If you love colour by numbers and you also love everything autumn, I've made something especially for you: free printable pumpkin swatch cards!
I use swatch cards all the time for my pens and markers. When you have a large collection, particularly sets containing 100, 200 or even 300+ colours, trying to remember what every colour actually looks like on paper is pretty much impossible.
And if you're a colour by numbers fan like me, swatching becomes even more useful.
So, with autumn approaching, I couldn't resist making a pumpkin version of my printable swatch cards.
These are completely free to download and print at home, and each A4 sheet contains four pumpkin-themed swatch cards with 12 colour spaces on each card.
That gives you 48 swatch spaces per printed sheet.
What Are the Free Pumpkin Swatch Cards?
These printable swatch cards are designed to help you create a physical reference for your colouring supplies.
Each A4 sheet contains four individual cards. Every card has:
- 12 pumpkin-shaped swatch spaces
- A small circle inside each pumpkin for adding your colour
- A line underneath each pumpkin where you can write the pen number, colour code or name
- Space at the top for writing the name of the pen set, book or palette
- A hole marker at the top if you want to punch the cards and keep them together on a keyring
Once you've printed and cut them out, you can use them as individual swatch cards or punch the holes and create your own little flip-through swatch collection.
I especially love the latter because you can keep adding cards as your pen collection grows.
And let's be realistic. If you're into colouring, there's a reasonable chance your pen collection will keep growing.
Why I Use Swatch Cards for Colour By Numbers
I've accumulated a lot of colouring supplies, and one thing I've learned is that you can't always trust the colour shown on the outside of a pen.
Sometimes it isn't even close.
A cap might look like a gorgeous muted pink and then produce something considerably brighter on the page. Two pens that look almost identical in the case can turn out completely different once they're actually used.
That's why I prefer having an actual swatch in front of me.
For colour by numbers, I find this particularly useful because I'm often looking for quite a specific colour.
If a book asks for a light brown, for example, I can look through my swatches instead of scribbling five different brown pens onto scrap paper until I find the one I want.
It also means I can see my entire collection at a glance.
Why Swatching Your Pens Is Worth Doing
I'll admit that swatching a massive set of pens can feel like a job when you first open them.
You've got your gorgeous new 144, 192 or 288 colour set sitting in front of you and you want to start colouring, not spend the next hour making tiny blobs on a piece of card.
But I genuinely think it's worth doing.
You See the Actual Colour
This is the biggest reason I swatch my colouring supplies.
The colour printed on a pen barrel, cap or packaging is only a guide. The colour that appears on paper can be quite different.
A physical swatch shows you what you're actually going to get.
It Makes Choosing Colours Faster
Once you've created your swatches, choosing colours becomes so much easier.
Instead of testing multiple pens every time you colour, you can look through your cards and choose the colour you want before putting pen to paper.
This is especially handy if you have hundreds of colours.
You Can Compare Similar Colours
One of my favourite things about having a big pen collection is having lots of slightly different shades.
One of the least convenient things about having a big pen collection is...having lots of slightly different shades.
Swatch cards make those tiny differences much easier to see.
Put your reds, pinks or greens beside one another and suddenly it's much easier to see which one is warmer, cooler, lighter or darker.
They Help With Colour By Number Books
This is where I personally get a lot of use from them.
Some colour by number books give you a colour palette to follow rather than telling you exactly which pen to use.
You might need "dark green", for example, but have eight pens that could reasonably be described as dark green.
Your swatch cards let you compare them before committing to the page.
That's particularly helpful with colouring books where you don't want to discover halfway through an area that you've picked a colour that's far too dark.
How to Print Your Pumpkin Swatch Cards
I've designed these pumpkin swatch cards to print on A4 paper or card.
Personally, I prefer card for swatches because it makes the finished cards sturdier, particularly if I'm going to cut them out and put them onto a keyring.
My physical swatch cards are printed on 180gsm card, which gives you a good idea of the sort of thickness I like.
You don't necessarily need to use exactly the same weight at home. Just check what your printer can comfortably handle.
When printing, make sure your printer isn't doing anything strange like automatically enlarging or cropping the design. Check the print preview before committing to a big batch.
I'd recommend printing one test sheet first.
That way you can make sure you're happy with the size and positioning before using more paper or card.
Paper or Card: Which Is Better for Swatching?
This depends partly on what you're swatching.
For gel pens and acrylic pens, I generally prefer card because it feels sturdier and makes the finished swatch cards much nicer to handle.
If you're using alcohol markers, however, remember that different papers can affect how the ink behaves.
The same marker may look slightly different on smooth marker paper, colouring book paper and cardstock.
If you're making swatches specifically to help you choose colours for a particular colouring book, there's actually an argument for swatching on paper that's as similar as possible to the paper inside that book.
For a general reference collection, though, card works brilliantly.
How to Make Your Pumpkin Swatch Cards
Once you've downloaded and printed the sheet, creating your cards is really simple.
Cut around the outside of each card so that you have four separate pumpkin swatch cards.
You'll see a small circle at the top of each card. You can either leave this alone or use it as a guide for a hole punch.
Then simply swatch each colour inside a pumpkin and write the corresponding pen code or colour name on the line underneath.
At the top, you could write something like:
Languo Acrylic Gel Plus
Acrylic Markers
Disney CBN Palette
Autumn Colours
Or whatever else helps you identify the collection.
Once you've filled several cards, put them together using a keyring, book ring or similar fastener.
You now have a portable little colour library you can flick through whenever you're colouring.
12 Colours Per Card Makes Them Really Flexible
I deliberately went with 12 swatches on each pumpkin card because it makes the cards useful for more than simply swatching a complete pen set.
Yes, you can print enough cards to swatch 48, 96, 144, 192 or more pens.
But you could also use individual cards to make your own palettes.
For example, you could create:
Autumn palette: oranges, browns, reds, mustard yellows and muted greens.
Skin tones: your favourite combinations for colouring people.
Disney colour by number favourites: the pens you repeatedly reach for when colouring Disney pages.
Christmas palette: reds, greens, golds and winter shades.
Favourite colours: your absolute favourites from several different pen sets.
Current project: the colours you're using on one particular colouring page.
You don't have to treat swatch cards as something that can only be used once for an entire pen collection.
Make Your Own Autumn Colour Palette
Since these are pumpkin shaped, it would be rude not to make an autumn palette with them.
You could pick 12 colours from your collection and create a little autumn challenge for yourself.
I'd look for a mixture of:
- Pumpkin orange
- Burnt orange
- Mustard yellow
- Deep red
- Burgundy
- Warm brown
- Chocolate brown
- Olive green
- Forest green
- Beige or cream
- Muted pink
- A darker neutral
Then use only those colours on a colouring page.
Limiting yourself to a small palette can be a fun way to colour because it removes some of the decision making. Instead of staring at 288 pens and wondering where on earth to start, you've already narrowed your choices down to 12.
Can I Use These With Gel Pens?
Absolutely.
Gel pens are actually one of the main reasons I use swatches so much.
I use acrylic gel pens a lot for my colour by number books, and having the colours swatched makes finding the shade I need considerably easier.
You can use the pumpkin swatch cards for acrylic gel pens, ordinary gel pens, acrylic markers, brush acrylic markers, fineliners and plenty of other colouring supplies.
Can I Use These With Alcohol Markers?
Yes, but there is something important to remember.
Alcohol markers bleed through most ordinary paper and cardstock.
If you're swatching alcohol markers onto these cards, put something underneath the sheet to protect your desk or work surface.
You may also find that the ink appears on the reverse of your finished card.
Personally, I wouldn't worry about that if you're using the cards purely as a colour reference, but it's something to be aware of before you start.
And never assume that because a marker hasn't immediately bled through that it won't. Protect your surface first!
Should I Write the Colour Name or Pen Number?
I usually prioritise the code or number printed on the pen.
Names can be useful too, but codes make it much easier to locate the exact pen again, especially in a large set.
Imagine finding the perfect pink on your swatch card and then having to search through 200+ pens trying to work out which one made it.
That's not fun.
Write the code down as you swatch each colour rather than planning to go back and add them afterwards.
Ask me how I know.
Keep Your Swatches in the Same Order as Your Pens
If your pens arrive in a particular order, I recommend keeping your swatches in that order wherever possible.
It makes finding the actual pen much faster later.
For example, if you know that a colour appears towards the end of your swatch cards, you'll know roughly where to look in your pen case.
With really large sets, anything that reduces the amount of rummaging is helpful.
If you completely reorganise your pens into your own colour order, then make your swatches match that system instead.
There isn't one correct way to organise a pen collection. The useful system is the one that makes sense to you.
Print More Than One Sheet
You don't have to stop at 48 colours.
Because this is a printable, you can print as many sheets as you need for your own personal swatch collection.
One sheet gives you 48 spaces.
Two sheets gives you 96.
Three gives you 144.
Four gives you 192.
Six gives you 288.
And if your pen collection has reached the point where you need considerably more than that, you're amongst friends here.
You can also mix these pumpkin cards with my other swatch card designs if you fancy changing things up.
Free Swatch Cards From Emma's Hobby Corner
I've created these because swatching has become a genuinely useful part of how I organise and use my colouring supplies.
I also know that buying a new set of pens can already be expensive enough without needing to buy something else just to organise them.
That's why I love being able to offer printable versions for anyone who has a printer at home.
You can download the pumpkin swatch sheets, print them onto your preferred paper or card and build a swatch collection that works for you.
And because these are pumpkins, I think they're particularly cute for autumn colouring supplies and seasonal palettes.
Don't fancy the pumpkin design? Click here to see all of my free swatch card designs.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Pumpkin Swatch Cards
How many colours fit on each pumpkin swatch card?
Each individual card has 12 pumpkin swatch spaces. There are four cards on each A4 printable sheet, giving you 48 colour spaces per sheet.
Are the pumpkin swatch cards free?
Yes. You can download the printable pumpkin swatch sheet for free from Emma's Hobby Corner for your own personal use.
What size paper do I need?
The printable has been designed for A4 paper or card, making it easy to print using a standard UK home printer.
What cardstock should I use for swatch cards?
I like 180gsm card for my swatch cards because it's sturdier than ordinary printer paper while still being practical to print and cut. Check your own printer specifications before using thicker cardstock.
Can I use the swatch cards for colour by numbers?
Yes! That's actually one of my favourite ways to use swatch cards. They make it much easier to compare colours and find a pen that matches the colour required by your colour by number book.
Can I use them for acrylic gel pens?
Yes. They're great for acrylic gel pens, ordinary gel pens and acrylic markers.
Can I swatch alcohol markers on them?
You can, but alcohol marker ink is likely to bleed through the card. Always protect the surface underneath while you're swatching.
Do I need to punch the hole at the top?
No. The hole is completely optional. You can keep your cards loose, store them in a box or pouch, or punch the holes and put them together on a keyring or book ring.
What should I write underneath each pumpkin?
I recommend writing the colour code or number from the corresponding pen. This makes it much easier to find that exact pen again later.
Can I use them to create colour palettes?
Definitely. Instead of swatching an entire set, use one 12-colour card to create your own palette. You could make seasonal palettes, colour by number palettes or simply save combinations that you particularly enjoyed using.
How many sheets do I need for my pen set?
Because there are 48 spaces per sheet, you'll need one sheet for up to 48 colours, two for 96, three for 144, four for 192, five for 240, six for 288, seven for 336, eight for 384 and nine for 432 colours.
Download Your Free Pumpkin Swatch Cards
Ready to start swatching?
Download your free printable pumpkin swatch cards, grab your favourite pens and start building your colour collection.
Whether you're swatching your entire pen set, organising your colour by number supplies or creating the perfect autumn palette, I hope these make your colouring time that little bit more organised and a lot more fun.
Having trouble with my downloads? Here’s my full guide.
Request a swatch card design
Please note: Requests aren't guaranteed to be created. I'll review your idea and get in touch if it's something I can offer.
🖨️ No Printer? No Problem!
Love these swatch cards but don't want to print and cut them yourself? You can now buy my swatch cards ready-made on TikTok Shop or Etsy, with options from 48 all the way up to 432 colours.
Choose your favourite design:
❤️ Hearts ☁️ Clouds 🦕 Dinosaurs 🦋 Butterflies 🐭 Mickey Heads 🎃 Pumpkins
Got the Languo 144 set? You can also buy my 144 Languo swatch cards already arranged in colour order.
Shop on EtsyJust swatch your pens and start organising your colours! 💕
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