This lesson covers Photoshop’s measurement tools: Ruler, Eyedropper, Color Sampler, Note, Count.
2026 note: This lesson was recorded on Photoshop CS6 in 2014. Adobe no longer sells the CS line — Photoshop now ships via Creative Cloud subscription. About 95% of the menus and shortcuts shown in the video still match the modern version; only the iconography is a bit fresher.
Ruler Tool (I)
- Reads distance, angle and axis coordinates between two points.
- The top-bar Straighten Layer button rotates the canvas so your line becomes perfectly horizontal/vertical.
- Toggle rulers with
Ctrl/Cmd + R.
Eyedropper (I)
Samples the foreground color from any pixel. Alt/Opt + click sets the background instead. You can even drag outside the Photoshop window to sample colors from other apps.
Color Sampler
Pins up to 4 fixed reference points. Invaluable for color correction — keep an eye on skin tones, a gray-card region, etc. Use the Info panel (F8) to read the values live.
2026 Tip — Smart Guides
Turn on View > Show > Smart Guides. Drag any element and Photoshop snaps to centers and equal-spacing references automatically.
