How to find HEX or RGB color codes from any pixel on Windows 11

• To access the Color Picker from PowerToys, use the “Windows key + Shift  + C” shortcut, pick the color, and copy the code to the clipboard.
• To access the Color Picker from the Snipping Tool, use the “Windows key + Shift + S” shortcut, click “Color Picker,” and select a color on the screen to copy it to the clipboard.

On Windows 11, you can determine the code of any pixel on your screen in at least two ways using the Color Picker feature available in PowerToys or the Snipping Tool app, and in this guide, I’ll explain how to complete this task.

The Color Picker in the Snipping Tool is in preview, starting with version 11.2504.38.0 and later. On the other hand, PowerToys has had a Color Picker module for a long time, but it requires extra steps since you have to install and enable the feature manually.

In this guide, I’ll outline the steps to get started with the color pickers available for Windows 11.

• How to use Color Picker in PowerToys
• How to use Color Picker on Snipping Tool

How to use Color Picker in PowerToys

To access the color picker, you have to install PowerToys (if applicable) and follow these steps:

1. Open PowerToys.

2. Click on System Tools.

3. Click on Color Picker.

4. Turn on the “Enable Color Picker” toggle switch.

   

5. (Optional) Select the format you want to use as the default in the “Default color format” section.

6. (Optional) Turn on the “Show color name” toggle switch to show the color name while picking the color on the screen.

7. (Optional) Choose the color formats you want to use with this feature.

   Quick note: You can also use the “Color formats” setting to configure a specific format.

8. Select the color using the “Windows key + Shift  + C” keyboard shortcut and click on the color.

   

9. Click the Copy button for HEX, RGB, or HSL color code to copy it to the clipboard.

   

Once you complete the steps, the color code will be copied to the clipboard.

You can always click the “Pick” button to select another color.

The interface will also list your recent colors, and you can use the left bar to choose variants of the current color selection.

If you click in the middle section, you will access the interface to create a custom color.

How to use Color Picker on Snipping Tool

To pick a color from an image on the screen with the Snipping Tool, follow these steps:

1. Open the Snipping Tool toolbar using the “Windows key + Shift + S” keyboard shortcut.

   Quick tip: You can also use the “Print Screen” shortcut if configured to open the Snipping Tool toolbar. You can also access the toolbar by clicking the “New” button in the Snipping Tool app.

2. Click the Color Picker button.

   

3. Select the color format, including HEX, RGB, or HSL.

4. Choose and click on the color on the screen to copy it to the clipboard.

   

After you complete the steps, the color code will be copied to the clipboard, and you can paste it into any application.