Tweet PowerPoint 2013 's color picker tool: Eyedropper

If you use MS- Word or MS- PowerPoint frequently, you must have used Format painter which helps you maintain consistency of color, font and size of text throughout the document or presentation. Consistency no doubt is the key to a good presentation. Though format painter was a great tool, yet maintaining consistency of animation effects across slides was still a challenge until Microsoft introduced Animation Painter in  PowerPoint 2010.

In PowerPoint 2013 Microsoft has something for shapes known as Eyedropper. Eyedropper the color picker tool helps you copy the shape color and apply to any other shape. You can pick and apply any color visible on your screen (be it text, shape or from a window other than PowerPoint) to a shape.

Steps to pick and apply color to a shape

1. Select the shape you want to apply color.  Click on Drawing tools> Format on ribbon (Alternatively you can double click the shape to bring Format menu).
2. Click on "Shape Fill" Drop down under Format menu
3. Select "Eyedropper"
4. Move the color picker (mouse cursor /square box) on the shape/picture and click when desired color appears

Steps to pick and apply color from outside PowerPoint or from a text

In case you want to pick and apply color to a shape from a website, picture or any other software running on your desktop, follow these steps:

1. Select the shape you want to apply color.  Click on Drawing tools> Format on ribbon (Alternatively you can double click the shape to bring Format menu).
2. Click on "Shape Fill" Drop down under Format menu
3. Select "Eyedropper"
4. Click the left mouse button and move it to the website, picture or any other software from which you want to pick and apply the color. Clicking left button would let the color picker move anywhere outside on your desktop.
5. Release the left button when the color picker (square box) is on the desired color