Janome to DMC thread conversion chart

Every Janome Polyester color with its closest DMC Embroidery Floss 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. DMC 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 DMC floss when you stitch a machine embroidery design by hand.

21%very close or better

62%close or better

78Janome Polyester colors

455DMC Embroidery Floss colors

Near identical 4
Very close 12
Close 32
Approximate 25
Poor match 5

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

78 colors

					Match	Alternatives
001	White	→	775	Baby Blue Very Light	Very close ΔE 1.8	762 3743
002	Black	→	310	Black	Near identical ΔE 0.0	500 934
003	Gold	→	728	Topaz	Close ΔE 4.2	726 834
201	Pink	→	3806	Cyclamen Pink Light	Close ΔE 3.8	3607 3833
225	Red	→	606	Bright Orange Red	Near identical ΔE 0.0	3801 946
203	Orange	→	971	Pumpkin	Very close ΔE 1.1	608 947
204	Yellow	→	3821	Straw	Approximate ΔE 6.0	3819 3820
205	Dark Brown	→	3371	Black Brown	Close ΔE 3.4	938 838
226	Green	→	3818	Emarald Green Ultra Very Dark	Close ΔE 4.9	702 700
207	Blue	→	796	Royal Blue Dark	Approximate ΔE 7.4	820 797
208	Purple	→	553	Violet	Close ΔE 3.8	3835 552
209	Pale Violet	→	3836	Grape Light	Approximate ΔE 7.8	155 793
210	Pale Yellow	→	744	Yellow Pale	Close ΔE 2.7	445 727
211	Pale Pink	→	3608	Plum Very Light	Near identical ΔE 0.4	3833 893
212	Peach	→	729	Old Gold Medium	Very close ΔE 1.3	437 422
213	Beige	→	524	Fern Green Very Light	Very close ΔE 2.2	842 3782
214	Brown	→	610	Drab Brown Very Dark	Close ΔE 4.1	868 869
215	Wine Red	→	221	Shell Pink Very Dark	Approximate ΔE 5.7	3803 150
216	Pale Sky	→	157	Cornflower Blue Very Light	Close ΔE 4.4	341 813
217	Sky	→	3810	Turquoise Dark	Approximate ΔE 6.0	3849 996
218	Yellow Green	→	907	Parrot Green Light	Poor match ΔE 10.5	734 906
219	Olive Green	→	700	Christmas Green Bright	Approximate ΔE 5.6	561 991
220	Silver Gray	→	762	Pearl Grey Very Light	Very close ΔE 1.7	415 3743
221	Gray	→	169	Pewter Light	Close ΔE 3.1	807 518
227	Pale Aqua	→	3816	Celadon Green	Approximate ΔE 5.9	959 3817
228	Baby Blue	→	996	Electric Blue Medium	Very close ΔE 1.3	3325 3811
229	Powder Blue	→	996	Electric Blue Medium	Approximate ΔE 6.8	3811 3846
230	Bright Blue	→	799	Delft Medium	Approximate ΔE 8.6	3844 3845
231	Slate Blue	→	336	Navy Blue	Close ΔE 4.3	312 803
232	Navy Blue	→	823	Navy Blue Dark	Approximate ΔE 5.6	939 820
233	Salmon Pink	→	894	Carnation Very Light	Very close ΔE 2.1	776 3727
234	Coral	→	721	Orange Spice Medium	Close ΔE 4.4	356 3340
235	Burnt Orange	→	608	Bright Orange	Close ΔE 4.3	947 946
236	Cinnamon	→	950	Sportsman Flesh	Close ΔE 3.6	436 758
237	Umber	→	3032	Mocha Brown Medium	Close ΔE 2.8	370 612
238	Blond	→	743	Yellow Medium	Close ΔE 2.5	726 834
239	Sunflower	→	3852	Straw Very Dark	Close ΔE 3.3	728 973
240	Orchid Pink	→	153	Violet Very Light	Approximate ΔE 7.1	554 604
241	Peony Purple	→	498	Christmas Red Dark	Approximate ΔE 6.2	304 3832

					Match	Alternatives
242	Burgundy	→	3803	Mauve Dark	Close ΔE 2.8	221 3685
243	Royal Purple	→	327	Violet Dark	Close ΔE 4.4	550 3837
244	Cardinal Red	→	606	Bright Orange Red	Approximate ΔE 5.1	3801 3705
245	Opal Green	→	993	Aquamarine Light	Close ΔE 4.4	3817 563
246	Moss Green	→	905	Parrot Green Dark	Approximate ΔE 5.6	702 703
247	Meadow Green	→	703	Chartreuse	Approximate ΔE 8.0	906 581
248	Dark Green	→	699	Chirstmas Green	Approximate ΔE 6.6	520 700
249	Aquamarine	→	3851	Green Light Bright	Close ΔE 4.9	3816 3810
250	Emerald Green	→	3812	Seagreen Very Dark	Close ΔE 4.5	3851 943
251	Peacock Green	→	958	Sea Green Dark	Approximate ΔE 5.3	3814 911
252	Dark Gray	→	535	Ash Grey Very Light	Close ΔE 2.5	3799 844
253	Ivory White	→	3078	Golden Yellow Very Light	Near identical ΔE 0.0	819 369
202	Vermilion	→	3801	Dark Melon Very	Close ΔE 3.2	946 606
206	Bright Green	→	943	Aquamarine Medium	Poor match ΔE 11.2	3812 912
222	Ocean Blue	→	3842	Wedgwood Dark	Approximate ΔE 5.9	803 336
223	Beige Gray	→	452	Shell Grey Medium	Very close ΔE 1.2	3042 524
224	Bamboo	→	3046	Yellow Beige Medium	Very close ΔE 1.8	833 613
254	Hazel	→	608	Bright Orange	Close ΔE 4.4	947 971
255	Toast	→	783	Topaz Medium	Very close ΔE 1.3	3045 3859
256	Salmon	→	3688	Mauve Medium	Close ΔE 2.5	3326 3733
257	Cocoa Brown	→	781	Topaz Very Dark	Close ΔE 3.6	3862 435
258	Sienna	→	780	Topaz Ultra Very Dark	Close ΔE 3.8	434 3830
259	Sepia	→	777	Raspberry Very Dark	Approximate ΔE 6.5	300 938
260	Dark Sepia	→	3371	Black Brown	Approximate ΔE 8.9	938 777
261	Violet Blue	→	3807	Cornflower Bleu	Poor match ΔE 11.1	3837 3838
262	Blue Ink	→	797	Royal Blue	Approximate ΔE 9.7	796 803
263	Solar Blue	→	3842	Wedgwood Dark	Close ΔE 2.8	322 824
264	Green Dust	→	3348	Yellow Green Light	Approximate ΔE 5.9	954 164
265	Crimson	→	3805	Cyclamen Pink	Approximate ΔE 5.6	3607 3804
266	Floral Pink	→	3806	Cyclamen Pink Light	Very close ΔE 2.2	3833 3607
267	Wine	→	902	Granet Very Dark	Close ΔE 4.1	814 221
268	Olive Drab	→	167	Yellowbeige Very Dark	Approximate ΔE 6.3	3828 3032
269	Meadow	→	3850	Green Dark Bright	Poor match ΔE 10.1	702 505
270	Mustard	→	3820	Straw Dark	Close ΔE 4.0	3822 744
271	Yellow Ocher	→	444	Lemon Dark	Poor match ΔE 10.1	728 3853
272	Old Gold	→	3829	Old Gold Very Dark	Approximate ΔE 7.3	371 372
273	Honey Dew	→	3853	Autumn Gold Dark	Close ΔE 2.6	972 741
274	Tangerine	→	742	Tangerine Light	Very close ΔE 1.1	3854 725
275	Canary Yellow	→	3821	Straw	Close ΔE 2.7	307 3820

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 DMC Embroidery Floss

DMC six-strand embroidery floss (Mouliné Spécial, article 117) is the cotton floss most cross-stitch and hand embroidery patterns are written for. DMC has made it in Mulhouse, France since the eighteenth century and numbers every shade, from 01 to 3866 plus White and Ecru.

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→Anchor

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Janome to DMC conversion chart?

Yes. This page lists the closest DMC Embroidery Floss 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 DMC?

16 of the 78 colors (21%) rate Very close or better, and 62% rate Close or better. The other 30 only have approximate substitutes.

Can I convert DMC back to Janome?

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