How to sample colors from a picture for a newsletter

You have a picture for your newsletter and want its colors to guide the design. Maybe you need a matching background, a button accent, or a heading color, but guessing by eye gives you shades that feel slightly off.

The Color Picker can sample a color from anywhere on your computer screen and show its HEX, RGB, and HSL values. You can use those values to keep colors consistent while you build the newsletter.

Sample colors from your picture

1. Open the picture or paste it into your newsletter design, then open the Color Picker in Chrome or Edge on a computer. Leave the picture visible on screen.
2. Use the tool's screen color sampling feature and point to a broad, even area of the picture. Choose a patch of color rather than an edge, shadow, or tiny detail.
3. Note the HEX value for each color you want to keep. The tool also shows RGB and HSL values, which describe the same color in different formats.
4. Sample a few candidates, then apply them to your newsletter background, text, and accents. Check the design at the size readers will see it, not only while zoomed in.

For a useful palette, try sampling one light color, one dark color, and one more vivid color. You do not need to use every color in the picture. A small set of related shades usually makes a newsletter easier to scan.

Choose colors for each part of the newsletter

Use a light, quiet color for the background

A pale color from the picture can give the newsletter a visual connection to the image without competing with the text. Look for a large, fairly even area, such as a light wall, a shirt, or open sky. If the sample looks too strong across a whole page, choose a paler patch or use it only behind a small section.

Choose a dark color for body text

Sample a dark area if the picture has one, but make sure the text remains easy to read on the background. A color that looks clear inside the picture may lose contrast when used for small text. If the sample is not dark enough, use a darker shade of it or choose a neutral dark color instead.

Save a stronger shade for accents

A bright or saturated color can work well for a button, link, heading, or small divider. Use it sparingly so it draws attention to important information rather than making every part of the page compete. Check that the accent is still distinct when the newsletter is viewed on a phone.

Keep the values together

HEX values usually look like #336699. They are convenient for entering colors into many web and design tools. RGB lists red, green, and blue values, while HSL describes hue, saturation, and lightness. They represent the same sampled color, so you can use whichever format your newsletter editor accepts.

If sampling does not work or looks inaccurate

1. Use Chrome or Edge on a computer. The Color Picker's full screen sampling works in these browsers on desktop. Other browsers may offer a reduced version or no screen sampling, and the tool may not be available in the same way on a phone.
2. Keep the picture on screen. If you switch to the tool and cannot point to the image, arrange the windows so the picture is visible or open the image in a browser tab and return to the picker when prompted. The tool samples what is displayed, so a hidden or minimized picture cannot be sampled.
3. Zoom in on a larger patch. A small detail can be difficult to target. Enlarge the picture and sample from the middle of a flat area, away from outlines, text, and sharp changes in color.
4. Try another part of the picture. A shadow, reflection, or texture can make a sample darker or more varied than expected. Compare a few nearby spots and pick the shade that best suits the design.
5. Check the value in your newsletter editor. Enter the HEX value shown by the picker, then compare the result on the same screen. If it looks different, check whether the editor has applied transparency, a filter, or a theme color over it.

Why the color can change after sampling

The picker reads the color that appears on your screen, not necessarily the exact color stored in the original picture file. Image compression, resizing, screen brightness, night mode, and color settings can all affect how a shade looks. A textured area may also contain many slightly different pixels, even if it appears to be one color from a distance.

For a newsletter palette, this is usually useful: you are choosing colors based on how the picture looks in your design. If you need to match a brand color exactly, use the approved brand value rather than estimating it from a photo.

The Color Picker samples the image as it appears on your screen. You do not need to upload the picture to the tool.