---
title: "Fabric Swatch Size: Small Squares, 4-Inch Velvet on Request"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-swatch-size-bigger-swatches/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-07-25"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "fabric swatch size, cushion fabric samples, velvet swatch 4 inch, how big are fabric swatches, fabric swatches before ordering"
---

# How big are the fabric swatches, and can I get bigger ones?

*A swatch no bigger than a postage stamp can still tell the truth about color, my friends. Here's what it shows, and what to ask for when you need more.*

Also asked as: How big are the swatches?; Is it possible to get 4-inch squares?

> **The quick answer:** Standard fabric swatches are small, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in (3-4 cm) square, enough to judge true color, weave and texture. Velvet can be sent as 4 x 4 in (10 x 10 cm) squares if you order through the fabric-samples listing and ask in a note, and some sample orders have arrived around 6 in (15 cm) square.

![Ivory textured cushion on an antique pine blanket chest at the foot of a linen bed, gray tabby cat curled up on top](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/ivory-cushion-antique-pine-chest-foot-of-bed-1600.webp "An ivory cushion turns an antique pine chest into an end-of-bed seat. The tabby clearly approves.")

## Key facts

- Standard swatches are about 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 in (3 x 3 cm) or 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 in (4 x 4 cm).
- Some sample orders have arrived as pieces about 6 x 6 in (15 x 15 cm).
- Velvet swatches can be sent as 4 x 4 in (10 x 10 cm) squares on request through the fabric-samples listing.
- Larger physical swatches are not generally available.
- Photos of finished cushions and customer photos in your colors are the alternative.
- The sample fee covers shipping and can be refunded or deducted from a later cushion or sofa order.

## What a small square can tell you

A [swatch](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#swatch) doesn't need to be large to be truthful. Standard ones are about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in (3-4 cm) square, enough to show true color, the weave and the hand. Hold one by a window at noon, then under your lamps at dusk, and it will tell you more than any photograph. Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does.

Most buyers want bigger, and I understand. Some sample orders have gone out as pieces about 6 in (15 cm) square, and [velvet](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/velvet/) can come as 4 x 4 in (10 x 10 cm) squares on request. Beyond that, larger physical swatches aren't generally available. The [swatch Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/) walks through ordering. What light does your room get in the late afternoon?

## A sample order that works hard

- ✓ Buy the fabric-sample option once and list every code you want in the note; they ship together.
- ✓ For velvet, order through the fabric-samples listing and write "please send 4 in squares."
- ✓ Look at each swatch in morning daylight and again under evening lamps.
- ✓ Ask for photos of finished cushions and customer photos in the colors you're weighing.
- ✓ Mention your sample order when you buy the cushions; the fee can be refunded or deducted.

## Three ways to see a color bigger

| Option | Size | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Standard swatch | About 1 1/4-1 1/2 in (3-4 cm) square | True color, weave and texture |
| Velvet square, on request | 4 x 4 in (10 x 10 cm) | How the pile catches light as you tilt it |
| Finished-cushion and customer photos | A whole cushion | The shade at full size, in a real room |

> **Tailor's margin:** Velvet fabric swatches can come as 4 x 4 in (10 cm) squares: order from the fabric-samples listing and write the request in the note.

> A 1 1/2 in fabric swatch is small but honest: hold it in daylight for true color, then ask for finished-cushion photos to see the shade at full size.
>
> — Élodie

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** How large are your swatches, and do you do bigger ones?

**The workshop's answer:** Standard swatches are small, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 in (3-4 cm) square, to show true color and texture. Velvet can come as 4 x 4 in squares: buy them through the fabric-samples listing and add a note asking for 4 in squares.

**A common question:** Do you sell fabric samples, and what size are they?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Buy the fabric-sample option on a listing and list any extra colors in a message, and they ship together. Those swatches were about 6 x 6 in (15 x 15 cm). The sample charge covers shipping only and can be refunded or deducted when you order the cushions or sofa.

**A common question:** Can I see bigger swatches, or the colors made into cushions?

**The workshop's answer:** Larger physical swatches aren't available. Instead, the shop sends photos of finished cushions and customer photos in the colors you're considering, and says they're true to the real color.

**A common question:** Do I pay for each swatch separately?

**The workshop's answer:** No. The swatches themselves are free; one small flat fee per sample order covers shipping. That fee has often been deducted from a later cushion or sofa order, and close-up photos in chat cost nothing.

## Questions buyers ask next

### How long do fabric samples take to reach the US?

Samples travel by FedEx to the US once they leave the workshop. Ask for current dispatch and delivery times when you order them, and allow a little longer in busy periods before you expect them at the door.

### Is a digital mockup a good stand-in for a bigger swatch?

It helps with shape and layout. Once you've picked colors, the shop can send a digital mockup of your cushion in that fabric, plus close-ups and finished-cushion photos. For color-critical projects, back it up with physical samples.

### Which fabrics can I get swatches of?

Any fabric the shop sells. Buy the Fabric Sample option once, on a cushion listing or the fabric-samples listing, and write the exact fabric codes you want in the personalization or note box.

## Related at the atelier

- [What does the "fabric sample" option in the size menu mean?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fabric-sample-option-size-menu-meaning/): The fabric sample option in a listing's size menu buys fabric swatches only, not a cushion.
- [Can you mock up my cushion in the fabric I picked before I order?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-mockup-rendering-before-ordering/): Yes, the workshop can send a digital mockup of your custom cushion in the fabric you picked, once your colors are chosen.
- [How long do fabric samples take to arrive?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/how-long-fabric-samples-take-to-arrive/): Fabric samples run on two clocks, preparation at the workshop and transit with the courier, and both change with the season, so ask the workshop for current times when you order.
- [Custom Throw Pillow in Arch Jacquard for a Velvet Armchair](https://cushionguide.com/readings/arch-pattern-pillow-burgundy-velvet-armchair/): A throw pillow in an armchair looks right when it fills the corner without pushing you forward off the seat, and a thin knife-edge pillow set at an angle does exactly that.
- [Custom Bench Cushion in Cobalt Corduroy for a Small Dining Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cobalt-corduroy-bench-cushion-pine-dining-nook/): In a small dining nook, a custom bench cushion cut flush to the bench ends and piped in its own fabric makes the spot feel generous, because one unbroken block of color reads as built-in furniture…
- [Lumbar Pillow in Yellow Stripe: What to Spend On, What to Swap](https://cushionguide.com/readings/yellow-stripe-lumbar-rose-stripe-squares-cane-bed/): The lumbar pillow is the place to spend on a bed, because it sits front and center and gets handled most.
- [How to order fabric swatches that actually settle the decision](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/)
- [Why the color on your screen isn't the cushion you'll get, and how to choose](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/)

*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/fabric-swatch-size-bigger-swatches/