Anchor Stranded Cotton

381 — Black Brown Dark

Browns family

Anchor 381 — Black Brown Dark — has hex #361A06 and RGB 54, 26, 6. This very dark, vivid brown thread sits alongside its closest Classic Colorworks, Weeks Dye Works, and Gentle Art Sampler matches below, with 8 similar Anchor shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex
#361A06
RGB
54, 26, 6
HSL
25°, 80%, 12%
Lab
12.8, 12.0, 16.9
Lightness
12%
Very dark
Saturation
80%
Vivid
Hue
25°
Family
Browns

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 381

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

Anchor 381 Black Brown Dark

Sullivans

Mocha Brown Very Dark 45323 83% Good
Beige Brown Very Dark 45236 74% Approx
Beige Brown Dark 45237 72% Approx
Mocha Brown Dark 45393 70% Approx
Coffee Brown Very Dark 45249 70% Approx

Crescent Colours

Brown Sugar 178 34% Fair
Cappuccino 007 33% Fair
Whatley Woodlands 153 31% Fair
Wisconsin Woods 114 29% Fair
Black Coffee 004 28% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 381

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

Anchor 381 Black Brown Dark
Black Brown Very Dark Anchor 382 Near identical ΔE 2.21 Mocha Brown Dark Anchor 1050 Very close ΔE 2.82 Black Brown Medium Dark Anchor 380 Very close ΔE 3.68 Black Brown Medium Anchor 360 Noticeable ΔE 6.23 Hazelnut Brown Dark Anchor 906 Noticeable ΔE 7.26 Brown Grey Dark Anchor 905 Noticeable ΔE 7.66 Coffee Very Dark Anchor 359 Noticeable ΔE 8.37 Dusty Flesh Very Dark Anchor 936 Noticeable ΔE 8.66

Working with Anchor 381

On white fabric
16.1:1
On dark fabric
1.3:1
Temperature
warm
Closest to
charcoal

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

Backstitch & outlines

Because it is so deep, Anchor 381 (Black Brown Dark) holds its own as an outlining and lettering color where lighter threads would get lost against the fill.

Blending & gradients

Its nearest neighbor, Anchor 382 (Black Brown Very Dark), is barely a step away (ΔE 2.21). Tweed the two together for subtle shading, or substitute freely when one is out of stock.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 381

Anchor threads that pair well with 381, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
381
170 Blue Green Very Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
381
906 Hazelnut Brown Dark 382 Black Brown Very Dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
381
862 Fern Green Very Dark 123 Blue Purple Dark
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
381
936 Dusty Flesh Very Dark 379 Dusty Flesh Dark 368 Coffee 1012 Flesh

Browns Family

Anchor 381 in context with nearby shades from the browns color family.

381 Black Brown Dark 381 277 Gold Dark 277 906 Hazelnut Brown Dark 906 905 Brown Grey Dark 905 380 Black Brown Medium Dark 380 1050 Mocha Brown Dark 1050 382 Black Brown Very Dark 382

About Anchor 381

Black Brown Dark (catalog code Anchor 381) is a very dark, vivid shade from the browns family with earthy sienna tones. It has a commanding and rich feel that suits earth tones and animal fur particularly well. Designers often pair this shade with warm outlines or wooden textures for balanced palettes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Anchor 381?

Anchor 381 is called Black Brown Dark. It's a very dark brown shade (hex #361A06, RGB 54, 26, 6) in the browns family, commonly used for horse designs, cinnamon motifs, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Anchor 381?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 381 (Black Brown Dark) is DMC 898 (Coffee Brown very dark) with a 66% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 938 (Coffee Brown ultra dark, 63%) and DMC 3031 (Mocha Brown very dark, 62%).

What's a good substitute for Anchor 381?

The closest Anchor threads to 381 are 382 Black Brown Very Dark (ΔE 2.21), 1050 Mocha Brown Dark (ΔE 2.82), and 380 Black Brown Medium Dark (ΔE 3.68). These are useful substitutes when 381 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Anchor 381?

Cross-stitchers pull Anchor 381 (Black Brown Dark) for charts featuring horse designs, cinnamon motifs, bark patterns, gingerbread themes. The very dark tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.

Is Anchor 381 (Black Brown Dark) good for backstitching and outlines?

Yes — very dark shades like 381 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