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Stitch & Spool

Thread color converter

Start from a color, a thread number or a design file, and see the closest colors in each machine maker’s thread range.

Start from

A color

Like #3a6ea5. Or click the swatch to pick one.

Or a thread number

Or a color from a design

Then click one of its thread colors. Read on your device, never uploaded.

    Closest matches

    Your color

    Ranges to show

    Screen colors are close to, but never exactly, a real spool. Check a printed thread chart before you buy.

    Thread colors: the machine makers’ built-in palettes, as published in pyembroidery (MIT licence).

    What to do next

    How the matching works

    Each color is compared the way the eye sees it, using the CIEDE2000 color difference. Under 1 looks the same, under 3 is very close in thread, and above 12 there’s nothing close in that range.

    The ranges are the colors each machine maker built into their machines and design files: the Brother palette used by PES files, Janome’s thread numbers used by JEF files, and Husqvarna Viking’s used by HUS files.

    Brother’s numbers are positions in the machine’s color palette, not catalog numbers on the spool. Janome and Husqvarna Viking numbers are their thread numbers.

    Questions

    Can I match Madeira, Isacord or other thread brands?

    Not yet. This tool covers the three machine makers’ ranges. Other brands may be added later; until then, use their printed color charts with the color code shown here.

    Why does the match look different on my spool?

    Screens show color with light, spools reflect it, and thread sheen changes with the angle. Treat the matches as a shortlist and check a real thread card before stitching.

    Is my design file uploaded?

    No. It’s read inside your browser and only its thread colors are used.

    What do the difference numbers mean?

    They’re CIEDE2000 values: 0 is identical, around 1 is the smallest difference most people can see, and above 6 the colors are clearly different.