Copy colors, gradients, and image fills

The Color Dropper  tool lets you "pick up" the fill or stroke color from an object so that you can copy it to other objects.

To copy colors, gradients, and image fills

1. In the Toolbox, select the Color Dropper tool.

2. Click the object that has the color, gradient, or image fill you want to copy, in one of the following ways:

   • Over the fill area to copy the fill color, gradient, or image fill.

   • Over the stroke area to copy the stroke color or gradient.

3. Holding the mouse button down, drag the pointer to the new object. Release the mouse button over the appropriate fill or stroke area of the new object to add the color, gradient, or image fill.

This technique works only when the second object already has a fill or stroke color. That is, you cannot copy a color to the fill area of an object that currently has no fill color, or to the stroke area of an object that has no stroke.

To define the color in the Color Dropper

You can adjust what the Color Dropper "sees."

1. On the Edit menu, point to Options, and then click General.

2. On the General pane, under Color Dropper, in the Picked color list, pick one of the following options:

   • Screen color   The RGB equivalent of the color shown on screen where you click the Color Dropper.

   • Object color   The base color of the object.

For example, when you apply a Gaussian blur to a bright red object, the edge fades to white. If you select Object color, the Color Dropper tool always picks up the fully saturated red. However, if you select Screen color, the Color Dropper tool picks up different tints of red, depending on where you click.

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