Janome to Anchor thread conversion chart

Every Janome Polyester color with its closest Anchor Stranded Cotton equivalent, a rating for how close it is and two runner-up options. There are 78 rows. Click any number for the full breakdown.

Floss and machine thread are different materials. Anchor six-strand cotton floss has a soft matte look, while Janome is polyester machine embroidery thread with a sheen, so the matched floss will look a little softer and flatter than the thread it replaces. Use this chart to pick Anchor floss when you stitch a machine embroidery design by hand.

18%very close or better

49%close or better

78Janome Polyester colors

420Anchor Stranded Cotton colors

Near identical 4
Very close 10
Close 24
Approximate 34
Poor match 6

Reverse: Anchor → Janome Convert a design's list Shop Anchor ↗

78 colors

					Match	Alternatives
001	White	→	128	Cobalt Bleu Light	Very close ΔE 1.8	234 869
002	Black	→	403	Black	Near identical ΔE 0.0	683 879
003	Gold	→	295	Jonquil Medium Light	Approximate ΔE 6.8	874 945
201	Pink	→	87	Orchid Medium	Approximate ΔE 6.7	26 62
225	Red	→	334	Blaze Medium	Near identical ΔE 0.0	335 1098
203	Orange	→	316	Tangerine Dark	Very close ΔE 1.1	330 332
204	Yellow	→	278	Olive Green Light	Approximate ΔE 8.1	289 295
205	Dark Brown	→	382	Fudge Dark	Close ΔE 3.4	381 380
226	Green	→	225	Emerald Light	Approximate ΔE 6.4	226 239
207	Blue	→	133	Cobalt Bleu Dark	Approximate ΔE 7.4	134 132
208	Purple	→	92	Plum Medium	Close ΔE 3.8	98 99
209	Pale Violet	→	90	Plum Light	Approximate ΔE 7.8	176 109
210	Pale Yellow	→	301	Citrus	Close ΔE 2.7	288 293
211	Pale Pink	→	86	Orchid Medium Light	Near identical ΔE 0.4	96 26
212	Peach	→	890	Light Brass	Very close ΔE 1.3	362 943
213	Beige	→	388	Ecru Medium	Close ΔE 2.4	1080 899
214	Brown	→	889	Sand Stone Medium Dark	Close ΔE 4.1	22 375
215	Wine Red	→	897	Rose Wine Very Dark	Approximate ΔE 5.7	972 1028
216	Pale Sky	→	117	Thistle Light	Close ΔE 4.5	161 140
217	Sky	→	433	Electric Bleu	Poor match ΔE 10.1	168 876
218	Yellow Green	→	255	Parrot Green Medium Light	Poor match ΔE 10.5	242 279
219	Olive Green	→	228	Emerald Medium Dark	Approximate ΔE 5.6	212 1076
220	Silver Gray	→	234	Charcoal Grey Light	Very close ΔE 1.7	398 869
221	Gray	→	168	Surf Bleu Light	Approximate ΔE 7.6	1039 1064
227	Pale Aqua	→	876	Pine	Approximate ΔE 5.9	186 875
228	Baby Blue	→	433	Electric Bleu	Very close ΔE 1.3	129 1060
229	Powder Blue	→	433	Electric Bleu	Approximate ΔE 6.8	1060 1090
230	Bright Blue	→	136	Wedgewood Light	Approximate ΔE 8.6	145 140
231	Slate Blue	→	149	Delft Bleu Medium Dark	Close ΔE 4.3	150 979
232	Navy Blue	→	127	Indigo	Approximate ΔE 5.6	152 134
233	Salmon Pink	→	27	Carnation Medium	Very close ΔE 2.1	24 1016
234	Coral	→	925	Tangerine Very Dark	Close ΔE 4.4	329 337
235	Burnt Orange	→	330	Melon Dark Medium	Close ΔE 4.3	332 1098
236	Cinnamon	→	4146	Flesh Medium Light	Close ΔE 3.6	1045 868
237	Umber	→	903	Tawny Medium	Close ΔE 2.8	855 856
238	Blond	→	302	Citrus Medium Light	Close ΔE 2.5	295 874
239	Sunflower	→	297	Jonquil Medium	Approximate ΔE 6.1	1046 289
240	Orchid Pink	→	97	Violet Medium Light	Approximate ΔE 7.6	55 85
241	Peony Purple	→	1006	Cherry Red	Approximate ΔE 6.2	28 78

					Match	Alternatives
242	Burgundy	→	972	Wineberry Dark	Close ΔE 2.8	897 1028
243	Royal Purple	→	100	Violet Medium Dark	Close ΔE 4.4	101 102
244	Cardinal Red	→	334	Blaze Medium	Approximate ΔE 5.1	335 1098
245	Opal Green	→	1070	Jade Light	Close ΔE 4.4	875 208
246	Moss Green	→	257	Parrot Green Medium Dark	Approximate ΔE 5.6	225 226
247	Meadow Green	→	238	Medium Spring Dark Grey	Approximate ΔE 8.0	256 257
248	Dark Green	→	923	Emerald Very Dark	Approximate ΔE 6.6	862 228
249	Aquamarine	→	876	Pine	Approximate ΔE 9.4	875 1072
250	Emerald Green	→	188	Sea Green Medium Dark	Close ΔE 4.5	187 876
251	Peacock Green	→	187	Sea Green Medium	Approximate ΔE 5.3	1074 205
252	Dark Gray	→	401	Grey Dark	Close ΔE 2.5	236 1041
253	Ivory White	→	292	Jonquil Very Light	Near identical ΔE 0.0	271 1043
202	Vermilion	→	1098	Crimson Red Light	Close ΔE 3.2	332 334
206	Bright Green	→	188	Sea Green Medium Dark	Poor match ΔE 12.6	209 242
222	Ocean Blue	→	149	Delft Bleu Medium Dark	Approximate ΔE 9.7	150 978
223	Beige Gray	→	232	Rose Grey Medium	Very close ΔE 1.2	870 231
224	Bamboo	→	887	Sand Stone Medium Light	Very close ΔE 1.8	830 831
254	Hazel	→	330	Melon Dark Medium	Close ΔE 4.4	316 332
255	Toast	→	306	Topaz Medium Light	Very close ΔE 1.3	888 1001
256	Salmon	→	60	Magenta Light	Close ΔE 2.5	66 36
257	Cocoa Brown	→	308	Topaz Medium Dark	Close ΔE 3.6	309 907
258	Sienna	→	309	Topaz Dark	Close ΔE 3.8	310 5975
259	Sepia	→	352	Bark Dark	Poor match ΔE 10.4	381 1086
260	Dark Sepia	→	382	Fudge Dark	Approximate ΔE 8.9	381 380
261	Violet Blue	→	122	Medium Bleuberry	Poor match ΔE 11.1	177 100
262	Blue Ink	→	132	Cobalt Bleu Medium Dark	Approximate ΔE 9.7	139 143
263	Solar Blue	→	978	Sea Bleu Medium Dark	Approximate ΔE 8.8	164 940
264	Green Dust	→	265	Avocado Light	Approximate ΔE 5.9	203 214
265	Crimson	→	87	Orchid Medium	Approximate ΔE 7.0	88 63
266	Floral Pink	→	26	Carnation Medium Light	Approximate ΔE 6.5	87 86
267	Wine	→	45	Carmine Rose Dark	Approximate ΔE 6.8	897 43
268	Olive Drab	→	373	Dessert Medium	Approximate ΔE 7.1	903 854
269	Meadow	→	189	Sea Green Dark	Poor match ΔE 10.1	225 226
270	Mustard	→	301	Citrus	Close ΔE 4.9	288 302
271	Yellow Ocher	→	1046	Toast	Approximate ΔE 6.9	290 291
272	Old Gold	→	854	Turf Medium Light	Approximate ΔE 7.8	853 373
273	Honey Dew	→	298	Jonquil Dark	Close ΔE 3.8	304 314
274	Tangerine	→	303	Citrus Medium	Very close ΔE 1.1	313 305
275	Canary Yellow	→	289	Canary Yellow Medium Light	Approximate ΔE 7.2	278 295

Match quality is the CIEDE2000 color difference (ΔE00) worked out from screen RGB values. Sheen (rayon against polyester), thread weight and dye lot also change how a substitute looks, so check a real thread card before ordering.

About Janome Polyester

Janome Polyester embroidery thread is the house brand for Janome embroidery machines; built-in Janome designs reference these numbers.

About Anchor Stranded Cotton

Anchor Stranded Cotton is Coats' six-strand mercerised cotton floss for cross-stitch and hand embroidery, the main alternative to DMC in the UK and Europe. Many older patterns give Anchor numbers first, which is why DMC to Anchor charts are in such demand.

More Janome conversion charts

All Janome charts →

Janome→Isacord Janome→Madeira Polyneon Janome→Madeira Rayon Janome→Sulky Rayon Janome→Robison-Anton Rayon Janome→Robison-Anton Polyester Janome→Marathon Polyester Janome→Brother Janome→Gunold Poly Janome→Floriani Janome→Sulky Poly Janome→Marathon Rayon Janome→Mettler Poly Sheen Janome→Hemingworth Janome→Glide Janome→Coats Sylko Janome→DMC

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Janome to Anchor conversion chart?

Yes. This page lists the closest Anchor Stranded Cotton color for all 78 Janome Polyester colors, worked out with the CIEDE2000 color-difference formula from each brand's published color values.

How many Janome colors have a close match in Anchor?

14 of the 78 colors (18%) rate Very close or better, and 49% rate Close or better. The other 40 only have approximate substitutes.

Can I convert Anchor back to Janome?

Yes, use the reverse chart, Anchor to Janome. The two palettes are different, so the reverse match is not always the same color you started from.