Find the Closest DMC Thread for Any Color

This tool uses CIEDE2000, the international standard perceptual color difference formula adopted by color scientists and used by thread manufacturers for color grading. Unlike simple RGB distance (which compares red, green, and blue values as numbers), CIEDE2000 weights color differences the way the human eye perceives them. Two colors that are mathematically close in RGB can look very different in person — particularly in dark colors, grays, and skin tones. CIEDE2000 accounts for these perceptual non-linearities.

The result: when you enter a hex code from a photograph, a logo, or a fabric swatch, the DMC matches returned are the threads that will look most similar when stitched — not just the threads with the nearest number values. This is the same reason ArtPatt's cross-stitch generator produces better color matching than tools that use simple RGB distance.

To find a DMC color from an image: use any image editor or browser tool to pick a pixel color and copy the hex code (e.g. #F5C5A3), then paste it into the hex input above. No image upload is needed — the hex code carries the color information.

The most common use cases: matching thread to a fabric or paint color (enter the hex from the paint brand's website), identifying which DMC thread is closest to a Pantone or RAL color for design work, finding the right DMC shade for a logo or brand color cross-stitch, or working out which thread to substitute when a specific DMC number is out of stock. Enter the hex of the out-of-stock color and check the second or third closest match as an alternative.

For embroidery pattern work, the finder is useful when digitizing a design from a reference image. Sample the key colors from the image in any graphics program, then run each hex through the finder to get the DMC palette for the piece. ArtPatt's embroidery and cross-stitch generators do this automatically for full photos, but the standalone finder is useful when you already know which areas of an image matter most.