Marker Swatching & Color Charts: Organize Your Sets
Swatching is the fastest way to level up your marker coloring. Learn how to make a marker color chart, why cap colors lie, and how to build simple palettes.
Why swatching beats guessing
Marker caps are not reliable. Ink looks different on different paper, and the same label can vary slightly between batches. A simple swatch chart saves time and prevents surprise colors mid-page.
The simplest swatch chart (no fancy supplies)
- Use the same paper you color on (or print on).
- Write the color code/name next to a swatch.
- Make a 2-layer swatch (one pass + a second pass) to see saturation.
- Optional: add a tiny blend strip with a neighboring color.
How to build palettes fast
Pick one base color family, add a warm/cool shadow, and choose one accent. Repeat. Palettes feel cohesive when they share undertones (all warm, all cool, or intentionally mixed).
Kolorio AI makes this easy: save palettes you love, then reuse them across pages so your whole book has the same vibe.
Free starter kit + launch notification
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FAQ
Do I need a printable chart?
No. A hand-made chart on index cards works great. The key is using the same paper as your final pages.
Should I swatch light-to-dark or by number?
Either works. Many people reorganize by hue (all reds together, etc.) because it's faster to build palettes that way.