--- title: "Are Fabric Samples Free? Free Swatches, One Shipping Fee" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/are-fabric-samples-free-sample-fee/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/" published: "2026-03-24" updated: "2026-09-24" keywords: "are fabric samples free, fabric sample fee, cushion fabric swatches, free fabric swatches, order fabric samples before cushion" --- # Are fabric samples free, or do I have to pay for them? *The swatches cost nothing; the envelope that carries them does. Here is how to order samples that settle a color in one trip.* Also asked as: Do you offer fabric samples? What's the cost?; Could you send me a fabric sample? > **The quick answer:** The fabric swatches themselves cost nothing; you pay one small flat fee that covers shipping, charged per sample order rather than per swatch. Buy the fabric-sample option on a listing and write the codes you want. In past orders the fee has sometimes come off a later cushion order, so ask when you order. Close-up photos in chat cost nothing. ![Front view of a caramel bouclé bench cushion with its side zipper half open, showing a pale inner layer, on an oak bench](https://cushionguide.com/media/cushion-covers/caramel-boucle-cushion-side-zipper-front-view-1024.webp "A zipper along the side panel means the caramel cover can come off without taking the bench apart.") ## Key facts - The swatches are free; the sample fee covers shipping only. - One flat fee covers the whole sample order, not each swatch. - You pay by buying the fabric-sample option on a listing. - In past orders the fee has sometimes been deducted from a later cushion or sofa order, though not every time. - Close-up photos and photos of the color chart are a free, instant alternative in chat. - One sample pack has covered up to 5 colors, and swatches are roughly palm-sized, about 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) square. - Sample dispatch and courier times change with the season; allow more in busy weeks. ## Before you pay the sample fee - ✓ Choose the fabric-sample option on a cushion listing. It buys swatches, not a cushion. - ✓ Write every code you want in the personalization box. One fee covers the whole envelope. - ✓ Ask whether the fee comes off your later cushion order. It sometimes has, though not every time. - ✓ Hold each swatch against your wall, sofa or rug by a window at midday. ## What the sample fee is not - ✗ Not a charge per swatch. - ✗ Not a cushion: checking out without a size buys samples only. - ✗ Not the only way to see a fabric: close-up photos arrive in chat straight away, at no cost. ## Why I still want the swatch in your hand A photograph is a translation; a swatch is the original. A small square of linen held against your painted wall at noon answers in a second what a screen argues about all evening. The [swatch ordering pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/) walks through it code by code. For a quick yes or no between two codes, ask for close-ups first, my friends. For a sofa match or a paint color, order the swatches and read [screen versus daylight](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/) before you decide. What are you matching: a sofa, a wall, a rug? > **Tailor's margin:** Fabric swatches are free; one flat fee pays the shipping for the whole sample order, not per swatch, so list every code you want at once. > Close-up fabric photos in chat are free and instant; order paid swatches when a color has to match a sofa or a wall paint exactly. > > — Élodie ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Do you offer fabric samples, and how much do they cost? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. One sample pack covers up to 5 fabric codes for a small fee that pays the shipping. Open the fabric samples listing, pick 'Fabric Sample' at the top of the Length dropdown and write the codes in Add Personalization. If you'd rather not wait, close-up photos come right away. **A common question:** Can you send color samples before I order? I want to compare them with my wall paint. **The workshop's answer:** Yes. You pay only the shipping fee and the swatches are mailed to you. The workshop can also send a photo of its color chart to hold up against your paint. **A common question:** Do you send samples so I can see the colors and feel the material? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. Order the fabric swatch option on the listing and write the color numbers in the personalization box. Samples cover linen, velvet and soft fabric, and the workshop tells you when they will ship. The swatches cost nothing; you pay only the small shipping fee. **A common question:** I ordered the fabric sample by mistake. Can I switch to the cushion? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. Checking out without a size buys samples only; in past mix-ups the workshop refunded the sample order and the buyer reordered with a size. An unshipped sample order has also been canceled when the buyer had already decided. ## Questions buyers ask next ### How many codes fit in one sample order? One sample pack has covered up to 5 codes, and some packs have held swatches of a whole color range. Name the codes you want in the personalization box; the fee stays one flat charge for the order. ### Will the finished cushion look exactly like the swatch? Very close. The cushion is cut from new fabric, so it usually looks cleaner and a touch more vibrant than a chart swatch. Judge any swatch in daylight by a window, not under a warm lamp at night. ### Can a few swatches ride along with my cushion order? Yes. Send the codes before your cushion ships; a few swatches have ridden along inside the same parcel before. Sample codes on a separate order can also be changed or added until it ships. ## Related at the atelier - [Is the fabric sample price per swatch, or do I get several colors for one price?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-sample-price-per-swatch-or-per-order/): The fabric sample fee is charged once per sample order, not per swatch. - [Can I order fabric swatches before I buy a cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/order-fabric-swatches-before-buying-cushion/): Yes, you can order fabric swatches before buying a cushion: buy the Fabric Sample option once, from the top of a cushion listing's size menu or the fabric-samples listing, and write the exact codes… - [Can I see close-ups or samples of the fabric before I order?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-samples-close-up-photos-before-ordering/): Yes: close-ups and real-life photos of specific fabric codes and color pairings are sent on request, and samples from the fabric-samples listing are the recommended way to judge texture in hand. - [How to order fabric swatches that actually settle the decision](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/): Order cushion fabric swatches by shortlisting up to 5 fabric codes, including the piping colors you are weighing, and writing every code in the note of a single sample order. - [Striped Bench Cushion Makeover: Picking Stripe Width by Seat](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-taupe-red-striped-cotton-cushion-stack/): When a striped bench cushion anchors a makeover, match the stripe width to the seat: fine ticking for chair pads, a mid-width stripe for most seats, a wide awning stripe for long benches where it… - [OEKO-TEX Standard 100 on a cushion: what it covers and how to check it](https://cushionguide.com/guides/oeko-tex-standard-100-cushions/): An OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label means the certified textile was tested against harmful-substance limits for its product class, from class I for babies to class IV for decoration. - [Replacing a discontinued cushion by copying the one you have](https://cushionguide.com/guides/copy-existing-or-discontinued-cushion/) *With color and care — Élodie* --- Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/are-fabric-samples-free-sample-fee/