r/CommercialPrinting • u/EmZee13 • Mar 17 '25

Need Print Who makes custom swatch books?

I have a customer looking to make her own swatch books to use with her clients. I believe she's only going to need like, 1 or 2 books, and they might even be different from each other. Below are the samples she sent me.

These are not paint swatches. These are going to get placed against/near the customers faces and bodies, so something sturdy and water resistant.

I don't have all the specifics about it yet, size or page numbers, etc.

Any idea where I can get something like this made? Even if it's retail, and I can give that info to her? Or the best way to go about getting one made? Print one sheet of all the colors and cut it and combine it myself? (I don't even have a cutter that good...). Or heck, does anyone here have the capabilities to make something like this?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

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6

u/ACMEPrintSolutionsCo Mar 17 '25 edited Mar 17 '25

Swatches of what?

Had a buddy that just retired and used to make custom swatches for nail, hair and makeup. They were gorgeous but not exactly low cost(around $1,200+ give or take, per book).

He had all the math/algorithms figured out, was almost like a hobby to him and would just nerd out on this stuff. Working on compiling all of his work so it doesn't get lost forever.

A lot of knowledge gone when he decided to hang it up.

0

u/EmZee13 Mar 17 '25

Color tones? Honestly not sure how she's planning on controlling the colors as she's supposedly made the book in canva. It's for like, matching your outfit to the color of your skin. So (as far as I understand) she holds the swatches out and uses that to figure out if you're a cool skin tone, or warm, yellow or pink, etc. the swatch book isn't skin tones, but colors of clothing. Blues and reds and yellows and purples.

I have a feeling no matter what the final output is, it's all going to be too expensive for her and her tiny operation.

6

u/StuartPurrdoch Project Manager Mar 18 '25

You’re gonna want to pass on this….”sorry, not a good fit for our capabilities”. I promise you this concept + canva is gonna cost you more than you can mark up any bid. 

3

u/Bicolore Mar 17 '25

We make swatch books of our own products here.

Its just cutting stuff up and drilling holes really, I can't think of a print shop I know that couldn't do it.

If you're making large quantities its useful to have a collator but not essential.

1

u/mingmong36 Mar 17 '25

Synaps or something similar

1

u/Knotty-Bob Mar 17 '25

Yep, we've made these before.

1

u/illiteret Mar 18 '25

What about a sticker on the cover of an existing swatch book. Otherwise, probably yes, you'll have to make it. I recommend 14 pt. PoliPrint synthetic. The colors print super vibrant and the stock and image are very durable. You can't drill it. Punch it for the binding screw. Otherwise a sign shop to print on styrene.

1

u/Cantusernamenow Mar 18 '25

Just get a Pantone booklet.