Eyedropper tool is picking up a lighter color.

[ashley9578]

The eyedropper tool keeps picking up a much lighter color than what I selected and the sample size is set to point sample and it is still not working. I reset Photoshop and that didn't work either. I posted this to the adobe Photoshop sketch forum cause that's the closest forum i could find that relates to Photoshop. Never used these forums before, hopefully someone can answer my question cause apparently I can't contact adobe personnel directly. Incredibly frustrating for such an expensive software!

[PBArtattack]

Is your brush set to Normal blend mode? I just duplicated that color disparity by setting mine to Screen.

[ashley9578]

Thanks for the response. Yes, my brush is set to normal blend mode and  the eye dropper tool is still not working. However, I opened a new document and it works so I've narrowed it down to I must have accidently changed a setting in that document specifically. Still new to digital art, so trying to figure it all out. I'm happy to know it's just a specific document though and not the software itself. I'm sure with some fiddling I'll figure it out now, again thanks for your help.

[PBArtattack]

[davescm · Accepted solution]

One possibility - you do not show all of your layers.

Your eye dropper  tool is set to "All Layers" which means, even though you highlighted a single layer,  it will pick up the colour made from the combined layer stack at that point - including any adjustment layers and layers above with blending modes. If you then paint with that colour onto the single layer those adjustments / blending modes will be applied again and the effect will look different.

This can be avoided by using sample current and below

See example:

A single filled layer with a curves adjustment layer above to lighten it

Brown patch sampled using "all layers" and painted back onto same layer:

Same brown patch sampled using Current & Below and painted back onto the same layer :

I hope that helps

Dave

[ashley9578]

Thank you, I saw your post just after I discovered that it was my curves adjustment layers that was causing the issue. I've since turned them off and it fixed the issue. Thanks for the helpful explanation!:)

[davescm]

You're welcome

Dave

[Alex2213984846ec]

OMG thank you !! 
This worked.

[Mr.Raccoon]

You helped me by pointing me into the right direction, thanks. However in my case it was selecting a lighter colour because I had the Sample Size turned to "5 by 5 average". Changing it back to "Point Sample" did the trick. To anybody having the same problem: An indicator for this is when you move around your canvas using the eyedropper tool (alt), you would expect the selected colour in the colour navigator to jump around quite a bit. Instead, it will do a very smooth transition between colours. If that is the case your problem lies with the Sample Size setting under the Eyedropper Menu like Davescm showed in his Screenshot above ↑

Hope this helps a bit too

Thanks for your help 🙂