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Every embroiderer has faced the same problem: a pattern calls for a thread you do not own, in a brand your shop does not stock. DMC and Anchor are the two most common brands for hand embroidery floss, and their numbering systems do not match. This free tool converts shades between DMC and Anchor, and finds the nearest match for any hex colour, so you can start stitching with the thread you actually have.
Type a DMC code, an Anchor code, or a hex colour such as #C1272D. For codes in the built-in table, the tool returns the exact table equivalent and shows a colour swatch. For a hex colour, it finds the closest shade in the table by measuring the distance between colours. The table covers common shades across reds, blues, greens, browns, and neutrals, which handles most everyday conversions.
Nearest is not identical, and that distinction matters. Two threads can look alike in a photo and different in daylight, and dye lots vary even within one brand. A nearest equivalent is a strong starting point, not a guarantee. For a project where colour accuracy matters, such as a portrait or a company logo, compare the suggested thread against the original under daylight before you commit to a large area.
Check against a real shade card whenever you can. Thread brands publish shade cards, and many shops keep them at the counter. Hold the candidate thread next to the card, or next to the thread you are replacing, in natural light. Screens lie about colour: brightness, night mode, and screen calibration all shift what you see, so a swatch on screen is a guide, never the final judge.
The tool also helps when you design with digital colours. If you pick a colour in a design app, its hex value converts to the nearest floss shade in seconds. That is useful for cross stitch patterns made from photos, where each pixel colour needs a thread. Expect to simplify: a photo may contain hundreds of colours, but a stitchable pattern works best with a limited palette of well separated shades.
Keep a conversion habit that saves time later. When you substitute a shade, write the original code and the substitute on the pattern, and keep the thread label until the project is finished. If you run out halfway, you will know exactly what to buy, and if a friend asks for the same pattern, your notes answer the colour question instantly.
The table in this tool is a practical subset, not the full catalogue of either brand. If your code is not listed, the tool says so honestly rather than inventing a match. In that case, a shade card or a shop chart is the next step, and the hex search can still point you to the closest listed shade as a starting point.
All matches here are nearest equivalents, not exact dye matches, and all figures are guidance only. Thread colours vary with dye lot, lighting, and screen. Use the converter to shortlist a shade, check it against a real shade card, and then stitch with confidence.
If you stitch from vintage patterns, colour conversion gets an extra twist, because some older patterns name shades that brands have discontinued or renamed. In that case the nearest current shade is the honest answer, and the tool’s hex search helps you find it from a photo of the original thread or a scanned chart. Compare the candidate against any surviving thread from the original project, and accept that a vintage colour may have faded, so the match you want is the colour as stitched, not the colour as printed decades ago. Note your substitution on the pattern so the next stitcher inherits your research instead of repeating it. Vintage stitching rewards patience, and a documented substitution is part of the craft.
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