Anchor Stranded Cotton

152 — Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark

Blues family

Looking up Anchor 152? It's Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark, a very dark blue shade (#080031 / RGB 8, 0, 49). Scroll down for Crescent Colours, DMC, and Madeira equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close Anchor alternatives and curated color harmonies.

Hex
#080031
RGB
8, 0, 49
HSL
250°, 100%, 10%
Lab
2.5, 16.2, -28.0
Lightness
10%
Very dark
Saturation
100%
Vivid
Hue
250°
Family
Blues

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 152

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works

Anchor 152 Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark

Sullivans

Navy Blue Dark 45224 80% Good
Royal Blue Very Dark 45222 73% Approx
Navy Blue 45069 62% Fair
Royal Blue Dark 45206 58% Fair
Cornflower Blue Very Dark 45202 57% Fair

Crescent Colours

Purple Aster 070 29% Fair
Wavy Navy 075 22% Fair
Granny Annie 083 15% Fair
Black Coffee 004 1% Fair
Nighty Nite 160 0% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 152

Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Anchor 152 Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark
Navy Blue Very Dark Anchor 127 Very close ΔE 2.5 Sky Blue Ultra Dark Anchor 134 Very close ΔE 4.2 Blue Purple Dark Anchor 123 Noticeable ΔE 5.86 Navy Blue Dark Anchor 150 Noticeable ΔE 5.99 Navy Blue Medium Dark Anchor 149 Noticeable ΔE 7.35 Sky Blue Very Dark Anchor 133 Noticeable ΔE 7.78 Navy Blue Medium Anchor 148 Noticeable ΔE 8.13 Cornflower Blue Very D Anchor 178 Noticeable ΔE 8.63

Working with Anchor 152

On white fabric
19.9:1
On dark fabric
1.1:1
Temperature
cool
Closest to
black

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.

Backstitch & outlines

Very dark shades like Anchor 152 (Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark) are workhorses for backstitch outlines, lettering, and fine detail — the depth reads cleanly at a single strand over one.

Blending & gradients

Because Anchor 127 (Navy Blue Very Dark) is so near (ΔE 2.5), the pair makes a natural two-step gradient — handy for shading skin, petals, or skies without a hard seam.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 152

Anchor threads that pair well with 152, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
152
1044 Pistachio Green Ultra Very Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
152
102 Lavender Ultra Very Dark 148 Navy Blue Medium
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
152
382 Black Brown Very Dark 862 Fern Green Very Dark
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
152
177 Cornflower Blue Dark 176 Cornflower Blue Medium 108 Lavender Very Light 117 Blue Violet Very Light

Blues Family

Anchor 152 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.

152 Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark 152 148 Navy Blue Medium 148 150 Navy Blue Dark 150 123 Blue Purple Dark 123 149 Navy Blue Medium Dark 149 134 Sky Blue Ultra Dark 134 127 Navy Blue Very Dark 127

About Anchor 152

Anchor 152 (Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark) is a very dark, highly saturated shade in the blues family with deep blue tones. Expect a powerful and saturated look that suits winter scenes, forget-me-nots, and similar motifs. Cross stitch enthusiasts often reach for this thread when stitching bluebird motifs or whale designs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Anchor 152 look like?

Anchor 152 (Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark) is a very dark shade in the blues family with hex #080031 and RGB 8, 0, 49. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring skies and water.

Which DMC thread matches Anchor 152?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 152 (Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark) is DMC 820 (Royal Blue very dark) with a 49% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 823 (Navy Blue dark, 46%) and DMC 939 (Navy Blue very dark, 44%).

What Anchor colors are similar to 152?

The closest Anchor threads to 152 are 127 Navy Blue Very Dark (ΔE 2.5), 134 Sky Blue Ultra Dark (ΔE 4.2), and 123 Blue Purple Dark (ΔE 5.86). These are useful substitutes when 152 is unavailable or for building gradients.

When should I use Anchor 152?

Reach for Anchor 152 (Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark) when your project calls for skies, water, denim textures, cool-toned backgrounds. Its very dark character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 152.

Is Anchor 152 (Navy Blue Ultra Very Dark) good for backstitching and outlines?

Yes — very dark shades like 152 are among the most-used backstitch and outlining colors. Work it in a single strand over one for crisp edges, lettering, and fine detail.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion