Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com.
Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com.

On this episode let's take a look at the digital color meter utility on your Mac.
On this episode let's take a look at the digital color meter utility on your Mac.

The digital color meter is a little app that comes with your Mac.
The digital color meter is a little app that comes with your Mac.

You'll find it in your Applications folder under Utilities, and there it is, or you can
You'll find it in your Applications folder under Utilities, and there it is, or you can

just search for it, like I do, with Spotlight.
just search for it, like I do, with Spotlight.

When you run it you just get this little window here.
When you run it you just get this little window here.

It really doesn't seem to do too much.
It really doesn't seem to do too much.

It just will show you what color is underneath the cursor.
It just will show you what color is underneath the cursor.

So, for instance, let's bring up Safari here.
So, for instance, let's bring up Safari here.

Say you are looking at a webpage, like MacMost page here.
Say you are looking at a webpage, like MacMost page here.

You want to use up color.
You want to use up color.

Say you are working in PhotoShop or some other imaging tool and you want to grab a color
Say you are working in PhotoShop or some other imaging tool and you want to grab a color

that you see, like say this red that is being used here on this text, and you want to find
that you see, like say this red that is being used here on this text, and you want to find

out exactly what color that is.
out exactly what color that is.

You bring up the Digital Color Meter.
You bring up the Digital Color Meter.

Notice that whatever the cursor is over I see in an enlarged version of it in Digital
Notice that whatever the cursor is over I see in an enlarged version of it in Digital

Color Meter.
Color Meter.

So I go over here and I can look at this letter right there.
So I go over here and I can look at this letter right there.

I can see exactly what pixel I'm looking at and it gives me the values.
I can see exactly what pixel I'm looking at and it gives me the values.

R, G, B, red, green and blue values for that specific pixel.
R, G, B, red, green and blue values for that specific pixel.

Now that is only somewhat useful because most people don't use R, G, B values for things.
Now that is only somewhat useful because most people don't use R, G, B values for things.

I find that if you go into View and change Display Values to hexadecimal then you get
I find that if you go into View and change Display Values to hexadecimal then you get

R, G, B but you get these hexadecimal values which you will recognize if you do any kind
R, G, B but you get these hexadecimal values which you will recognize if you do any kind

of web development or work in PhotoShop or anything you can see the color here would
of web development or work in PhotoShop or anything you can see the color here would

be 94 2F 35 for instance.
be 94 2F 35 for instance.

That is a lot more useful than seeing the colors as numbers.
That is a lot more useful than seeing the colors as numbers.

You can also change the aperture size.
You can also change the aperture size.

So instead of wanting to get to say a single pixel you can change it and grab a group of
So instead of wanting to get to say a single pixel you can change it and grab a group of

pixels and see what kind the average color is between that group.
pixels and see what kind the average color is between that group.

You can see the big swatch here, this part, actually gives you the single color that matches
You can see the big swatch here, this part, actually gives you the single color that matches

everything that is there.
everything that is there.

So you can kind of get a general idea of like all these together, to the eye, look like
So you can kind of get a general idea of like all these together, to the eye, look like

this one individual color here.
this one individual color here.

You can adjust it to a pretty large size as well or you can go back down to a single pixel.
You can adjust it to a pretty large size as well or you can go back down to a single pixel.

If you find a color you like you don't have to just rely on remembering it or writing
If you find a color you like you don't have to just rely on remembering it or writing

it down.
it down.

There are two ways to copy it.
There are two ways to copy it.

If you look here you can do Copy Color as Text or Copy Color as Image.
If you look here you can do Copy Color as Text or Copy Color as Image.

Now you don't ever want to use the menu here because your cursor is going to move.
Now you don't ever want to use the menu here because your cursor is going to move.

You want to remember the shortcuts; Shift Command C and Option Command C.
You want to remember the shortcuts; Shift Command C and Option Command C.

So let's try Shift Command C, grabbing this red here.
So let's try Shift Command C, grabbing this red here.

Shift, Command, and C will copy it.
Shift, Command, and C will copy it.

Now I'm going to go over to TextEdit here and I'm going to paste.
Now I'm going to go over to TextEdit here and I'm going to paste.

You can see it pasted it there.
You can see it pasted it there.

Now it is pasting this as a hexadecimal because I changed the display to hexadecimal.
Now it is pasting this as a hexadecimal because I changed the display to hexadecimal.

If I still had it set to the decimal values then you would get three numbers here instead.
If I still had it set to the decimal values then you would get three numbers here instead.

This is far more useful and I can paste this directly into a lot of image editing programs
This is far more useful and I can paste this directly into a lot of image editing programs

that allow me to change the color of the fill or the line or whatever.
that allow me to change the color of the fill or the line or whatever.

Very useful for that.
Very useful for that.

Let's try the other one.
Let's try the other one.

Let's try using the Option, Command, and C or right here Copy Color as Image.
Let's try using the Option, Command, and C or right here Copy Color as Image.

We'll do that and let's see what we get.
We'll do that and let's see what we get.

Now I'm going to get an image here so I can paste that into TextEdit but it is not as
Now I'm going to get an image here so I can paste that into TextEdit but it is not as

useful.
useful.

I'm going to go into Pixelmator here and I'm going to paste.
I'm going to go into Pixelmator here and I'm going to paste.

You can see that it pastes this rectangle here that is a solid color rectangle.
You can see that it pastes this rectangle here that is a solid color rectangle.

So this can also be useful for a variety of different things.
So this can also be useful for a variety of different things.

Stretching this over a background or just being able to grab it using the Eyedropper
Stretching this over a background or just being able to grab it using the Eyedropper

tool in different image editing apps.
tool in different image editing apps.

There are a lot of other cool options.
There are a lot of other cool options.

For instance the ability to Lock Position and also view a bunch of different things
For instance the ability to Lock Position and also view a bunch of different things

like Lock X and Y.
like Lock X and Y.

So I can lock the position.
So I can lock the position.

Let's try that.
Let's try that.

If I get a color I want I can do Command L and now you can see I move and it doesn't
If I get a color I want I can do Command L and now you can see I move and it doesn't

move with me.
move with me.

So it is a good way to capture that.
So it is a good way to capture that.

Then I can just do Command L and it unlocks it.
Then I can just do Command L and it unlocks it.

So you can capture that.
So you can capture that.

Or I can do Command X and now I can move up and down on a row here but I won't be able
Or I can do Command X and now I can move up and down on a row here but I won't be able

to move left or right.
to move left or right.

I can switch that to Command Y and it is locking both.
I can switch that to Command Y and it is locking both.

I can turn off Command X and now I can move this way and turn off Command Y and now I
I can turn off Command X and now I can move this way and turn off Command Y and now I

can move around like that.
can move around like that.

You also have the ability to look at things in a slightly different color parameters here.
You also have the ability to look at things in a slightly different color parameters here.

I'm not an artist so I don't really use these.
I'm not an artist so I don't really use these.

I stick with the native values to find out what the color really is set to by the code
I stick with the native values to find out what the color really is set to by the code

or in the image itself.
or in the image itself.

One last little thing I want to point out is this Show Mouse Location function.
One last little thing I want to point out is this Show Mouse Location function.

It has nothing to do with color but it gives you the X and Y coordinates of the location
It has nothing to do with color but it gives you the X and Y coordinates of the location

of the mouse.
of the mouse.

This is useful for developers for a lot of different reasons.
This is useful for developers for a lot of different reasons.

To be able to exactly locate something on the screen and its position there.
To be able to exactly locate something on the screen and its position there.