Joe’s Guide to Free eLearning Tools: Pixie

Item:                Pixie, Freeware Color Picker

Category:        Graphic Editing Tools & Resources

Source:

This tool was recommended by Lauren Fosbenner at our recent eLearning SIG. I am not sure how  Pixie escaped my attention before, but it is a great example of a small piece of freeware designed to accomplish a very specific task quickly and easily.

What it Does:

If you have used the color picker or “eyedropper” tool in Photoshop or GIMP, you already know what Pixie does. Run the program and point your mouse cursor to a screen location and Pixie will identify the color values and XY coordinates of that specific spot.

When to Use:

If you ever need to match colors with a corporate web site, brand/logo, software application, or existing courseware Pixie can be quite handy. Even though you may already have a version of this tool (as part of Photoshop or GIMP), having it available as a small stand-alone program is much more convenient when all you need to do is find out what that -> <- color is.

How to get it:

Lauren thoughtfully provided a job aid (located on the Free Tools and Resources tab of this blog) with links and additional information on Pixie. The most recent version (4.0) of Pixie can also be downloaded directly from the developer’s site (http://www.nattyware.com/) as a portable application which means the program can be run directly from a USB drive.

Reminder:

Minimize the risk of accidentally installing malware or a virus onto your computer by using trusted download sites (such as CNET, etc.). It is also good practice to run an antivirus program (which may also be available for free through your company IT group or your personal Internet Service Provider).

Next Up:           Audio Recording and Editing