diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs.rs
@@ -4535,7 +4535,7 @@ fn para_sides(lang: &str, ui: &mut egui::Ui, d: &mut Dialog, pv: &Value, key: &s
 
 /// A swatch menu with a colour chip per swatch (hidden swatches left out); returns the swatch
 /// picked.
-fn swatch_menu(ui: &mut egui::Ui, doc: &designcraft_doc::Document, id: impl egui::AsIdSalt, current: &str, width: f32) -> Option<String> {
+pub(crate) fn swatch_menu(ui: &mut egui::Ui, doc: &designcraft_doc::Document, id: impl egui::AsIdSalt, current: &str, width: f32) -> Option<String> {
     let mut picked = None;
     egui::ComboBox::from_id_salt(id).selected_text(current).width(width).show_ui(ui, |ui| {
         for w in doc.swatches.iter().filter(|w| !w.hidden) {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/effects_dialog.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/effects_dialog.rs
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/effects_dialog.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/effects_dialog.rs
@@ -246,15 +246,15 @@ fn swatch(app: &DesignApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, d: &mut Dialog, path: &[&str]) {
         }
         v.as_str().unwrap_or("[Black]").to_string()
     };
-    let names: Vec<String> = app
-        .session
-        .active()
-        .map_or_else(Vec::new, |st| st.doc.swatches.iter().filter(|w| !w.hidden || w.name == cur).map(|w| w.name.clone()).collect());
-    egui::ComboBox::from_id_salt(("fx_swatch", path.join("."))).selected_text(&cur).width(150.0).show_ui(ui, |ui| {
-        for n in names {
-            if ui.selectable_label(n == cur, &n).clicked() {
-                set(d, path, json!(n));
-            }
+    let Some(doc) = app.session.active().map(|st| &st.doc) else { return };
+    // The colour itself beside its name, and a chip per swatch in the menu, as the swatch menus
+    // elsewhere: a list of bare names hid what the shadow was coloured with.
+    ui.horizontal(|ui| {
+        let (c, g) = crate::widgets::swatch_colors(doc, &cur, 1.0);
+        let (r, _) = ui.allocate_exact_size(egui::vec2(16.0, 16.0), egui::Sense::hover());
+        crate::widgets::paint_chip(ui.painter(), r, c, g);
+        if let Some(n) = crate::dialogs::swatch_menu(ui, doc, ("fx_swatch", path.join(".")), &cur, 128.0) {
+            set(d, path, json!(n));
         }
     });
 }
@@ -767,6 +767,44 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!fx(&app).inner_shadow.on);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn the_shadow_colour_shows_its_swatch_beside_the_name() {
+        let (mut app, _) = app_with_frame();
+        app.run("swatch.create", json!({"name": "Shade", "color": "#12ab34"})).unwrap();
+        let ctx = egui::Context::default();
+        crate::theme::install_fonts(&ctx, "en");
+        let shade = crate::widgets::swatch_colors(&app.session.doc().unwrap().doc, "Shade", 1.0).0.unwrap();
+        // Does the dialog, once faded in, paint a chip of the colour `c`?
+        let mut time = 0.0;
+        let mut painted = |app: &mut DesignApp, c: egui::Color32| {
+            let mut found = false;
+            for _ in 0..20 {
+                time += 0.1;
+                let input = egui::RawInput {
+                    screen_rect: Some(egui::Rect::from_min_size(egui::Pos2::ZERO, egui::vec2(1400.0, 900.0))),
+                    time: Some(time),
+                    ..Default::default()
+                };
+                let mut out = ctx.run_ui(input, |ui| crate::dialogs::show(app, ui.ctx()));
+                out.textures_delta.clear();
+                fn walk(s: &egui::epaint::Shape, c: egui::Color32) -> bool {
+                    match s {
+                        egui::epaint::Shape::Rect(r) => r.fill == c,
+                        egui::epaint::Shape::Vec(v) => v.iter().any(|s| walk(s, c)),
+                        _ => false,
+                    }
+                }
+                found = out.shapes.iter().any(|s| walk(&s.shape, c));
+            }
+            found
+        };
+        open(&mut app, "dropShadow");
+        assert!(!painted(&mut app, shade), "not the shadow's colour yet");
+        set(app.ui.dialog.as_mut().unwrap(), &["dropShadow", "color"], json!("Shade"));
+        assert!(painted(&mut app, shade), "the chosen swatch's colour is shown, not only its name");
+        assert_eq!(params(app.ui.dialog.as_ref().unwrap())["effects"]["dropShadow"]["color"], "Shade");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn offsets_follow_distance_and_angle_as_in_indesign() {
         let (mut app, _) = app_with_frame();
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/properties.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/properties.rs
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/properties.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/properties.rs
@@ -2919,9 +2919,12 @@ pub fn effects_panel(app: &mut DesignApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
         let _ = app.run("object.dropShadow", json!({"on": on}));
     }
     if ds.on {
+        // Distance and Size in the document's units, as the Effects dialog shows them: a bare
+        // number typed in either means the same.
+        let u = units(app);
         egui::Grid::new("dsg").num_columns(4).spacing(vec2(6.0, 4.0)).show(ui, |ui| {
             caption(ui, crate::i18n::tr(&app.ui.language, "Distance"));
-            if let Some(v) = number(ui, "dsd", Some(ds.distance), " pt", 56.0, 1) {
+            if let Some(v) = measure(ui, "dsd", Some(ds.distance), u, 56.0) {
                 let _ = app.run("object.dropShadow", json!({"on": true, "distance": v}));
             }
             caption(ui, crate::i18n::tr(&app.ui.language, "Angle"));
@@ -2948,7 +2951,7 @@ pub fn effects_panel(app: &mut DesignApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
                 let _ = app.run("object.dropShadow", json!({"on": true, "opacity": v / 100.0}));
             }
             caption(ui, crate::i18n::tr(&app.ui.language, "Size"));
-            if let Some(v) = number(ui, "dss", Some(ds.size), " pt", 50.0, 1) {
+            if let Some(v) = measure(ui, "dss", Some(ds.size), u, 50.0) {
                 let _ = app.run("object.dropShadow", json!({"on": true, "size": v}));
             }
             ui.end_row();
@@ -4082,6 +4085,57 @@ mod effects_panel_tests {
         assert!(!item(&app, a).knockout);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn the_effects_panel_shows_and_reads_the_drop_shadow_in_the_document_units() {
+        // As the Effects dialog does: a bare number typed in either means the same distance.
+        let mut app = DesignApp::new(designcraft_engine::Session::new(), Default::default());
+        app.run("file.new", json!({})).unwrap();
+        app.run("document.preferences", json!({"horizontalUnits": "millimeters", "verticalUnits": "millimeters"})).unwrap();
+        let id = app.run("frame.create", json!({"rect": [72, 72, 144, 144]})).unwrap()["id"].as_u64().unwrap();
+        app.run("selection.set", json!({"ids": [id]})).unwrap();
+        app.run("object.dropShadow", json!({"on": true, "distance": 7.0, "size": 5.0})).unwrap();
+        use egui_kittest::{Harness, kittest::Queryable};
+        let mut h = Harness::builder().with_size(vec2(320.0, 600.0)).build_ui_state(
+            |ui, app: &mut DesignApp| {
+                // Fonts first, as the other panel harnesses: they take effect from the next frame.
+                let id = egui::Id::unique("test_fonts");
+                if ui.data(|d| d.get_temp::<bool>(id)).is_none() {
+                    crate::theme::install_fonts(ui.ctx(), "en");
+                    ui.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(id, true));
+                    return;
+                }
+                effects_panel(app, ui);
+            },
+            app,
+        );
+        h.run_steps(3);
+        // Replace the text of the field showing `pt` (in mm) with `typed`.
+        fn retype(h: &mut Harness<'static, DesignApp>, pt: f64, typed: &str) {
+            let v = designcraft_geom::format_measure(pt, Unit::Millimeters);
+            let at = h.get_by(|n| n.role() == egui::accesskit::Role::TextInput && n.value().as_deref() == Some(v.as_str())).rect().center();
+            h.hover_at(at);
+            h.drag_at(at);
+            h.drop_at(at);
+            h.run_steps(2);
+            h.key_press_modifiers(egui::Modifiers::COMMAND, egui::Key::A);
+            h.event(egui::Event::Text(typed.into()));
+            h.key_press(egui::Key::Enter);
+            h.run_steps(3);
+        }
+        let shadow = |h: &Harness<'static, DesignApp>| {
+            h.state().session.doc().unwrap().doc.item(designcraft_doc::ItemId(id)).unwrap().effects.drop_shadow.clone()
+        };
+        // Distance and Size show in mm, not as "7 pt" and "5 pt"; a bare number typed is mm.
+        retype(&mut h, 7.0, "3");
+        let ds = shadow(&h);
+        assert!((ds.distance - Unit::Millimeters.to_pt(3.0)).abs() < 1e-6, "Distance 3 is 3 mm: {}", ds.distance);
+        assert_eq!(ds.size, 5.0, "Size is left alone");
+        retype(&mut h, 5.0, "2");
+        let ds = shadow(&h);
+        assert!((ds.size - Unit::Millimeters.to_pt(2.0)).abs() < 1e-6, "Size 2 is 2 mm: {}", ds.size);
+        assert!((ds.distance - Unit::Millimeters.to_pt(3.0)).abs() < 1e-6, "Distance is left alone: {}", ds.distance);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn pasted_into_frames_keep_object_level_and_disable_group_blending() {
         let mut app = DesignApp::new(designcraft_engine::Session::new(), Default::default());