If you are looking for the perfect fabric material and color for your next company outing, then speak to a professional who can supply you with apparel swatch cards. Swatches can help you to find exactly what you need for your customized order. However, before you ask for your cards, there are a few things you want to consider.

Ask For Bigger Swatches

There is a wide range of swatch types. Keep in mind that some companies will glue swatches to a large book. Others will use individual swatch cards, while some companies will offer the different swatches stapled to paper. Sometimes you will also have the option of receiving individual pieces of fabric that are either marked with a label or a piece of tape describing the fabric.

If you really want to inspect the fabric to make sure that the feel, color, thickness, thread-count, and other factors are best for your needs, then ask for individual free swatches that are not connected to anything. Many swatches will some in a specific dimension, like a 2-inch by 2-inch square. This is often not large enough to make comparisons between fabrics. Ask for a larger sample instead, like one that is six or eight inches square.

The vast majority of smaller swatch cards and fabric sample are free. You may need to pay a small fee for the larger samples. You should only need to pay a few dollars. If this is a concern of yours and you want to look at a dozen samples or more, then request the larger swatch card or book first. You can then narrow down the choices and request the larger samples.

Ask For Specific Pantone Colors

Most companies will have a set of standard colors that are used when developing websites, signs, marketing materials, and other products. If you want your apparel to match, then you should make sure that all colors are the same. To help with this, make sure that you find the specific Pantone color used by the company and then ask the fabric professional to label each swatch with its own matching Pantone color. While you may not be able to find a perfect match, you can use a Pantone book to figure out which of the fabrics is the closest in tone. 

Some companies will also dye fabrics for you, and you can ask for samples of these specialty fabrics as well. 

If you want to know more about swatch cards and fabrics, speak with a fabric retailer.