Swatch your inks! This is how I’m doing it in 2026.

If you’ve been staring at those ink pads and wondering which color is best for a particular card project, there’s no time like the present to start swatching your inks! There are many ways to create swatch reference tools, but I’m a big fan of easy to grab swatch rings, where I can flip through colors with ease, to find the exact color I need.

Today I’m sharing how I’m approaching swatching in 2026! Check out my video here:

First up, let’s get you the free download. These are designed to work with the Waffle Flower Combo Tag die set, which is one of my favorite swatching dies. (Click on the image below to download a zipped file. The file needs to be unzipped to access the files, which can then be viewed in Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Find the companies you want (there are three pages in all) and print onto white cardstock. Then, cut the full page in half (4.25 x 11) which makes it easier to place the tag to cut the one you want. I have included an A4 PDF for our friends overseas. (Note: if there is an ink company you would like me to add, just email me at cathy@cathyzielske.com)

In the video I mentioned how to Chain Print on a Brother P-Touch Label Maker. I have an older model, but I am fairly sure it works the same on the newer ones. Chain printing helps you avoid wasted tape by printing the labels closer together. I am using the 6mm label tape for this project.

I hope this idea gets you going on swatching. I know for me, it saves a lot of time and guesswork, when I can flip through a swatch ring and find exactly the colors I’m looking for.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

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