Swatch
A small sample of a colour, on cloth, paper, paint card or screen.
Also: colour chip, sample
A swatch was originally a small cutting of cloth kept as a sample. The meaning widened to any small patch that shows a colour: a paint chip from a hardware shop, a square in a printed colour guide, or a saved colour in design software. Swatches make it possible to compare and agree on colours without describing them in words. They should be judged with care. A small sample tends to look lighter and weaker than the same colour over a whole wall or garment, and it changes with the light.