Tip#47: MagicPicker keyboard shortcuts/modifiers cheat sheet

One of the biggest support cases is the knowledge of keyboard modifiers in MagicPicker. Basically it’s three of them: ALT, SHIFT and CTRL/CMD. And here they go in one place altogether!

MagicPicker keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet
MagicPicker keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet

Don’t forget that you can use a combination of them as well! Like Pressing ALT+SHIFT on the color wheel will change background color while keeping the color’s tone with temporary Tone Lock last the same time!

MagicPicker, the advanced color wheel for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

Tip#47: Compact Mode with Big swatches in MagicPicker

The exclusive Compact Mode of MagicPicker 4 perfectly combines with the new Big Swatches mode: keep two bold main colors visible on the screen and expand MagicPicker without a single click, just hovering your brush over the color swatches!

Preserve your screen real estate while saving clicks!

Now available for Photoshop and Illustrator CS3, CS4, CS5, CS6, CC and CC 2015.

MagicPicker, the advanced color wheel and color picker for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

MagicPicker 4.4 is here!

MagicPicker just updated! New K-Lock lets you lock level of the black in CMYK, Hue/Color Temperature shift for groups in Illustrator. Bug fixes, speed improvements, activation and installation improvements! All new features will be covered in the upcoming tutorials! Please stay tuned to the blog! MagicPicker v4.4 provides the same features across CS3, CS4, CS5, CS6, CC, CC2014, CC2015!

MagicPicker 4.4: K-Lock, Hue and Color Temperature Shift, new features!
MagicPicker 4.4: K-Lock, Hue and Color Temperature Shift, new features!

MagicPicker, the advanced color wheel and color picker for Photoshop and Illustrator

*If you’re having problems with installation please try our new Adobe Extensions Installer and Remover for ZXP panels.

Tip#46: All in one place!

Hide Photoshop or Illustrator toolbar and let MagicPicker unclutter your workspace. All active shortcuts from the original toolbar for quick color management are in one place available on the panel: foreground and background swatches (can be bigger than originals, stroke/background colors in Illustrator), default colors, color exchange and foreground/background link (specific to MagicPicker, covered in previous tutorials).

Essential buttons
Essential buttons

MagicPicker, the color wheel/advanced color picker and other panels for Photoshop & Illustrator

Tip#45: Quickly switch to Color Temperature Wheel mode and back with one click!

If you want to quickly tune color’s temperature while working in the classic color wheel mode – ALT-click on the Triangle/Box/Diamond modes button. The MagicPicker will switch to the Color Temperature Wheel mode and if you ALT-click the button again it will bring you back to the previous state of the color wheel!

Quickly adjust color temperature with MagicPicker
Quickly adjust color temperature with MagicPicker

Works in MagicPicker since version 4.3. Works in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator CC 2015, CC 2014, CC, CS6, CS5, CS4 and CS3.

MagicPicker, the advanced color wheel and color picker (and other panels for Adobe software).

Tip#44: Tone Lock of the background color in MagicPicker

Did you know you can quickly change hue of the background color in MagicPicker while keeping its perceived brightness (tone)? Just press ALT + SHIFT while clicking and moving the cursor on the color wheel (or just ALT or your pen’s button with Tone Lock On). That lets you keep background color within the same gamut very easily and achieve constant organic coloration across your painting/design/photography/artwork.

Quickly adjust background's hue while keeping its perceived brightness
Quickly adjust background's hue while keeping its perceived brightness

Works with Color Temperature Wheel and on the color pane in H(SB) mode. In Color Temperature Wheel mode it will let you keep background color’s perceived brightness while changing its temperature.

MagicPicker, the advanced color wheel and color picker for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

MagicPicker and new Photoshop CC 2015/Illustrator CC 2015

Today Adobe issued an upgrade to their Creative Cloud. Namely Photoshop and Illustrator have been updated to version CC 2015. And I receive questions whether MagicPicker is compatible with the new platform. MagicPicker 4 was tested and totally works as is with the new Adobe’s products – Photoshop CC 2015 and Illustrator CC 2015. In most cases you don’t have to do anything after CC 2015 upgrade.

You don’t need to upgrade or reinstall, just please make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Extension Manager CC (you can always install it from Adobe Creative Cloud app).

MagicPicker in Photoshop CC 2015 and Illustrator CC 2015
MagicPicker in Photoshop CC 2015 and Illustrator CC 2015

There’s even more to it – some reported that Compact Mode didn’t work in the new CC 2014 software on selected system configurations. Seems there was a conflict that Adobe has resolved in the new versions of Photoshop/Illustrator. So if you still see your Compact Mode grayed out

or

If you face any issues with MagicPicker disappearing from the Extensions menu in new CC 2015 software – try to reinstall or update Adobe Extension Manager CC and then reinstalling MagicPicker.

Installing MagicPicker 4 with Adobe Extension Manager CC is easy and works the same on both platforms – Mac and PC (Windows):

1) Make sure your have the Adobe Extension Manager CC installed – go to your Adobe Creative Cloud, locate Adobe Extension Manager and click Install or Upgrade
2) Run  Adobe Extension Manager
3) Choose File -> Install Extension
4) Locate MagicPicker4.zxp and follow the installation steps

P.S. MagicPicker is still compatible with Photoshop & Illustrator CS3, CS4, CS5, CS6, CC, CC2014.

Download MagicPicker color wheel for Photoshop & Illustrator

Upgrade from older MagicPicker to version 4

Tip#43: Using MagicPicker’s automatic color correction in Illustrator

In Illustrator MagicPicker smartly keeps colors within the chosen color space – for selected shapes. If you work in CMYK in Illustrator:
1) select a shape
2) try to change its color with the MagicPicker so it falls outside CMYK space
3) MagicPicker will correct it immediately so you would get the color that can be reproduced in CMYK

It’s slightly different from how Illustrator handles it. With MagicPicker you will see the result right away.
In recent version of MagicPicker it works with Tone Lock and on the Color Temperature Wheel.

MagicPicker in Photoshop and Illustrator - different approach to color space
MagicPicker in Photoshop and Illustrator - different approach to color space

Download MagicPicker – advanced color picker and color wheel panel/plugin

Tip#42: Rotate color wheel the way you want

MagicPicker offers a wide variety of color wheel configurations in addition to new Temperature Color Wheel.

Rotate MagicPicker color wheel
Rotate MagicPicker color wheel

Use the classic scheme or rotate the wheel so the red points up at 0° (works best for design where you get the Hue=0 at the exact top of the wheel). Or even use Traditional color wheel based on classic 12 color scheme (which may also be rotated). Work with the color wheel the way you like it! You can rotate color wheel from MagicPicker’s fly-out menu choosing Settings. And switch to Traditional mode using the button on the right-bottom.

Works in Photoshop and Illustrator CS3, CS4, CS5, CS5.5, CS6, CC and CC 2014.

Download MagicPicker – advanced color picker and color wheel panel/plugin

Tip#41: Temperature Color Wheel in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

MagicPicker 4 introduces a new innovative color tool – color temperature wheel.

MagicPicker 4 - color temperature wheel
MagicPicker 4 - color temperature wheel

In Photoshop or Illustrator with a single turn of the wheel you can change the temperature of the colors you pick. Get the exact colors for the lights, darks, on the sun, in the shadows, within the cool or warm gamma. Adding Tone Lock you can find the corresponding colors within different temperatures while keeping the same brightness.

To change the temperature of the colors:
1) Click the button on the top right of MagicPicker that switches between triangle/box and diamond modes until you reach the Color Temperature Wheel mode
2) Move the rectangular slider around the warm/cold wheel to change the temperature
3) Move the pointer inside the rectangle to choose colors with the same warmness/coldness
4*) You can use Tone Lock to keep the same brightness of the color

MagicPicker – advanced color picker and color wheel panel/plugin