Get a pixel perfect closeup of your design.

Sometimes, you've got to get things pixel perfect in a design. Like the days when layouts were done on acetate, it's essential to have a tool that lets you magnify your work. Enter the Loupe tool.

By default, the Loupe follows your mouse as you move it on screen, updating the popup with the color value underneath the pointer. You can quickly change the color format display by selecting another item in the popup menu. You can also toggle the Mouse / Magnifier button to have the Loupe zoom the image underneath the tool (like a true magnifying glass.)

The magnification level of the Loupe starts out at 800%, but you can make it as little as 200% or as much as 1600% by using the Loupe menu. The keyboard shortcuts ⌘= and ⌘- can also be used.

If you're working on a Mac with a small screen, you may find the Avoid Mouse option useful. When turned on, the Loupe window will automatically move away from the current mouse position. This helps when you are examining a large design—it keeps the Loupe's display out of the way.

The Loupe preference panel contains various options that let you format the color values according to your preferences. The default for hex colors is in lowercase with a hash mark. App colors default to the parameters used by UIColor.

A reference color can also be displayed in the Loupe using the Reference Format menu item. This allows you to work with a color in one format while viewing it in another. For example, you can work with hex colors in an HTML document while checking that the color value is the same as Photoshop's 0-255 RGB value.

Finally, like the Screens tool, the Loupe can simulate how colors will appear to users with vision defects. See that tool's help for more information on the different settings. The Loupe can also be configured to display with or without the grid or center lines.