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LETTERING & COLOR

Make an ink swatch grid you can use later

Record repeatable writing samples and small patches on known paper so an ink grid answers a real page question.

Words by Tiny Systems Co.4 min read4 things to tryUpdated September 5, 2026

An attractive ink swatch can show a rich pool of color while telling you very little about the thin writing you'll actually make with it. A reference grid becomes more useful when it records both a small color area and a normal writing sample, on paper you recognize.

This page is a modest comparison tool for inks or pens already in your supplies. You'll give each sample the same space and repeat the same marks, then add a short note about how you used the tool. The grid doesn't rank products or promise a universal result.

Normal writing provides the comparison a rich patch cannot
Normal writing provides the comparison a rich patch cannot Open the diagram
In this guide
Gather a few things See what you’ll need
  • Three pens already available
  • Known paper
  • Pencil and ruler
  • Protective scrap

Choose what the grid needs to answer

Decide whether you want to compare several colors on one paper or one ink on several papers. Don't change both at once in your first grid. For this example, use three pens on the same sheet and ask which color suits a small date line. A community discussion about swatching on lined paper emphasizes the usefulness of testing on the paper someone actually writes on. Goulet's paper comparison similarly holds the pen constant to show differences between paper-and-ink combinations. Those examples support controlling the comparison rather than treating any swatch as definitive.

WATCH & TRY

Build a useful swatch cell

Add identification, repeated marks, and real writing.

Reserve tool labels and sample cellsSame paper, same sampleBlueBrownGray

Reserve tool labels and sample cells

Reserve an identified cell for each tool before adding color.

Now try it on your paper.

Pencil three cells, each about 30 mm wide and 45 mm high, with a 5 mm gap between them. Leave the lower third of each cell for identification and a note. Across the page top, write the paper name or a practical description such as “cream notebook, back test page.” Include the date if you expect to add more samples later. A grid drawn on ruled paper is perfectly usable; the existing lines simply become part of the tested surface rather than a defect you need to disguise.

Reserve labels before the color

Pencil three cells, each about 30 mm wide and 45 mm high, with a 5 mm gap between them. Leave the lower third of each cell for identification and a note. Across the page top, write the paper name or a practical description such as “cream notebook, back test page.” Include the date if you expect to add more samples later. A grid drawn on ruled paper is perfectly usable; the existing lines simply become part of the tested surface rather than a defect you need to disguise.

“Stop when each cell has an identifiable tool, a dry writing phrase, and one observation relevant to your question.”

Repeat a small set of useful samples

In every cell, make a short horizontal line, a compact single-pass patch, and the same phrase: “12 September.” Use your normal writing pressure and speed for the phrase. If you want a second-pass patch, place it beside the first and label it clearly instead of darkening the original sample until it looks impressive. Keep different tools' samples distinct. A broad marker patch and a fine nib's writing won't deposit the same amount of ink, so their difference needs recording rather than silently attributing everything to the color itself.

WATCH & TRY

Compare like applications

Move the reveal control to inspect this specific change.

Unequal applications hide what is being comparedSame paper, same sampleBlue12 Septone passBrown12 Septone passGray12 Septone pass

Unequal loads

Different patch sizes and loads obscure the comparison.

Now try it on your paper.

Write a brief note such as “one pass; crisp phrase,” “patch darker than writing,” or “reverse shows through.” If you perform a timed smear test, use separate marks and record the tested intervals; don't infer a dry time from looking at a shiny patch. A missing observation can stay blank. Avoid claims about permanence, waterproofness, or archival quality based on this grid. Those questions require different information and tests. The value of this page is that another version of you can understand the ordinary conditions under which these samples were made.

Compare three date-line candidates

Label the cells “blue pen,” “brown pen,” and “gray pen,” replacing those descriptions with exact names if known. Let the marks dry before comparing them under the same light. Read the three date phrases at the distance you use your journal. For our example, choose the brown sample if it remains distinct yet sits quietly beside your usual black body writing. Your actual choice can differ. The worked outcome is a documented decision about a small date line, not a prediction that every brown ink will behave similarly.

Record only what you actually observed

Write a brief note such as “one pass; crisp phrase,” “patch darker than writing,” or “reverse shows through.” If you perform a timed smear test, use separate marks and record the tested intervals; don't infer a dry time from looking at a shiny patch. A missing observation can stay blank. Avoid claims about permanence, waterproofness, or archival quality based on this grid. Those questions require different information and tests. The value of this page is that another version of you can understand the ordinary conditions under which these samples were made.

MAKE IT YOURS

Write your swatch record

Record actual observations and unknown identities honestly.

AN EXAMPLE — MAKE IT YOURS

Paper and tools:Cream notebook; blue, brown, gray pens

Question:Which color suits a small date?

Observation:Brown phrase stays distinct; patch is darker.

Your words have a place now.

Record actual observations and unknown identities honestly.

Words on this card
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Now try it on your paper.

Use this completed note beside the worked example. Label the cells “blue pen,” “brown pen,” and “gray pen,” replacing those descriptions with exact names if known. Let the marks dry before comparing them under the same light. Read the three date phrases at the distance you use your journal. For our example, choose the brown sample if it remains distinct yet sits quietly beside your usual black body writing. Your actual choice can differ. The worked outcome is a documented decision about a small date line, not a prediction that every brown ink will behave similarly.

Recover an overfilled or mixed-up cell

If a patch becomes saturated, label it “multiple passes” and make a fresh normal-writing sample below or on a second sheet. Don't compare it as though it matches the single-pass cells. If you forget an ink's identity, write “unknown” and keep any useful visible observation; guessing makes the reference less trustworthy. If the page bleeds, protect the sheet beneath it and switch to smaller writing samples. You can still learn which combination needs a lighter application without trying to turn the damaged patch into an attractive display.

TRY IT ON THE PAGE

Before comparing ink samples

Order the preparation before the operation that needs its result.

One workable order

  1. Label the paper and toolsSample labels identify which paper and tools made the marks.
  2. Make matched writing samplesA dry comparison requires samples that have first been made.
  3. Let the samples dryRead the phrases after drying, because the wet appearance can differ.
  4. Compare the dry phrasesStop when each cell has an identifiable tool, a dry writing phrase, and one observation relevant to your question.

Which check needs to come first?

The example shows one workable order. Record actual observations and unknown identities honestly.

Now try it on your paper.

Stop when each cell has an identifiable tool, a dry writing phrase, and one observation relevant to your question. Add the chosen date line to a normal entry using the same pen and application. Keep the grid accessible with a page reference rather than recreating it for every entry. When a refill, paper, or pen changes, make a new labeled sample instead of assuming the previous result transfers exactly. A compact, readable comparison is more useful than a large collection of unlabeled color patches you cannot reproduce.

Bring the grid back to a real page

Stop when each cell has an identifiable tool, a dry writing phrase, and one observation relevant to your question. Add the chosen date line to a normal entry using the same pen and application. Keep the grid accessible with a page reference rather than recreating it for every entry. When a refill, paper, or pen changes, make a new labeled sample instead of assuming the previous result transfers exactly. A compact, readable comparison is more useful than a large collection of unlabeled color patches you cannot reproduce.

Where this idea began

Want to follow the idea further? These community discussions and maker references are a good place to start.