We've all come across a drawing or screenshot and, beyond its content, what we're really interested in is the set of colors it uses. The problem is that monitors don't come well calibrated from the factory (not to mention user preferences), so the alternative is to identify those colors directly, in plain RGB and HEX. The program ColourDock turns that process into something quick and simple.
Earlier this year we talked about Pantone 448 C, considered the ugliest color in the world, but with a very interesting story behind it. The title may seem a bit repulsive, however, we've learned that even such a color has its uses in the right context, and many of our readers agree that it's not that ugly. If you want to reproduce that color, you can look for a classic paint swatch or use one of its alternative codes: #4A412A in HEX and 74-65-42 for RGB. But what happens when you want the code of another color? A typical shortcut is to copy the image containing it into a graphics editor and use its picker. Now, a small program called ColourDock reduces that shortcut to a key combination and a click.
How to identify colors with ColourDock
Yes: Once installed, ColourDock lets you press Alt+C and click on the screen. That's it! The program's interface has a section that records the most recent colors, and enables the ability to save favorites so you can access them quickly. In the Palettes menu you'll find copies of the main colors from Google's Material Design and Apple's Visual Design, and in the general options you can configure ColourDock to start with Windows, activate its dark style, remember its position on screen, or enable modes for laptops and multiple monitors.
If the Alt+C combination feels uncomfortable or conflicts with other software, don't worry: in the Colour Picker Hotkey menu you can modify it as you like. The latest update of ColourDock was published over the weekend, and overall it works very well. We only noticed some position errors in its interface items, and Windows SmartScreen had a disagreement with the installer, but we haven't seen anything strange. Download a copy and leave a comment. And if you come to the conclusion that ColourDock isn't for you, remember that there are other similar programs for you to explore.
Official site and download: Click here
