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How to Use the Paint Bucket Tool to Fill Areas with Colour

4 min read

Sometimes the simplest tools are the ones you reach for most often. The Paint Bucket tool in Photoshop Elements lets you fill any area with a solid colour or pattern in a single click. Whether you want to create a coloured background for a birthday card, fill a shape for a scrapbook page, or replace a dull sky with a vibrant blue, this straightforward tool gets the job done quickly.

Let me show you exactly how to use it.

Where to Find the Paint Bucket Tool

The Paint Bucket tool lives in the Advanced mode toolbox on the left side of your screen. Look for the icon that resembles a tipping paint bucket. If you see the Gradient tool instead, click and hold on it — the Paint Bucket shares the same spot, and you can select it from the flyout menu.

You can also press K on your keyboard to jump straight to it.

Understanding the Tool Options Bar

Once you select the Paint Bucket tool, look at the Tool Options bar running along the bottom of your screen. Here you will find several important settings:

  • Fill — Choose between Foreground (uses your current foreground colour) or Pattern (fills with a repeating texture).
  • Mode — Controls how the fill blends with existing pixels. For most family projects, leave this set to Normal.
  • Opacity — Determines how transparent your fill will be. Keep it at 100% for solid colour, or lower it for a see-through effect.
  • Tolerance — This number (0–255) controls how similar neighbouring pixels must be before they get filled. A low number like 10 fills only nearly identical colours; a higher number like 50 spreads the fill further.
  • Anti-alias — Keep this checked for smoother edges.
  • Contiguous — When checked, only connected pixels get filled. Uncheck it to fill all matching pixels throughout the image.
  • All Layers — When checked, Photoshop Elements samples colour from all visible layers, not just the active one.

Filling a Selection with a Solid Colour

Imagine you are making a simple greeting card and want a bright yellow background behind your grandchild's photo. Here is how:

  1. 1Open your project in Advanced mode in PSE.
  2. 2Create a new layer by going to Layer → New → Layer so your fill stays separate from your photo.
  3. 3Use any selection tool (like the Rectangular Marquee tool) to select the area you want to fill.
  4. 4Click the Foreground colour swatch at the bottom of the toolbox and choose a cheerful yellow from the Color Picker.
  5. 5Select the Paint Bucket tool from the toolbox or press K.
  6. 6In the Tool Options bar, make sure Fill is set to Foreground and Opacity is at 100%.
  7. 7Click inside your selection — the entire area fills with yellow instantly.
  8. 8Press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac) to deselect.

That is all it takes. Your card now has a colourful background ready for text or decorations.

Filling an Area Without a Selection

You do not always need to make a selection first. If your image has distinct colour regions — like a white sky or a solid-coloured wall — the Paint Bucket can fill that area directly.

  1. 1Open your photo in Photoshop Elements and switch to Advanced mode.
  2. 2Select the Paint Bucket tool.
  3. 3Set your desired Tolerance in the Tool Options bar. Start with 32 as a middle ground.
  4. 4Choose your fill colour by clicking the Foreground colour swatch.
  5. 5Click directly on the area you want to fill.

If the fill spreads too far into neighbouring areas, press Ctrl+Z to undo, lower the Tolerance, and try again. If it does not spread far enough, increase the number.

Filling with a Pattern Instead of Colour

The Paint Bucket tool can also fill areas with patterns — perfect for scrapbook backgrounds or adding texture to creative projects.

  1. 1Select the Paint Bucket tool and go to the Tool Options bar.
  2. 2Change the Fill dropdown from Foreground to Pattern.
  3. 3Click the Pattern picker that appears next to the dropdown.
  4. 4Browse through the available patterns and click one to select it.
  5. 5Click inside your image or selection to apply the pattern.

PSE includes dozens of built-in patterns like fabrics, stones, and nature textures. You can also load additional pattern sets by clicking the small gear icon in the pattern picker.

Practical Tips for Better Results

  • Always work on a separate layer — This keeps your original photo safe and lets you adjust or delete the fill later without affecting anything else.
  • Use selections for precision — For complex areas, combine the Paint Bucket with selection tools like the Quick Selection tool or Magic Wand tool for cleaner results.
  • Adjust Tolerance carefully — When filling areas that blend into each other (like a gradient sky), you may need to fill in sections rather than all at once.
  • Try different blend modes — Changing the Mode in the Tool Options bar to Multiply or Overlay can create interesting colour effects over existing photos.

When to Use the Paint Bucket vs the Gradient Tool

The Paint Bucket fills with a single flat colour or pattern. If you want a smooth transition between two or more colours — like a sunset effect — use the Gradient tool instead. Both tools share the same toolbox slot, making it easy to switch between them.

Continue learning

Now that you can fill areas with colour, explore these related techniques in Photoshop Elements: