macOS includes two color tools: the standard Colors window used inside many apps, and Digital Color Meter for reading exact pixels anywhere on screen. Together, they can sample a color from a photo, website, document, or app and show its RGB or hex value.
This guide applies to recent macOS versions.
Does This Affect You?
Use these tools if you need to match a color precisely for text, shapes, design work, screenshots, or a web color value without installing a separate app.
Sample a Color with the macOS Color Picker
- Open an app that has a color swatch or Colors button, such as Pages, Preview, Mail, or a drawing tool.
- Click the color control to open the standard macOS Colors window.
- Click the magnifying-glass loupe near the color preview.
- Move the loupe over any pixel on screen, even in another app or browser window.
- Click to sample the color.
- Open the sliders view, choose RGB Sliders if needed, and read the value in the Hex Color field.
Use Digital Color Meter
- Open Digital Color Meter from Spotlight or Applications > Utilities.
- Move the pointer over the color you want to measure.
- Watch the live color values update in the Digital Color Meter window.
- Use the format dropdown to choose a value style such as RGB as Hex, 8-bit.
- Press Command + Shift + C to hold the current reading, or Command + C to copy values.
Color Picker Tips
Save Favorite Colors
In the Colors window, drag the selected color swatch into the empty squares at the bottom. Saved colors are available in color pickers across many Mac apps.
Adjust Precision
Digital Color Meter preferences let you change decimal precision for more exact measurement work.
Zoom for Small Details
Use Digital Color Meter’s zoom controls when trying to sample a tiny pixel in a screenshot or icon.
Transparency
If you sample transparent PNG areas, the tool may report the visible blended color rather than an alpha value. Check the app’s opacity control if transparency matters.
Sources
- Apple Support: Use the color picker on Mac
- Apple Support: Use Digital Color Meter on Mac
- Apple Developer: NSColorPanel and system color picker documentation