then appear in the ‘Swatches’ panel.
Can I create a color swatch from a specific area of a photo in Photoshop?
Yes, you can create a color swatch from a specific area of a photo in Photoshop. Use the ‘Rectangular Marquee Tool’ to select the area of the photo from which you want to create the color swatch. Then, follow the same steps as above to create and save your color swatch.
How can I use the Adobe Color Wheel to create color swatches in Photoshop?
The Adobe Color Wheel is a useful tool for creating color swatches in Photoshop. To use it, go to the Adobe Color website and upload your photo. The Color Wheel will automatically generate a color palette based on the colors in your photo. You can then save this color palette and load it into Photoshop as a swatch set.
Can I create a color swatch from a gradient in Photoshop?
Yes, you can create a color swatch from a gradient in Photoshop. First, create your gradient using the ‘Gradient Tool’. Then, use the ‘Eyedropper Tool’ to select the colors from the gradient and create your color swatches.
How can I share my custom color swatches with others?
To share your custom color swatches with others, you need to save your swatch set and then send the saved file to the person you want to share it with. They can then load the swatch set into their own Photoshop program.
Can I create a color swatch from a pattern in Photoshop?
Yes, you can create a color swatch from a pattern in Photoshop. First, create or select your pattern. Then, use the ‘Eyedropper Tool’ to select the colors from the pattern and create your color swatches.
How can I create a monochromatic color swatch in Photoshop?
To create a monochromatic color swatch in Photoshop, first select the base color you want to use. Then, use the ‘Color Picker’ to create different shades and tints of this color. Create a color swatch for each shade and tint to create your monochromatic color swatch.
Can I create a color swatch from a photo in Photoshop Elements?
Yes, you can create a color swatch from a photo in Photoshop Elements. The process is similar to creating a color swatch in Photoshop. Open the photo, select the ‘Eyedropper Tool’, and click on the color you want to create a swatch from. Then, go to the ‘Swatches’ panel and click on the ‘New Swatch’ button. Name your swatch and click ‘OK’.
Jennifer FarleyJennifer Farley is a designer, illustrator and design instructor based in Ireland. She writes about design and illustration on her blog at Laughing Lion Design.
