TIL a $75 fabric swatch book was the best money I ever spent

I was designing a spring line and almost ordered 50 yards of this linen blend based on a tiny online photo, but my mentor said to get the actual swatch book first. The color in real life was totally wrong, a weird greenish tint that would have ruined the whole collection. Has anyone else had a close call like that with color matching?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade_dixon511mo ago

Totally agree with that. Screens can't show color right at all. That swatch book saved you a huge headache.

paiger261mo ago

Feel your pain so much. I once bought a whole roll of what looked like the perfect navy blue canvas online. It showed up and it was basically purple, like a bad bruise. Had to eat the cost and start over. Swatch books are lifesavers for that exact reason, screens lie all the time.

blair63022d ago

Wasn't there a whole article about how phone screens make blues look different? Makes total sense with your purple navy story. Wade_dixon51 is right, it's a huge headache. I've gotten to the point where I just assume any color online is a complete guess. Ordering that swatch book first is the only way to not waste money.