HEX to DMC Color Finder
A DMC color finder for screen colors and photos: enter a HEX code, or tap a spot on a photo, and it matches the five closest DMC six-strand floss colors, ranked by CIEDE2000 ΔE. DMC publishes no RGB values for its threads, according to independent chart makers, and the open lists people use disagree, so each match also says whether two independent lists agree on that thread.
Or pick a color from a photo
Choose, drop or paste a photo, then tap or click the spot you want to match. The color is the average of a 5 × 5 pixel area around that point. The photo stays on your device.
or drag and drop it here
PNG, JPG, WebP or GIF (max. 10MB)
or paste an image with Ctrl+V (⌘+V on a Mac)
Your color
Closest DMC floss
- DMC 309 Rose Dark≈ #C12041ExcellentΔE 0.00Stable in both lists
- DMC 3831 Raspberry Dark≈ #B32F48ApproximateΔE 3.21Lists disagree
- DMC 326 Rose Very Dark≈ #B33B4BApproximateΔE 3.81Lists disagree
- DMC 304 Red Medium≈ #B71F33ApproximateΔE 3.88Lists disagree
- DMC 321 Red≈ #C72B3BApproximateΔE 4.00Lists disagree
DMC 309 out of stock? Nearest other DMC threads · Anchor instead
Why DMC lists disagree. Open DMC color lists are measurements or estimates, not values from DMC. Between two independent lists the median difference is ΔE 6.9, and only 64 of the 482 threads both lists have agree within ΔE 3. Those are marked «Stable in both lists»; for the rest, compare a real skein.
HEX to DMC examples
| HEX | Closest DMC | DMC ≈ HEX | ΔE |
|---|---|---|---|
| #FF0000 | 606 Orange Red Bright | #FA3203 | 2.9 |
| #FFC0CB | 605 Cranberry Very Light | #FFC0CD | 0.7 |
| #008000 | 700 Green Bright | #07731B | 5.4 |
| #000080 | 32 Blueberry Dark | #4D2E8A | 11.7 |
| #FFD700 | 444 Lemon Dark | #FFD600 | 0.3 |
| #8B4513 | 400 Mahogany Dark | #8F430F | 1.3 |
How the match is found
Your color and each of the 489 DMC colors are converted to CIELAB and compared with CIEDE2000. The five closest are shown with their ΔE: below 1 the difference is not visible, 1 to 3 is a good match, 3 to 6 is noticeable but similar, and from 6 up the thread is visibly different. Thread reflects light and has a sheen, dye lots vary, and a monitor emits light, so treat a match as a starting point and check it against a color card in daylight.
HEX to DMC: questions
- How do I find the DMC floss for a HEX color?
- Enter the HEX code above and pick the thread with the lowest ΔE. For example, #FF0000 is closest to DMC 606 Orange Red Bright (ΔE 2.9). Below ΔE 1 the difference is not visible; from 6 up the colors are visibly different.
- Can I find the DMC floss for a color in a photo?
- Yes. Choose, drop or paste a photo under the HEX field, then tap or click the spot you want to match. The average color of a 5 × 5 pixel area around that point becomes the HEX code and is matched the same way. The photo is read in your browser and is not uploaded. Light and the camera change the colors in a photo, so check the thread against a color card.
- Why do DMC color charts online show different colors?
- According to independent chart makers, DMC publishes no RGB values for its floss, so every online chart is someone's measurement or estimate. Open DMC lists disagree. Between the two independent ones we compared, the median difference is ΔE 6.9, and only 64 of the 482 threads both lists have agree within ΔE 3. We use one openly licensed list and mark those 64 as «stable in both lists».
- What does «stable in both lists» mean?
- Two independent DMC color lists give that thread nearly the same color (within ΔE 3). For the other threads the lists disagree, so the on-screen color is less certain — compare a physical skein before buying.
- Can I get the Anchor number as well?
- Yes, in a second step. Under the matches, follow «Anchor instead» to see the Anchor threads nearest to the top DMC match on the DMC to Anchor page. It finds Anchor by color, not from a printed conversion chart. Madeira and other brands are not covered.
- Which DMC colors are included?
- All 489 colors of DMC six-strand embroidery floss in our source list, including Blanc, Ecru, B5200 and the newer 01–35 range.
Color data: craft-color-codes by MakeBead, licensed under CC BY 4.0. «Stable in both lists» compares it with the independent png2dmc list; only that yes/no is used, not its colors. Changes: we add that flag, compute nearest-color matches and substitutes and, on the diamond painting chart, show a subset of the codes; the colors are unchanged.
DMC is a trademark of DMC. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by DMC. All colors are on-screen approximations; check a physical DMC color card before buying thread.