Filament swatch

You need filament swatches / filament samples for testing different colors and makes? You want to know the colors you have on spool at the moment?

Customization

Here are customizable filament swatches / tests, where you can change all the text using the makerworld online customizer or OpenSCAD. This way you don't have to print and stick any labels anymore.

To customize locally on your computer, install OpenSCAD on your own computer and follow the customizing instructions on this thing page or these more in depth instructions. Also check out the “Customizing using OpenSCAD” section below for tips about fonts etc.
Alternatively, you can also use the Thingiverse customizer.

Update Nov 25: Now you can select top and bottom test patterns separately to activate and also select the swatch type (basic rounded vs. bottom rounded and top edgy) separately, as requested by Stacker55 

Update 2023 Nov 13 for bi/tri-color filament: Now all round test areas are configurable (see the array "tests"). So you can even configure 3 filament-holes.

This is useful for bi-color and tri-color filament: Just use these 3 filament holes, and put a piece of unprinted filament into each, but rotated by 60 degree. Thus showing the 3 colors in an unprinted way:

PLA tri-color and bi-color variants are included also as STLs. Let me know if swatches are missing!

Ready-made swatches for specific filaments

You can get the complete collection (colors, materials) of all Prusament filament swatches and all Filament-PM filament swatches. WilliamKerri created all esun filament swatches. 
In case you have the list of filaments (colors, materials, nozzle temperature) from other vendors, let me know and I will create the respective swatches as well.

What is that little hole on top for? 
The 7th hole is made to stick in a piece of filament for later reference, which is a great idea first realized in this remix by mathiaspl20:

Note: I originally uploaded this to Thingiverse, so there are some references below to that site. You can find >3000 remixes and >100 photos of makes there.

If you print a swatch, please share a picture using the "comment" button and attach the picture. This way we can collect here filament print quality via pictures...

You can customize:

• 3 lines of text (for make/type/color/printer settings for the material): upper, lower left, lower right
• By default, all kinds of test patterns are included in the swatch. This way you can easily see how well the filament printed. You can select how many round test pattern are included. You can check overhangs, bridging, pyramids, roundness, etc. 
• There is a fourth text on the top side to indicate the material type quickly when the swatches are in their box. You can set this text using a drop-down box or a free text field, as requested by Sembazuru.
• Thickness progression of the 'layers', defined as an array of numbers
• Wether the thickness steps numbers have include leading zeroes, trailing zeroes or nothing, as requested by sparkyman215 and Sembazuru
• Font, font size (font size can be set for the main text and the steps separately. Setting a font size to 0 removes the text), text line distance, wether the text is raised or embossed
• Size of the swatch
• Hole diameter, grooves, etc
• Wether to rotate the text on the steps, as requested by IllyStorm
• As default, "Pathway Gothic One" font is selected for better readability. You can also check the V5 .stl files as font samples. The first line on each swatch is the fonts name. You can check if the text is still well readable after slicing these swatches all at once.
• New: You can add holes in the swatch to hang it up with a tack (either on top or on the right hand side). Use e.g. [tack_hole="top";]. The idea is from gloda, thanks! He attaches the swatches to his filament boxes:

Browsable Filament Box

The swatches fit into this new hinged box with print-in-place hinges, which hold each swatch in place. Its easy to browse and arrange swatches using the mechanism.

Standard Box

As they are, the swatches fit into this customizable filament box. There you find different sizes (for 20, 30, 40 swatches) and also versions with pegboard pins. The box is based on the one from Jaxel. 

Box dividers

In case you print several filament swatches, you might need a solution to remember which spools are empty or bad. For this, use these configurable dividers. Included are “bad”, “good”, “empty”, “nearly empty”, and a few filament types like “PLA”, “ABS”, “PETG”.

Swatch holders

There are several great swatch holders available, e.g. Nekothechamps Filament Swatch holder:

Queeeks Numbered holder, e.g. to know which material is currently in the MMU:

OttScotts Drybox with holder:

Dylan Thurstons drybox with holder:

MikkoP's Gridfinity swatch box:

Psytropomrphs  Gen2-drawer for 40 swatches:

Infill swatches

Have a look also at the cool size-compatible infill swatches from oak-buffalo:

Credits

Thanks to badmonkeyedd and ixpatch and midnightsmith and tyhi3d and mino and divinejimmi and pallihauks for their photos and the approval to re-use them here!

Thanks to gloda for the idea to add holes to hang up the swatch with a tack!

Thanks to Colonel Panic for finding a bug in the customizer code for zero handling!

Thanks to SimonHawkins for the hint to add PLA+ to the selector in the SCAD file.

More things to download

If you like it, please have a look at all my customizable creations. There are configurable-text-based creations, multi-line label, gadget display stand, sweeping name plate, bunting banner, customizable text box III, pyramid text, name plate, Customizable text box with lid and round text. Have also a look at my configurable pack of dogs, rabbits, reindeers and santas. There are also useful coat hangers and finger toys. I have functional furniture as well.

Or just check out all my creations.

Background on swatches

Insipration came from different swatch cards on thingiverse, all attached in the "remixed from" section on the Thingiverse model, and they seem to all go back to the design from venegade. The swatches are: Color swatches, Swatch for label maker, Swatch toolkit, Filament card with label, Elixir filament swatches, A better filament swatch, Yet another filament sample. Thanks go out to all of the designers for the idea and the subsequent iterations!

Thanks go out to teruteru314 for supplying the same model as solidworks file (.sldprt) which is included on the original Thingiverse page, as i cannot upload it here.
There are some bug fixes in version "S", thanks to Lyl3t for the review.

Print instructions

It slices well using PrusaSlicer, Slic3r or Simplify3D.
If you have troubles slicing using Cura, e.g. thickness steps are disappearing: Set "Slicing Tolerance Option" to "middle". Thanks go to Keichide for the hint.

To have comparable swatches as the ones posted here, please print the swatch at

• Layer height .2mm
• 2 Perimeter
• 4 bottom solid layers, 5 top solid layers
• 20% infill (fill pattern grid, fill angle 45 degree)

Don't use supports. The structures are there to evaluate how well bridges work without supports.

Customizing using OpenSCAD

If you want to use OpenSCAD on your own computer to customize (good idea!):

• Download latest version of OpenSCAD, (See section "Development snapshots")
• Download the .SCAD file from here.
• Open the .scad file in OpenSCAD.
• Change the variables. You find them in the beginning of the .SCAD file. E.g. text="your text";
• Press "F5" to get a quick preview.
• Press "F6" when you like the preview. This will render the geometry and takes a little time.
• Press "F7" to save the geometry to an .STL file.
• Slice and print the .STL file.

Additional hints for fonts

• Make sure you know the fonts on your system, and choose only from them. The fonts listed in the code are the ones available from google. By default, none are installed on your personal PC!
• In case you want to use the fonts listed in the code: All are available for free from google. E.g. download "Bangers". Install all the fonts you want to use. Then restart OpenSCAD.
• Set the fontname (either an installed one or one preinstalled on your system) fontname="Bangers"; in the .scad file.

Workaround in case fonts do not show up in OpenSCAD:

• Workaround 1: Choose the option to "install for all users" when installing the fonts. 
• Workaround 2: The fonts are by default in C:/Windows/Fonts. Put the TTF files in C:\Program Files/OpenSCAD/fonts/Liberation-2.00.1/ttf instead and restart OpenSCAD.
• Workaround 3: Copy the font file to C:/Users//.fonts (create the directory if it doesn't exist) 
• Workaround 4: Copy the font to a path and in OpenSCAD write "use <path/to/font.ttf>"