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If you've ever stared at a cross-stitch pattern and seen instructions like "DMC 310, 3865, 815" and wondered what those numbers actually mean, this guide is for you. By the end you'll understand how DMC's colour system works, how to read a chart, and how to substitute colours when you need to.

Why DMC numbers the way it does

DMC (Dollfus-Mieg & Compagnie) has been making embroidery thread in France since 1746. Their numbering system isn't logical in any obvious way. Numbers don't ascend by hue, and there are gaps all through the range. What matters is that each unique colour has its own permanent number, and that number is the same on every skein anywhere in the world.

So if your Australian-made pattern calls for DMC 310 (Black), and you buy a skein of DMC 310 in Sydney, Tokyo, Paris or New York, you're getting the same colour. That international consistency is why DMC has remained the cross-stitch industry standard for centuries.

How to read a DMC code on a pattern

A typical cross-stitch pattern key looks something like:

• DMC 310: Black (deepest black)
• DMC 3865: Winter White (warm, slightly cream-toned white)
• DMC Blanc: Pure white (cool, bright white)
• DMC 815: Medium Garnet (deep red)

Each row tells you the DMC code, sometimes the colour name, and a symbol you'll see on the chart's grid. Find the symbol on the grid, stitch in that colour, repeat.

Colours with names instead of numbers, Blanc (white) and Ecru (off-white), are DMC's two original "named" colours that predate the numbering system.

Understanding the numbering and family groupings

It helps to know that DMC groups colours loosely into families, even though the numbers themselves don't run in a neat sequence. Reds tend to cluster in the 300s and 800s, blues in the 700s and 3700s, greens in the 500s and 900s, and browns and neutrals in the 400s and 3700s. Once you've worked with the range for a while, you start to recognise these neighbourhoods, which makes substituting or shopping from a chart much faster.

Within a family, DMC also uses a simple light-to-dark logic for related shades. A number ending in a lower digit is often (though not always) a touch lighter than one ending in a higher digit within the same small cluster. For example, 3865, 3866 and 3033 sit near each other on a printed chart and read as warm, closely related neutrals. This isn't a strict rule you can rely on blindly, but it's a useful starting point when you're standing in front of a wall of thread trying to work out which direction "lighter" or "darker" lies.

Some ranges also use a shade-family suffix system you'll see written as, for example, 890/895/898 (three depths of the same green) or 415/318/317/414/413 (a run of greys from pale to charcoal). When a pattern designer wants graduated shading in one part of a design, they'll often pull three or four numbers from the same family rather than jumping across the whole chart.

Light Effects, Coloris and Variations

DMC produces several thread ranges that have their own number systems:

• Mouliné Stranded Cotton: the standard 6-strand cotton most patterns use. Numbers like 310, 815, 3865.
• Coloris: variegated stranded cotton with subtle colour shifts along the thread. Numbers like 20 (Surimi), 24 (Sabine Purple), 32 (Brimbelle).
• Light Effects: metallic, glow-in-the-dark, and fluorescent threads. Codes start with E, like E940 (glow white) or E3852 (metallic dark gold).
• Etoile: cotton with a subtle metallic sparkle. Codes start with C, like C310.

If a pattern uses these speciality threads, the key will usually note the range, for instance "DMC Coloris 32 Brimbelle" rather than just "32".

Substituting colours when you can't get a match

Occasionally a pattern calls for a specific shade you don't have, or a particular number happens to be out of stock. It happens to every stitcher eventually, and it's rarely a problem if you approach it methodically rather than grabbing the nearest thread that looks close under shop lighting.

1. Use the closest neighbour first. DMC's numbering often groups similar shades together, as above. If a pattern needs 815 (Medium Garnet) and you have 814 or 816 on hand, the result will be very close, and in a finished piece the difference is rarely noticeable.
2. Check the shade, not just the name. Colour names like "Medium Garnet" or "Winter White" are DMC's own descriptions and can be misleading if you're comparing across brands or memory alone. Always compare the physical thread, or a printed chart, rather than trusting a name to tell you enough.
3. Cross-reference with a printed chart in natural light. Lay your candidate threads next to the chart's colour reference near a window rather than under warm indoor globes, which shift how reds and browns read. Pick the visually closest match once you can see true colour.
4. Think about where the colour sits in the design. A one-shade substitution in a large background area is far more forgiving than the same substitution in a small, high-contrast focal point like an eye or a highlight. If you must compromise, save your closest match for the areas people will actually look at.
5. Use an official colour conversion chart if you need to swap between DMC and another brand such as Anchor, Madeira or Sullivans. These conversion tables exist because different manufacturers dye slightly different shades even when they're aiming at the "same" colour, so a direct number-for-number swap between brands is only ever an approximation.

For colourwork where contrast matters more than an exact match, even a one-shade substitution usually goes unnoticed once the piece is finished, framed and viewed at a normal distance.

Common mistakes beginners make when matching colours

A few habits trip up new stitchers more than any other part of the process:

Matching under the wrong light

Fluorescent kitchen lights and warm lamp bulbs both distort colour, especially in the red, brown and grey families. A thread that looks perfect at your work table can look noticeably different once you take the finished piece into daylight. Whenever you can, do your final colour check near a window.

Trusting a screen over a physical chart

Photos of DMC charts online are useful for a rough sense of a colour, but monitors and phone screens render colour inconsistently from device to device. Never rely on a screen alone for a final decision if the shade matters, use a printed chart or the actual skein.

Ignoring dye lot variation

DMC's batch consistency is genuinely excellent, but very old, sun-faded, or heavily handled skeins can drift slightly from a fresh one. If you're topping up a large area of the same colour from an old stash, do a quick side-by-side check before you commit a whole section of stitching.

Confusing similar names

Names like "Medium" and "Dark" attached to the same base colour (Medium Garnet versus Dark Garnet, for example) sit at different numbers and can look surprisingly different in the skein. Always check the number, not just the name, before you buy or substitute.

Keeping a personal reference swatch card

One of the most useful habits a regular stitcher can build is a personal swatch card: a small reference board of the DMC threads you actually own and use often. It takes an hour to set up and saves a huge amount of guesswork later.

To make one, cut a short length of each thread you want to record, roughly 5 to 8 centimetres, and wrap or stitch it next to its number written in pencil or fine pen. Punched card, a strip of stiff felt, or even a plain piece of cardboard all work well. Group the threads loosely by family (reds together, blues together, and so on) so the card mirrors the way you'll actually search it later.

Keep the card somewhere it won't fade in direct sunlight, and update it as your collection grows. Over time it becomes a much faster way to plan a project or find a substitute than flicking through a printed chart, because you're only ever looking at colours you actually own. Many stitchers keep a second, smaller card in their project bag for quick reference while they're out and about, and a full card at home next to the main stash.

Where to buy authentic DMC in Australia

Authenticity matters because DMC's colourfastness, sheen, and dye consistency are what make the brand worth specifying in a pattern in the first place. Counterfeit or off-brand cotton can fade unevenly and may not be colourfast in the wash, which is disappointing after hours of work.

We stock the full DMC Mouliné Stranded Cotton range, Coloris variegated thread, and Light Effects speciality threads at Crafty Hobbies. Each skein is 8 metres, 6 separable strands of long-staple Egyptian cotton, mercerised for sheen, and colourfast at 40°C. You'll find the full stranded cotton colour range as individual skeins, complete cross stitch kits that include all the DMC threads a pattern needs, and cross stitch patterns sold on their own for stitchers building from their own stash.

How many strands should you use?

A skein of DMC stranded cotton has 6 strands held together. You separate the strands and use only the number you need for your project. As a rough guide:

• 14ct aida: 2 strands for cross stitch, 1 for backstitch
• 16ct aida or 32ct evenweave (over 2): 2 strands cross stitch, 1 backstitch
• 18ct aida or 36ct evenweave: 1 strand cross stitch, 1 backstitch
• Backstitch only / outlines: always 1 strand for clean lines

How long does a skein last?

An 8 metre skein of DMC stranded cotton covers roughly 600 to 800 cross stitches on 14ct aida using 2 strands. A typical small project (20 x 20 cm finished, 50 to 80% coverage) uses 1 to 2 skeins per dominant colour and a single skein for each accent.

FAQ

Are all DMC threads colourfast? Yes. DMC Mouliné Stranded Cotton is rated colourfast up to 40°C wash. Finished pieces survive gentle laundering without bleeding.

Can I mix strands from different skeins of the same colour? Yes. DMC's dye batch consistency means a fresh skein of 310 looks identical to one bought five years ago, though it's still worth a quick check against very old stash thread.

What's the difference between DMC and other thread brands? Anchor, Madeira, and Sullivans make stranded cotton in different colour ranges. Some patterns specify other brands. DMC's range is the largest, at over 500 colours, and most patterns default to DMC codes.

How should I store my DMC threads? A floss organiser keeps your colours sorted by code and away from sunlight, which can fade thread over years. We stock floss bobbins and organiser boxes for the well-stocked stitcher.

Ready to start stitching?

If you're starting a new project, the easiest way to get all the right DMC colours in one go is with a complete cross stitch kit, since the kit's instructions tell you exactly which skeins are inside and what each one's for. If you're working from a pattern, our full DMC thread range ships Australia-wide.

Whichever way you come at it, there's something genuinely calming about sorting through a pile of thread, matching numbers to a chart, and watching a design slowly take shape one stitch at a time. That quiet, focused rhythm is a big part of why so many stitchers keep coming back to it.