Beginner's guide · Updated September 2026

How to make custom filament swatch cards

A filament swatch is a small physical sample that records how a spool actually looks when printed. A consistent card makes colours, finishes and light transmission easier to compare than photographs or catalogue images.

What should a filament swatch include?

At minimum, label each card with the filament manufacturer, product or colour name, and material. PLA, PETG, TPU and PA can look similar on a shelf but behave very differently in a printer. A useful test card can also include thickness steps, transparency windows or recorded ironing settings.

Make a swatch in five steps

1. Read the brand, colour and material from the spool label.
2. Enter those details in the free filament swatch generator.
3. Select the material so the card receives the corresponding physical notch marker.
4. Inspect the generated 3D mesh and make sure the engraved text is correct.
5. Generate the STL, import it into your slicer and save the resulting print with the spool.

Choose consistent slicer settings

The most useful comparison comes from printing every swatch with a repeatable profile. Use the nozzle, layer height, temperature and cooling settings that represent how you normally print that material. If you change a variable, record it and avoid comparing the result as if only the filament changed.

How the Free 3D Samples model works

The generated card measures 85 × 54 × 4.5 mm. It includes six transparency windows and identifies PLA, PETG, TPU or PA through a notch convention. The generator lets you add the brand and colour name without installing CAD or editing an OpenSCAD file.

Organize the finished cards

Store cards in one orientation and sort them by material first, then brand or colour. Keeping a matching card beside each active spool makes it easier to select materials for a project and recognize similar colours after labels or packaging have changed.