Hair color formula card: free template, and what to write on it
A card you can print right now, what goes in each box, and a filled-in example. No sign-up and no email. If you already use cards, the checklist below is worth comparing against yours. The line most cards leave out is “next time”.
The free printable card
It prints on its own, one card per page, on letter or A4. Print a stack and keep them in the client's folder or a recipe box by the color bar.
Color formula card
hue-and-hair.com
| Zone | Shades + grams | Developer + ratio | Time / heat |
|---|---|---|---|
What to write on a color formula card
- Client, date and stylist. So the card still makes sense when someone else picks it up.
- Natural level and percentage of grey. The starting point every formula is built on. Write the level you measured, not the one from last time.
- Porosity and texture. Low, medium or high porosity, and fine, medium or coarse. They change how fast color takes and how long it needs.
- Color history. Box dye, henna, previous lightener, anything still on the lengths. This is what surprises you at the basin.
- Skin test date. Follow the color manufacturer's instructions on allergy (patch) tests and write down the date you did one.
- Goal. In the client's words and yours: "warmer, less brassy" and a target level and tone.
- Formula for each zone. Shades with the brand, amount in grams, developer volume and mixing ratio. Roots, mid-lengths, ends and any lightened sections each get their own line.
- Processing time for each zone. Plus whether heat was used. Timing is the part people forget to write down, and it's the part that decides the result.
- Toner or gloss. Its own formula, developer and time.
- Result. What actually happened: "lifted to 8 but warm at the crown". Compare it with the goal.
- Next time. The single most useful line on the card. What you'd change, while you still remember.
A filled-in example
The values below are invented for illustration. They show how much detail makes a card useful. They are not a formula to copy.
Client: Example client (invented) · Date: 12 Mar
Level: Natural 6, about 20% grey
Porosity / texture: Medium porosity, fine texture
History: Semi-permanent at home last summer, faded on the ends
Goal: Soft warm brown, cover grey at the part
| Zone | Shades + grams | Developer + ratio | Time / heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roots | 30 g 6N + 10 g 6G | 20 vol, 1:1.5 | 35 min, no heat |
| Mids and ends | 20 g 6G + 20 g clear | 10 vol, 1:2 | Last 15 min |
Toner: None
Result: Coverage good at the part, ends slightly warmer than wanted
Next time: Drop the 6G on the ends to 15 g, add 5 g 6N
Writing a formula someone else could follow
- Grams, not “half a tube”. Tubes differ between brands and sizes.
- Brand and line next to every shade. A 6N means different things in different lines.
- Developer volume and the ratio, for every bowl.
- Time per zone, including when you started the ends.
- Write the result on the day. Next visit you won't remember whether it went warm.
Keeping track of client formulas: paper vs an app
Paper costs nothing, needs no device at the color bar, and a card in the client's folder is quick to read. But it lives in one place, gets splashed, can't be searched (“who did I use 7.43 on?”), and old versions get crossed out.
An app keeps the history and opens from the client's record, so anyone covering your chair can see it. It costs money, and it needs a phone or tablet at the chair, which some stylists don't want near wet color.
Either works if the fields are right. Plenty of stylists use both: a paper card while mixing, typed up afterwards.
How Hue & Hair stores formulas
Hue & Hair is salon booking software that we make. Each client's profile has a Formulas tab. A formula holds each ingredient as its own line (product, amount, and a note), plus application instructions and general notes. When you change a formula you can save it as a new version, and the earlier versions stay in its history, so you can see how the color moved over time.
You don't need it to use the card on this page. If you'd like to see it, the demo opens without an account, and plans are on the pricing page.
Questions stylists ask
- What should I write on a hair color formula card?
- The client's natural level, grey percentage, porosity and color history; a skin test date; the goal; each zone's shades in grams with developer volume and ratio; processing time per zone; the toner; the result; and a note on what to change next time.
- How long should I keep client color records?
- As long as the client keeps coming back, at the very least, because the history is what makes the next appointment safe. How long you must keep records, and what you have to do when a client asks you to delete theirs, depends on where you work. Check your local rules rather than relying on a general answer.
- Should clients get a copy of their formula?
- It's your call and salons differ. Many stylists share it when a client moves away. The formula alone rarely reproduces a result, because the levels, timing and application matter as much as the tubes.
- Is paper or an app better for formulas?
- Paper is free and fast but gets lost, can't be searched and only exists in one place. An app keeps every version and can be opened from the client's profile, but costs money and needs a device at the chair. The fields you record matter more than where you record them.