fargestoffer

Fargestoffer, literally “colour tokens” in Norwegian and Danish, are small, often circular or rectangular pieces of paper, cardboard or plastic that carry a specific hue. They originated in the early 20th century as educational aids for teaching colour theory in schools and art workshops, later expanding into board games, craft activities and therapeutic settings. The tokens are typically printed with a solid, uniform colour on one side and a neutral or white backing on the other, allowing users to identify, sort and combine shades without the need for paint or digital devices.

In Scandinavian curricula, fargestoffer have been employed to illustrate primary, secondary and tertiary colour relationships, to practice colour mixing, and to develop visual discrimination skills among children with learning differences. Commercially, they are sold in assorted sets ranging from basic primary colours to extensive palettes of over one hundred shades, often accompanied by instructional booklets. Art therapists use them to facilitate non‑verbal expression, as clients can select and arrange tokens to convey mood or narrative.

The concept has spread to other regions, where similar tools are marketed under different names such as “color chips,” “paint swatches” or “color cards.” While digital colour pickers have reduced the reliance on physical tokens in professional design, fargestoffer remain popular in educational contexts for their tactile nature and ease of use.