# Browse and search the 13,297-shade Shadecard library - URL: https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/browse-and-search-shade-library - Product: Shadecard (https://sc.abdohoo.app) - Section: Shade library & matching - Updated: 2026-09-30 > Open Shade library from the home screen, filter by one of six families or type a shade name. Type a six-digit hex code to see the nearest fine-grid points with derived recipes. Tap **Shade library** on the home screen to browse all 13,297 shades. Use the family chips (**All**, **Oranges & warm tones**, **Reds & pinks**, **Purples & violets**, **Blues & teals**, **Greens**, **Browns & neutrals**) to narrow the list, or type in **Search shades…** to find a shade by name. Typing a six-digit hex code shows the nearest points on the app's fine reference grid instead. ## What each shade card shows Every card in the library shows the swatch with its hex code, the shade name, the **Y · R · B** ratio with a coloured bar, and a depth word (for example **depth · medium**). ![Shade library filtered to Oranges & warm tones with 1,367 shades, a PDF button, and cards such as Ash Impala and Dusty Fox showing hex, Y R B ratio and depth](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/android-library.webp)The Shade library: family chips, count, PDF export and shade cardsThe footer reminds you how to read them: **ratios set the hue · depth (% owf) is dialed separately · starting points, not lab-precise recipes**. ## Search by name 1. Tap **Search shades…** and type part of a name, for example *olive*. 2. Matching shades appear under their family heading with a count. 3. Tap **✕** (**Clear search**) to see the whole library again. Search matches anywhere in the name and ignores capitals. When the app is in Urdu and the library has updated online, you can also search the Urdu names of the curated shades. ![Library search for olive showing two results in Greens: Dark Olive Y 52 R 18 B 30 deep, and Olive Y 56 R 16 B 28 medium](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/android-library-search.webp)Searching for 'olive'## Search by hex code If you have a colour as a hex code – from a buyer's email or a design file – type it in the search box: six hex digits, with or without **\#** (a code made only of letters, such as *ABCDEF*, needs the **\#** so it is not read as a name). Shadecard then lists **Fine grid · reference coordinates**: the six nearest of 144,380 interpolated points, each with its hex, L\*a\*b\*, ΔE00(2:1) and a derived family, Y:R:B ratio and % owf. ![Hex search for A1B2C3 listing six fine-grid reference coordinates with Lab values, ΔE00 and derived Blues & teals ratios around 0.5% owf](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/android-library-hex-search.webp)A hex search shows the nearest fine-grid points and their derived recipesThese grid points are **reference coordinates, not curated shades** – the app labels them that way. Their recipes are derived from the curated library around them. A hex code describes a screen colour, so treat the result as a neighbourhood to start from. ## Open a shade Tap any card to open the shade page. It shows: - the swatch, family and a source badge (for example **ILLUSTRATIVE SEED**), - hex and **L\* a\* b\*** values, - **Standard color (ISCC-NBS)** – the nearest of 267 standard colour names, with its ΔE, - the **Starting recipe** and a suggested depth, for example *depth · medium (suggest ~1.5% owf)*, - **Visually similar** shades with **Compare** buttons, - **Open in recipe calculator**. Tap the **☆** at the top right to add the shade to **Favourite shades** in **My workspace**. ## Print or share a shade card (PDF) Each family heading has a **PDF** button. It builds an A4 shade card for the shades currently listed under that heading – 72 swatches per page with name and hex – and opens the share sheet so you can print it or send it on WhatsApp. A printed or on-screen swatch is not a dyed standard. Printers and screens reproduce colour differently from dyed cloth. Use the PDF as a reference list, not for approving a shade. ## Keep the library up to date The library ships inside the app and works offline. When online, the app checks for updates at launch. You can also tap the refresh icon at the top right; it reports **Shade library is up to date** or **Library updated** with the new count. ## How the library is built The families are Greens (3,168), Purples & violets (2,561), Browns & neutrals (2,239), Blues & teals (2,117), Reds & pinks (1,845) and Oranges & warm tones (1,367). ![The library section of sc.abdohoo.app: 13297 shades, 6 families, 10 depth ladders, 144k interpolated grid points, family counts and a swatch wall](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/web-library-families.webp)The library at a glance on sc.abdohoo.appIt combines 101 hand-curated shades with coverage-fill shades placed to close gaps. Automated checks keep every pair of shades at least 1.3 ΔE00 apart and leave no gap larger than 3 ΔE00 in the core garment colour region. Coverage-fill ratios are interpolated from nearby curated shades. ## Related - [Find and compare the nearest shades](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/nearest-shades-and-compare) - [Understanding the trichromatic recipe](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/trichromatic-recipe-explained) - Blog: [Shade cards and colour naming systems](https://abdohoo.app/blog/shade-cards-and-colour-naming-systems) ## Frequently asked questions ### How many shades are in each family? Greens 3,168, Purples & violets 2,561, Browns & neutrals 2,239, Blues & teals 2,117, Reds & pinks 1,845 and Oranges & warm tones 1,367, for 13,297 in total. ### Can I search by hex code? Yes. Type six hex digits (for example A1B2C3, or #A1B2C3). The app shows the six nearest reference points on its fine grid, each with a derived family, Y:R:B ratio and % owf. ### Are the library colours measured from dyed fabric? No. They are illustrative values. The shade page says so, and every ratio is a starting point for a lab dip. ### Can I print a shade card? Yes. Each family heading in the library has a PDF button that builds an A4 shade card, 72 swatches per page with name and hex, to print or share.