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Color swatch guide

How to add color swatches to the Rise theme.

Rise is a free Shopify theme on Dawn's version number (16.1.0, October 9, 2026), but it's the only one of Shopify's 24 free themes that the Theme Store doesn't tag with color swatches (checked October 23, 2026). Theme Store rules require listed themes to support swatches on product options, so the feature may just be untagged, but we couldn't confirm it. Test on a duplicate before you plan around native swatches.

Checked Rise theme profile

Which route fits Rise?

Route 1

Shopify's native swatches.

Route 2

A swatch app.

Until native swatches are confirmed for Rise, an app is the route you can count on. GLO Color Swatch Variant Image covers product and collection pages on its free plan, Swatchy (Color Swatches) turns option menus into color and image swatches, and Color Swatch Pug covers both page types for a monthly fee.

  1. Duplicate Rise first

    In Online Store > Themes, open the menu beside Rise and choose Duplicate. Set up the app on the copy, preview it, and publish the copy only when the swatches look right. Your live store keeps working while you test.

  2. Install the app and start its trial or free plan

    Install the app from the Shopify App Store and approve the access it asks for. Every app suggested on this page had a free plan, a free listing or a free trial of 7 to 30 days when we checked on October 23, 2026, so you can test before you pay.

  3. Switch on the app embed

    Open the theme editor on your copy (Online Store > Themes, then Customize or Edit theme), click the App embeds icon in the left sidebar, switch on the app's embed and click Save.

  4. Match each color name to a swatch

    In the app's own settings, give each color name a hex value or a small image. Apps read your option values as text, so Navy on one product and Navy Blue on another need two swatches. Tidy the names first and you only set each color once.

  5. Avoid two sets of swatches

    If your test showed that Rise does have a Swatch setting in its Variant picker block, set it to None while the app is on, so the page shows one picker.

  6. Preview a product page and a collection page

    Use the theme editor preview, then a phone, to check both page types in Rise. If the app adds collection-page swatches, click one on a product card and confirm the card's photo or link changes to that color.

Apps that fit Rise

Swatch apps for Rise, from each App Store listing on October 23, 2026
AppFromRatingWhat it does
GLO Color Swatch Variant Image $9.90/month 4.9 (1,906 reviews) A dedicated swatch app whose free plan already covers collection-page swatches and hiding sold-out options; image swatches start on the $9.90 Silver plan.
Swatchy ‑ Color Swatches $8.99/month 4.6 (25 reviews) A newer Built for Shopify app that turns option menus into color, image and size swatches; the free plan covers one product, so it's mainly a way to test.
Color Swatch Pug $6.99/month 4.6 (55 reviews) One $6.99 monthly plan with a 14-day trial for color and pattern swatches on collection and product pages; it isn't Built for Shopify, and its listing still links to this site, which is independent of the publisher.

Prices and ratings change often; check the listing before you install. This site is not affiliated with any of these publishers.

Alternatives: OP Color Swatch Variant Images and Rubik Variant Images & Swatch restyle the product-page picker, and FB Variant Image, Color Swatch is free. Compare them in the apps table on the color swatch guide hub.

Route 3

Editing the theme code.

You don't need to edit code for swatches in Rise. Rise is a current Shopify theme, so test for native swatches first and use an app if they're missing; either is safer than editing the theme.

Collection pages.

Rise isn't confirmed to show swatches on product cards, and the Theme Store doesn't list swatch filters for it either. An app is the reliable way to put colors on collection pages.

  1. Add an app that shows card swatches

    GLO Color Swatch Variant Image (free plan lists collection-page variants) and Color Swatch Pug (collection and product pages) both add swatches under product cards through an app embed. Test on a duplicate of Rise first.

  2. Add color filters with swatches (optional)

    Open the Search & Discovery app, go to Filters > Add filter, choose Color with the type Category metafield, then open Manage values and turn on Include swatch. For patterns, turn on Use images when available so the filter shows each entry's image.

Rise at a glance.

The theme's facts from the Shopify Theme Store and Shopify's own pages, checked October 23, 2026. Anything we could not confirm says so.

Full Rise profile Check images against Rise's sizes
Rise: theme facts
Theme Rise
Vendor Shopify
Price Free Free in the Shopify Theme Store, checked October 23, 2026.
Free or paid Free
Where it is sold Shopify Theme Store
Status Current theme
Online Store 2.0 Yes
Current version 16.1.0 (October 9, 2026)
Theme family Shares Dawn's code and version number
Native color swatches Unconfirmed
Variant picker block Not confirmed by the vendor
Swatch setting Not confirmed by the vendor
Swatches on product cards Not confirmed by the vendor
Theme Store swatch features None of the three swatch features
Swatch documentation Shopify Help Center
Product images 2048 x 2048 px Shopify help, all themes: "For square product images, a size of 2048 x 2048 px usually displays best." Product and collection images up to 5000 x 5000 px / 25 MP and under 20 MB. Source: Shopify Help Center.
Last checked October 23, 2026

Swatch problems on Rise, and fixes.

  • Swatches not showing

    Work through three checks in order: the product has a category that includes Color, its Color option is linked to the Color category metafield, and the swatch setting is on in Rise. If Rise's Variant picker block has no Swatch setting at all, native swatches aren't available in your version, and an app is the way forward.

  • Wrong colors

    A native swatch takes its color from the entry in Content > Metaobjects, not from the color's name. Open the entry, correct the hex value and save, and every product linked to it updates at once. If two products show different shades of the same color, they're probably linked to two separate entries, so point both at one.

  • Pattern or image swatches

    Upload a square image to the color's entry. Crop it to the fabric or finish itself rather than a product photo, because at swatch size a busy photo turns into a blur. Multicolor has no preset hex value, so it always needs an image.

  • Out-of-stock variants

    How a sold-out color looks is decided by the variant picker in Rise, so test it: set one color to zero stock and open the product. If you'd rather hide sold-out colors completely, Color Swatch Pug and GLO Color Swatch Variant Image both list that option (checked October 23, 2026).

  • Speed

    Native swatches are drawn by Rise itself, so they add no app script to your pages. A hex swatch costs nothing extra to load; an image swatch adds one small image per color, so keep those files small. The swatch loading speed guide shows how to measure a collection page before and after a change. If you add a swatch app, test a large collection with its embed on and off.

Rise swatch questions.

Does Rise support Shopify's native color swatches?

We couldn't confirm it. The Theme Store's color swatch filter returns 23 of Shopify's 24 free themes, and Rise is the one missing (checked October 23, 2026). Theme Store rules say listed themes must support swatches on product options, so it may just be untagged. Test one product before you plan around it.

How do I test Rise for native swatches?

Link one product's Color option to the Color category metafield, then open Products > Default product in the theme editor and select the Variant picker block. A Swatch setting with Circle, Square or None means native swatches work, and the Dawn guide's steps apply.

Is Rise built on Dawn?

Rise carries Dawn's version number, 16.1.0 from October 9, 2026, which suggests a shared base, but Shopify doesn't publish Rise's code or a list of Dawn-based themes. That's why this page recommends testing rather than assuming Dawn's settings.

Which app should I use for swatches in Rise?

If you need collection-page swatches, start with GLO Color Swatch Variant Image, whose free plan lists them (checked October 23, 2026), or Color Swatch Pug at $6.99 a month after a 14-day trial. None of the apps we checked names Rise, so test on a duplicate theme during the trial.

Can Rise show swatches in collection filters?

The Theme Store doesn't list swatch filters for Rise. You can still add a Color filter in Search & Discovery and preview it; if Rise shows the values as plain text, the theme isn't drawing filter swatches.

Related guides and tools.

Themes like Rise

Checked

Sources

Make the swatch files.

Turn your colors into hex values, swatch images and a printable sheet, ready for Shopify.

Open the swatch generator All theme guides