thumb|300px|right|Making a spore print of the mushroom [[Volvariella volvacea shown in composite: (photo lower half) mushroom cap laid on white and dark paper; (photo upper half) cap removed after 24 hours showing warm orange ("tussock") color spore print. A 3.5-centimeter glass slide placed in middle allows for examination of spore characteristics under a microscope.]]
thumb|300px|right|A printable chart to make a spore print and start identification
The spore print is the powdery deposit obtained by allowing spores of a fungal fruit body to fall onto a surface underneath. It is an important diagnostic character in most handbooks for identifying mushrooms. It shows the colour of the mushroom spores if viewed en masse.
Importance
Historically the classification of many families of fungi were based on spore colour, a feature first systematically emphasized by Swedish mycologist Elias Fries.