Through color swatch charts, people can easily compare colors and find complementary or contrasting color options. Color swatch charts can also help creators maintain consistency in color usage across different designs. Some designers prefer to obtain blank swatch chart templates and enjoy the process of coloring themselves. Some other designers, for reasons such as work requirements, wish to obtain complete color swatch charts. No matter which mode you choose, this blog will introduce the specific steps for you to make your own swatch charts to print.
Table of Contents:
Method 1: Coloring by Yourself
Method 2: Coloring with a Printer
Why You Need to Make Your Own Swatch Charts
In the fields of creative design and printing production, the accuracy and consistency of colors are the key to the success of a work. Whether it is an artist organizing physical materials or a designer ensuring that the printed product meets expectations, a swatch chart is indispensable.
For Artists & Makers: Cataloging Your Physical Materials
One of the biggest challenges faced by artists and craft creators is how to manage the increasing amount of physical materials. Creating swatch charts is not only for showcasing colors, but also for establishing a visual index that can be consulted at any time. By making your own color swatch charts, you can visually see the effect of the paint on the paper and the color differences between different brands of ink. This can help you quickly find the required materials, thereby improving work efficiency and maintaining the consistency of the work.
For Designers: Ensuring Accurate Color
For designers of printed products, the RGB colors on the screen often differ from the CMYK colors on the printed materials. Creating physical swatch charts is an important method to achieve "what you see is what you get". It helps you calibrate the equipment, predict the effect, and avoid potential color risks in the early design stage. By making your own color swatch charts, you can ensure that the final product seen by the customers is perfectly consistent with your design intention. At the same time, this also enables customers to choose custom colors more intuitively.
How to Make Your Own Swatch Charts to Print
To meet various needs, we will introduce two methods for creating color swatch charts. One method is to print a blank chart first and then color it yourself. The other method is to create a digital color swatch chart using design software and then print it out. You can choose Method 1 or Method 2 according to your actual needs.
Method 1: Coloring by Yourself
This method is suitable for creators who value the characteristics of physical materials. It can most accurately record the colors of hand-painted pigments, special inks, and other materials.
a. Create a Blank Swatch Chart
- First, you need to create a blank color chart. You can design it directly on paper. However, we recommend using a printable swatch chart instead. This will save you time and also allow you to keep the templates for future use.
- You can search for a printable swatch chart online. Then simply print them out.
- If you want a more personalized swatch chart, you can create it yourself using Word or other design software.
If you want to design a printable swatch chart by yourself, please pay attention to the following points:
- Layout: The size of the pre-colored graphics should remain consistent. And please leave some space on the right side or below the graph for making annotations.
- Color: The graphic borders and the explanatory text are recommended to be in light gray to avoid interfering with the subsequent coloring process.
- File: After the design is completed, it is recommended to save it in PDF format. This will facilitate subsequent printing.
b. Print the Blank Swatch Charts
- After obtaining the blank swatch chart, you need to print it out.
- It is recommended to use the same type of paper as you usually use for coloring, as this can present the colors most realistically.
- Please use an inkjet printer for watercolor charts, as the ink is less likely to run when wet.
- Select the corresponding paper type in the print dialogue.
- Select the high-quality printing mode.
c. Fill in Swatches by Hand
- Start coloring on one side of the blank shape.
- You can apply force from light to heavy to make the graphic present a gradient effect.
- Colors of the same hue placed together can help you more clearly observe the differences between them. Actually, you can arrange them according to your own usage habits and preferences.
- After applying one color, you can mark the model number and other information in the reserved space.
Method 2: Coloring with a Printer
This method is suitable for designers who frequently need to output digital designs. It can systematically display the color performance of the printing system.
a. Calibrate Your Screen
Before starting to create a digital file, it is essential to ensure that the colors displayed on the screen are accurate. Otherwise, there will be significant color discrepancies when printed later.
- Hardware Calibration: Use a color calibration device (such as Datacolor Spyder or X-Rite i1Display), install the accompanying software, and follow the prompts to adjust the screen to the standard state (typically set to sRGB or DCI-P3).
- System Built-in Calibration: If no instrument is available, Windows users can search for "calibrate display color", and Mac users can go to "System Preferences > Displays > Presets > Calibrate" to adjust the appropriate brightness and gamma values.
b. Create a Digital Swatch Chart
- Create a New File: In AI or PS, create a document in CMYK color mode with a resolution of 300 PPI.
- Drawing and Coloring: Use the rectangle tool to draw a neat grid of color blocks. It is recommended to divide them according to functions.
- Annotation and Comparison: Mark the precise CMYK percentages for each color block. You can also place the Pantone spot colors side by side with their closest CMYK equivalents, and label them separately.
- Check and Save: Utilize the "Gamut Warning" feature of the software to ensure that all colors are within the printing color range. And save the final chart in PDF format for easy printing in the future.
c. Print Your Color Swatch Chart
- Calibrate Your Printer: Create or use existing ICC profiles specific to your printer and the type of paper you will print on. These profiles help the printer interpret color data correctly and reproduce colors faithfully. Many printer manufacturers or paper suppliers offer downloadable profiles tailored to their products.
- Set Print Parameters: In the driver, accurately select the paper type, print quality, and turn off all automatic optimization functions such as "Ink Saver Mode" or "Image Enhancement" to obtain the purest color output.
- Print Output: Print your digital color swatch chart in a standard environment (such as a stable indoor light source).
- Complete Drying: Allow the swatch chart to dry completely (usually 15-30 minutes), as the hue and density of the ink will change significantly before and after drying.
- Evaluation: Place the dried swatch chart in a standard light box (D50 light source is preferred) and compare it with the calibrated screen display. Record any systematic color deviations, as these data are the direct basis for subsequent soft proofing or color correction.
How to Store Your Own Swatch Charts
Proper storage is a crucial condition for maintaining the integrity of color swatch charts. Please pay attention to the following points when storing swatch charts:
- Please store the color swatch chart in a cool and dry place, avoiding direct sunlight and sudden changes in temperature and humidity. This can prevent the swatch chart from fading or deforming. The ideal temperature is 18 - 22 ℃, and the humidity is 40 - 50%
- Please place the swatch chart flat in the drawer or bookshelf to avoid vertical placement, which may cause the inner pages to bend. Do not stack or rub against rough objects to protect the surface.
- Swatch charts should be kept away from volatile chemical reagents (such as alcohol, glue) and acidic substances to prevent color erosion.
- Clean your hands before use and avoid direct contact with the color blocks.
- It is very necessary to take a photo of the color swatch chart after its production is completed. At regular intervals, you can compare the swatch chart with the photo. If you notice a significant color difference, it is a clear sign that your color swatch needs to be replaced.
FAQs about Making Your Own Swatch Charts to Print
1. How to add new colors to your swatch charts?
- For Hand-drawn Color Swatch Charts: You may reserve blank areas on the original swatch chart or create a new appendix page. Then add new color blocks following the same drawing standards and record relevant information.
- For Fully Printed Color Swatch Charts: You need to add color blocks to the digital swatch chart and output a new color swatch chart using the same printing settings. It is recommended to reprint some of the original key color blocks simultaneously as reference benchmarks to ensure consistency.
2. How often do color swatch charts need to be updated?
It depends on your usage frequency and the stability of the material.
- For Hand-drawn Color Swatch Charts: When enabling a new batch of materials, you can decide whether or not to make a color swatch chart based on your own requirements. For existing color swatch charts, it is recommended to inspect them for fading every 12–18 months. The specific timing can be referenced from when color discrepancies appear in artworks created using the same material.
- For Fully Printed Color Swatch Charts: You need to recreate the color swatch chart after replacing critical components such as ink brand, paper type, or printhead. Under normal circumstances, even if the equipment remains unchanged, it is recommended to reprint and inspect the swatch chart every 6 months, as printhead aging may affect color reproduction.
Summary
Although making your own color card charts requires extra time and effort. But in the long run, color card charts can help you manage colors more systematically, thereby improving your creative efficiency. For hand-drawn color swatches, you can also treat the creation process as a way to relieve stress and improve your brush control. We hope you enjoy this process and achieve the results you expect.
You May Also Want to Know:
