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How the Photoshop Fill Tool Works

Wondering how to fill an object, layer, or selection with color? Here’s a quick primer on how the Photoshop fill tool works.

The Photoshop fill tool, also known as the Paint Bucket Tool, fills a selected area with the color of your choice. Whether you’re editing an image or creating digital art, color filling is an essential step to any project. Learn how the Photoshop fill tool works below.


Looking for a simple place to start? Create has you covered with over 400,000 assets, 1,500 templates, 500 fonts, and countless free tools to help you design like a pro.


How to Use the Photoshop Fill Tool


The fill tool is located in your Photoshop toolbar on the side of your screen. At first glance, it looks like a bucket of paint. You’ll use the fill tool (AKA the Paint Bucket Tool) to fill any selection on your canvas with any color. Here’s how:

  1. Double-click on the foreground color swatch at the bottom of the left toolbar. Choose the color you’d like to fill with.
  2. In the middle of the toolbar, click and hold over the Gradient Tool to pop open a submenu. Then choose the Paint Bucket Tool.
  3. Click anywhere on your image to replace the targeted color with the color swatch you selected.

Photoshop also allows you to change the opacity, pixel color tolerance, and layers impacted through the menu at the top of your screen.


Filling with a Pattern

Screenshot of Photoshop with Fill Tool Pattern selected


Want to fill a selection with a pattern rather than a solid color? Easy! Here’s how to fill with a pattern, still using the Paint Bucket Tool:

  1. From the top menu, click into the dropdown menu that says Foreground.
  2. Select Pattern.
  3. Click into the new dropdown menu (appearing to the right of the original dropdown menu) to choose a specific pattern.
  4. With the Paint Bucket Tool still selected, click into your selection to apply the pattern.

Filling with a Gradient

Screenshot of Photoshop with Fill Tool Gradient selected


If you want to add color to your image in a unique way, the gradient tool may be more appropriate. To fill with a gradient, follow these instructions:

  1. Select the Gradient tool from the left toolbar.
  2. Click and drag within your selection to apply the gradient.
  3. Use the gradient settings in the top toolbar to adjust the color, style, opacity, dither, and more.

Cover image via Roman Samborskyi.

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