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DMC Color Matching

DMC color matching means finding the DMC floss number closest to a color in your photo, design or another thread brand. A computer can do it in milliseconds — but only for colors as they look on a screen, so it is worth knowing how it works and where it goes wrong.

How a converter matches photo colors to DMC

1. Reduce the photo's colors. Similar pixels are grouped (k-means clustering) into as many groups as your color limit.
2. Convert to a perceptual color space. RGB distance does not match human vision, so colors are converted to CIELAB, where equal distances look roughly equally different.
3. Find the nearest DMC color. Each group is compared with the reference color of every DMC floss and the smallest difference (ΔE) wins.
4. Remove duplicates. If two groups land on the same DMC number, they merge — that's why you sometimes get fewer colors than you asked for.

This site's converter uses 454 DMC solid colors with published RGB reference values. Try it on any image: photo to cross stitch pattern converter.

What ΔE means

Thresholds are approximate guides; perception depends on lighting and the surrounding colors.

Why screen colors are only approximate

• Floss RGB values are measured or photographed once; dye lots vary slightly.
• Every monitor and phone shows color differently.
• Thread is shiny and textured; a flat swatch on screen never looks exactly like a stitched area.

Best practice: for important colors (skin tones, a pet's fur), check against a physical DMC color card or real skeins in daylight before buying.

👉 Try it now: convert a photo to a cross stitch pattern (free, no sign-up).

Matching colors between brands (Anchor, Cosmo)

Conversion charts between DMC and Anchor list the closest match, not an exact one. Some DMC colors have no close Anchor equivalent, so expect small shade shifts if you substitute.

Tips for better color matches

• Raise the color limit if skin or fur looks blotchy; lower it if you see many colors with under 50 stitches.
• Brighten dark photos before converting — dark areas collapse into a few browns.
• Turn on dithering for gradients so two DMC colors blend visually.

Next: how many skeins of each color you need.

FAQ