Color swatches
How to add color swatches to the Empire theme
Color swatches in Empire by Pixel Union: category metafields from 13.0.0, Enable color swatches, the swatch trigger and product cards.
- Empire Paid theme
- By Pixel Union
- $360
- Native swatches: yes
- Version 13.0.1
Shopify theme
The Empire Shopify theme.
Empire is a paid Shopify theme by Pixel Union, $360 in the Shopify Theme Store. The current version is 13.0.1 (August 24, 2026). It supports Shopify's native color swatches from version 13.0.0.
The facts.
From the Shopify Theme Store and Pixel Union's documentation. A setting we could not confirm in the vendor's own documentation says "not confirmed by the vendor".
Checked
| Theme | Empire |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Pixel Union |
| Price | $360 One-time license price in the Shopify Theme Store, in US dollars, checked October 23, 2026. |
| Free or paid | Paid |
| Where it is sold | Shopify Theme Store |
| Status | Current theme |
| Online Store 2.0 | Yes |
| Current version | 13.0.1 (August 24, 2026) |
| Native color swatches | Yes From version 13.0.0. |
| Variant picker block | No block of that name documented |
| Swatch setting | Theme settings > Products > Color swatches > Enable color swatches (Swatch trigger field must match the option name, default "Color") |
| Swatches on product cards | Same theme setting (Theme settings > Products > Color swatches); Pixel Union says Empire shows swatches on the product page, product card and tag filters |
| Theme Store swatch features | Color swatches, swatch filters |
| Swatch documentation | Pixel Union's documentation |
| Last checked | October 23, 2026 |
Image sizes.
The sizes Empire's documentation gives, each linked to its page. The image size checker applies them to your own files.
| Logo | 200 x 80 px PNG; doubling for Retina (400 x 160) suggested. Source: Pixel Union's documentation. |
|---|---|
| Slideshow on desktop | 2880 x 1000 px Medium height; Small 2880 x 800, Large 2880 x 1200, Fit screen 2880 x 2880. Source: Pixel Union's documentation. |
| Slideshow on phones | 600 x 600 px Medium; Small 600 x 500, Large 600 x 700, XL 600 x 800. Source: Pixel Union's documentation. |
| Collection list images | 2000 x 2000 px Source: Pixel Union's documentation. |
| Featured collection images | 500 x 750 px Source: Pixel Union's documentation. |
| Image with text overlay | 1800 x 1000 px Source: Pixel Union's documentation. |
Guides for Empire.
Tool
Theme image size checker
Drop in product photos, banners and logos to check them against Shopify's limits and Empire's documented sizes.
Swatch apps for Empire.
The apps the Empire swatch guide suggests, and what each App Store listing says about theme support (checked October 23, 2026). Ratings and the full comparison are on the color swatch hub.
| App | From | Theme support | Collection pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platmart Color Swatches | $9.99/month | Listing says it works with all themes | Yes |
| Rubik Variant Images & Swatch | $25/month | Listing says it works with all themes | Not listed |
| GLO Color Swatch Variant Image | $9.90/month | Listing says it works with all themes | Yes |
Sources.
Every fact above comes from one of these pages. The swatch guide lists the Shopify help pages its steps rely on.
Pages about Empire
- Shopify Theme Store: Empire listing
- Pixel Union support: How to Add Color Swatches Using Category Metafields in the Empire Theme
- Pixel Union support: Using Empire s color swatches for product variants
- Pixel Union support: Empire release notes
- Pixel Union support: What image dimensions should be used in Empire
Set up swatches on Empire.
Shopify's own swatches, an app or the code route, with the setting names for this theme.