Embroidery Thread Color Converter
Find the thread you stock for any color a design calls for: Isacord, Madeira, Sulky, Robison-Anton, Brother, DMC and 69 more brands, 20,782 colors in all.
Brands to compare against
Click any color on the left. Pick a thread from a brand list, or dial in any color on the picker. The closest thread in every brand you stock shows up here.
Examples: Isacord 1301 Paprika · Madeira Rayon 1147 · Gunold 61021 · HEX #1e3a8a
Converting a design with many colors? Batch convert the whole list.
Conversion charts by brand
All charts →Machine embroidery thread 17
Hand embroidery floss 2
Most requested: DMC → Anchor · Isacord → Madeira Polyneon
How to convert thread colors between brands
- Start from what you have. A thread number from any brand, or a HEX value or a screen color picked with the eyedropper.
- Click it. The converter looks up the published RGB value, or uses the exact color you picked.
- Read off the matches. For each brand you stock you get the closest color, a rating for how close it is, and two runner-up options. Switch to "Best matches across all brands" to see one ranked list of the nearest threads from every brand instead.
What the match ratings mean
| Near identical | ΔE00 up to 1.0. You would struggle to tell them apart side by side. |
| Very close | ΔE00 up to 2.3. A safe substitute for most work. |
| Close | ΔE00 up to 5.0. Same family, but you can see the difference up close. |
| Approximate | ΔE00 up to 10. Similar tone, not a true match. |
| Poor match | ΔE00 above 10. That brand simply has no color near this one. |
The matching runs in the CIELAB color space using the CIEDE2000 formula, which is what the textile and print trades use to describe how different two colors look to a person. Once thread is stitched, sheen, weight and dye lot all change the look of a color. Rayon is shinier than polyester, for one. So treat the results as a shortlist and check a real thread card before you order a cone.
Brand color charts
All 75 brands →Frequently asked questions
Is there an official Isacord to Madeira conversion chart?
The manufacturers publish their own cross-reference charts, but each one covers only a few brands. ThreadLookup works out the matches for every pair of brands from the published color values, so you can go between any two of them.
How accurate are the matches?
They are based on each brand's published screen RGB values and the CIEDE2000 color-difference formula. Anything rated Very close or better is normally a safe swap. Sheen and dye lot still vary from cone to cone, so check a real thread card before a big order.
Can I find a thread for a color I only have as a HEX or RGB value?
Yes. Paste the value into the color panel of the converter, or pick it on the color square, and every brand you stock shows its nearest thread with a rating for how close it is.
Can I convert DMC floss to Anchor or to machine embroidery thread?
Yes. There is a DMC to Anchor chart and an Anchor to DMC chart, and DMC and Anchor are both charted against every popular machine thread such as Isacord, Madeira, Sulky and Brother. Every DMC and Anchor color also has its own page with its closest matches.