How to identify a shade in a slide presentation

You need to match a color from a slide, but the shade is hard to describe by eye. Maybe you are recreating a chart, checking a brand color, or trying to use the same background in another document.

Use a screen color picker to get the color values of the slide as it appears on your display. TooLab's Color Picker can return HEX, RGB, HSL, and other formats. It works in Chrome and Edge on a computer. Other browsers may offer limited or no screen picking.

Pick a color from the slide

1. Open the Color Picker in Chrome or Edge on a computer. The tool can pick a color from anywhere on your screen.
2. Bring the presentation slide into view. Use the view in which you want to match the color, such as full-screen presentation mode or the editing window.
3. Select a point well inside the colored area, away from its edge, text, shadow, or border. For a gradient, choose the exact position whose shade you want.
4. Read the displayed HEX and RGB values. Note the slide and area you sampled if you will need to compare or reuse the color later.

For a solid shape or background, sample the same area a few times. If the values stay the same, you likely picked a flat region. If you are comparing two slides, pick from the same type of object and a similar location on each one.

What the color values mean

The same values appear across the flat area

This is a good sign that you sampled a solid color. HEX is a compact code, such as #3A6FB0. RGB describes the same color as red, green, and blue numbers, each usually from 0 to 255. You can copy either format into an app that accepts it.

The values change as you move the picker

The slide may use a gradient, transparency, a shadow, or a textured image. It may also contain a subtle border or antialiased text. Those effects create different pixel colors even when the area looks uniform at normal size. Decide which visible point you need, then sample that exact spot.

The sampled shade does not match the slide's saved color

The picker measures the color rendered on your screen, not the original value stored in the presentation file. Display color management, projector settings, transparency, and other visual effects can change how a color appears. If you need the source value, inspect the shape, text, or slide background in the presentation app instead of relying on a screen sample.

How to get a more reliable sample

1. Sample away from edges. A pixel near text, a border, or a curved shape may be blended with the slide background. Pick from the broadest uninterrupted part of the color.
2. Pause animations and transitions. A slide in the middle of a fade or animation may not show its final colors. Wait for the slide to settle before sampling.
3. Use a consistent view. Sample both slides at the same zoom and in the same presentation mode. A different view can change which part of a gradient or effect you select.
4. Check the source object when precision matters. If you can edit the presentation, select the shape, text, or background and look for its custom color values in the app's formatting controls. This is usually more useful than sampling the rendered screen when you need to recreate the original color exactly.
5. Sample the actual display you care about. If the slide will be shown on a projector or another monitor, sample it on that screen too. A color that looks right on your laptop may appear different on another display.

Why a sampled color can look different

A color code describes pixel values, but it cannot guarantee that two screens will make those pixels look identical. Monitors and projectors have different brightness, color ranges, and calibration. Presentation effects can also blend a shape with what is behind it. The picker gives you a useful measurement of what is on your screen at that moment, not a guarantee of how the slide will look everywhere.

When you only need a close visual match, compare the sample and the recreated color side by side on the screen where the slide will be used.