How to make filament swatches
- Type the label: brand, material, colour name and, if you like, the nozzle and bed temperatures. Each line is sized to fit the card.
- Choose the card: Standard 75 × 40 mm, Compact 60 × 30 mm or Credit-card 85 × 54 mm, with the hanging hole on the left, right or not at all.
- Set the thickness steps to match the layer height you print with. The step values are shown under the controls.
- Download the STL – or open the Batch tab, paste your whole filament list and download every swatch at once as a ZIP.
- Print it flat, text up, with no supports. Put the swatches on a ring and hang them by the printer.
Recommended print settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Layer height | The one you chose for the steps (0.2 mm by default) |
| First layer height | Same as the layer height, so the thinnest step is exactly its value |
| Infill | 100% – the steps then show the filament's true translucency, not an infill pattern |
| Walls | 2–3 |
| Supports | None – the card prints flat, text facing up |
| Temperature and speed | Your normal settings for that filament, so the swatch shows the finish you will really get |
Tips for a useful swatch collection
- Print every swatch the same way. Same layer height, infill and speed, so differences between swatches come from the filament, not the settings.
- Hold the steps up to a light. The step where the light stops showing through tells you the minimum wall thickness for an opaque print in that colour.
- Keep the list in a spreadsheet. Copy the Brand, Material, Colour and Temperature columns and paste them into the Batch tab – tab-separated rows work as they are.
- Keep names short. "Bambu" and "PLA Matte" stay large and crisp; long names are shrunk to fit and get harder to read.
- Engraved text on dark filament can be hard to read. Rub a little white paint or chalk into the letters and wipe the surface clean.
Want matching labels for boxes or drawers? The Name Keychain Generator makes raised text tags, and the Gridfinity Bin Generator makes bins to keep swatches and spare parts in.
Frequently asked questions
What is a filament swatch?
A small printed sample card, one per spool, labelled with the brand, material and colour. Kept on a ring or in a box, swatches let you compare real printed colours and finishes side by side – far more reliable than the photo on the box or the colour of the spool.
What are the thickness steps for?
They show how the filament looks at different wall thicknesses. Hold the swatch up to a light: most colours are translucent at 0.4–0.8 mm and opaque from about 1.6 mm. That tells you how thin walls, lampshades, lithophanes or light diffusers will look before you print them.
How do I make swatches for my whole collection at once?
Open the Batch tab and enter one filament per line as Brand, Material, Colour, Temperature (the temperature is optional). You can paste straight from a spreadsheet. Download all gives a ZIP with one named STL per filament, up to 50 at a time. Every swatch uses the card, step and text settings you have chosen.
Engraved or embossed text – which should I choose?
Engraved text (cut 0.6 mm into the top) keeps the top flat, prints cleanly in one colour and stacks neatly on a ring. Embossed text stands 0.6 mm proud; add a filament change at the card thickness (3.0 mm by default) for contrasting letters, or colour the tops with a paint pen.
Why does it warn that my letters are small?
Engraved or raised letters under about 3.5 mm tall lose their shape with a 0.4 mm nozzle. Long names are shrunk to fit the card, so shorten the text (for example "Bambu" rather than "Bambu Lab"), leave out the temperature line, or switch to the Credit-card size.
Which layer height should I pick?
Pick the layer height you will print the swatches with. Every step is an exact number of layers (0.4 mm steps are two 0.2 mm layers), so each step prints at its true thickness and the steps stay comparable between filaments.
What fits the hanging hole?
The hole is 5 mm across, which suits split key rings, ball chains, cable ties and 25–40 mm binder rings. You can put it in the left or right top corner, or leave it out if your swatches live in a box.