A color display fan deck which illustrates paint colors and a method for making the color display fan deck is described. The color display fan deck includes paper blades which has paint applied on each sized paper surface of each side of the blade. A plurality of planar swatch bearing blades is pivotally joined together at one end to form a deck or fan deck of paper blades painted on each side. The method includes sizing and painting a paper web on both sides with a water based paint having selected heat resistant pigments.