FAQ

Color Picker X is an app for graphic designers, UI/UX designers and programmers that lets you point your iPhone camera at anything, tap, and get the exact color in HEX, RGB, HSL, HSB, OKLCH and other formats. You can also extract palettes from photos, save colors into collections, and export them in professional formats.

Yes, the basic version of Color Picker X is free and lets your pick colors from live camera, and save up to 10 colors into your library. Additional features, such as unlimited saves, picking colors and generating palettes from photos, all color formats, exports and backups, are in the Pro upgrade.

Yes. Go to Settings → Restore Purchases. This works on any device signed into the same Apple ID.

The app reads the live camera feed and samples pixels at the point where your reticle is positioned. Tap anywhere to sample that spot, or drag to explore. The color updates in real time as you move.

Very accurate for on-screen use. The camera captures in Display P3 color space and the app works in sRGB internally. A few things to keep in mind:

• Lighting matters. The same object will give different color readings under daylight vs. fluorescent light vs. warm indoor light. This is true for any camera-based color tool.
• Screen calibration varies. The color you see on your iPhone screen may look slightly different on another display.
• Camera white balance adjusts automatically. If you need a stable reading, use freeze mode (snowflake button) to lock the frame, then sample at your own pace.

For precise color matching in professional work (paint, fabric, print), use this app as a starting point and verify with physical swatches.

Tap the lock button to lock the camera frame. You can then zoom in and pan around the locked image to sample colors without hand shake or subject movement. Tap again to unlock.

Yes. Long-press anywhere on the screen to set the focus and exposure point. You'll see a brief yellow indicator where you tapped. This is useful when the camera is focusing on the wrong part of the scene — for example, if you're sampling a color on a small object and the background is in focus instead. Focus adjustment is available in camera mode only, not when picking colors from a photo.

Yes, with Pro. Tap the photo icon to choose an image from your library. You can also pinch-zoom the image. The app reads the image at full resolution without any downsampling.

The circular crosshair shows a zoomed-in preview of the area you're sampling. This makes it easier to target specific pixels, especially on small details.

Format	Example
HEX	#FF5733
RGB	rgb(255, 87, 51)
HSL	hsl(11, 100%, 60%)
HSB	hsb(11, 80%, 100%)
OKLCH	oklch(0.685 0.196 41.3)
L*a*b*	lab(59.3 49.2 52.1)
CMYK	0%, 66%, 80%, 0%
RAL	RAL 2009 — Traffic Orange
SwiftUI	Color(.sRGB, red: 1.000, green: 0.341, blue: 0.200)
UIKit	UIColor(red: 1.000, green: 0.341, blue: 0.200, alpha: 1.0)

Design mode shows clean, human-readable values — e.g., 240°, 100%, 50% for HSL.

Code mode gives you copy-paste-ready syntax — e.g., hsl(240, 100%, 50%). Useful if you're writing CSS, Swift, or any code.

You can toggle between them in the color details screen.

Both are perceptually uniform color spaces, meaning equal numeric steps produce equal perceived color changes. Designers use OKLCH for accessible color palettes. Scientists and print professionals use L*a*b* as a device-independent reference. These are increasingly the standard in modern CSS and design tools.

The app converts RGB to CMYK using a bundled SWOP ICC profile (CGATS TR 006 standard). This is the same specification used by the US printing industry for web offset printing on coated paper. It's a real profile-based conversion, not a naive formula.

That said, CMYK values are inherently dependent on the printing process, paper stock, and ink set. The values from this app are a solid starting point for SWOP-compliant workflows. If you're working with a specific printer, always request their ICC profile for the most accurate conversion.

Not necessarily. RGB-to-CMYK conversion is always an approximation because screens emit light (additive color) and printers absorb it (subtractive color). The SWOP profile gets you close for standard commercial printing, but factors like paper type, ink formulation, and press calibration all affect the final result. For critical print work, use the CMYK values as a reference and do a press proof.

RAL is a standardized color system used across Europe for paint, coatings, powder coating, and plastics. The app shows the nearest RAL Classic match for every color you pick. The matching is perceptual — it finds the closest color the way your eye would, not by comparing raw numbers.

Since RAL Classic has around 200 colors, your picked color may fall between two entries. The app always shows the closest one. For production use (specifying a paint or finish for a supplier), verify with a physical RAL fan deck.

The app analyzes your image and intelligently identifies the most visually important colors — not just the ones that take up the most pixels. For example, a photo with a large sky and a small red flower will correctly identify the red as a dominant color, rather than returning 5 shades of blue.

Up to 6 colors per image.

Yes. After extraction, you can save all the extracted colors to your library using the provided default collection name or enter your own collection name.

Free: 10 colors total (across your library and all collections). Pro: Unlimited.

Collections are folders for your colors. Create them to organize by project, client, mood board, or whatever makes sense for your workflow. Each collection can have a name and an optional memo/note.

Yes. You can move any color from your library into a collection, or between collections. In the color details view, tap the three-dots icon, select "Move to..." and select a destination.

The app matches each color to the closest name from a database of 700+ color names. It's automatic — you don't need to name them yourself.

With Pro, you can export your color collections in:

• ASE — Adobe Swatch Exchange. Opens in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, and most design tools.
• CSS — CSS custom properties (:root { --color-1: #...; }).
• JSON — All formats in a structured array. Good for APIs and tooling.
• Plain Text — Human-readable list with every format for each color.
• SwiftUI — Ready-to-paste Color array.
• UIKit — Ready-to-paste UIColor array.

Yes (Pro). Settings → Export Full Library creates a JSON file with all your colors and collections. Import Backup merges it back, skipping duplicates. Useful for moving to a new device or keeping a safety copy.

• Normal — Standard camera view. Color values are always sampled in sRGB for accurate use in design tools and code.
• Grayscale — Shows the scene in grayscale (Rec. 709 luminance). Helpful for checking value contrast.
• Deutan (Green) — Simulates deuteranopia, the most common form of color blindness (green-deficient). Affects how reds and greens are distinguished.
• Protan (Red) — Simulates protanopia (red-deficient). Similar to deutan but with a stronger shift in how reds appear.
• Tritan (Blue) — Simulates tritanopia (blue-deficient). Affects how blues and yellows are distinguished. Much rarer than the other two.

The filters use the Machado et al. 2009 model — the same peer-reviewed simulation used by Chrome DevTools and Firefox. It closely approximates how people with deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia perceive color. Results may differ slightly from other tools like Coblis, which use older algorithms. No simulation can perfectly replicate individual color vision deficiency, but Machado 2009 is widely regarded as the current scientific standard.

No. Zero data collection. No analytics, no crash reporting, no tracking, no identifiers. Nothing leaves your device.

The camera feed is processed entirely on-device in real time. Nothing is recorded or transmitted. Photos you import are also processed locally — the app doesn't upload them anywhere.

Locally on your device. There is no cloud sync or server-side storage. Your colors, collections, and preferences stay on your iPhone.

The app needs camera permission. Go to iOS Settings → Color Picker X → Camera and make sure it's enabled.

Every display is calibrated differently. iPhones use Display P3 (wider gamut), most laptops use sRGB. A color will look slightly different across devices. The numeric values (HEX, RGB, etc.) are accurate — it's the display rendering that varies.

Your printer likely uses a different ICC profile than SWOP. Ask them for their specific profile. The app's CMYK values are correct for the SWOP standard, but every print shop has its own conditions.

The app analyzes the full image to find the most relevant colors. On older devices this may take a couple of seconds. It's all processed on-device — no network dependency.

Try Settings → Restore Purchases. If that doesn't work, make sure you're signed into the same Apple ID you used for the purchase. Past transactions can occasionally take a moment to sync.

iPhone running iOS 26 or later.

No, currently the app only supports portrait mode.

English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Portuguese (Brazil).