Anchor Stranded Cotton

393 — Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark

Browns family

Anchor 393 — Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark — has hex #55493D and RGB 85, 73, 61. This medium-dark, muted brown thread sits alongside its closest DMC, Madeira, and J&P Coates matches below, with 8 similar Anchor shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex
#55493D
RGB
85, 73, 61
HSL
30°, 16%, 29%
Lab
31.9, 2.9, 9.1
Lightness
29%
Dark
Saturation
16%
Neutral
Hue
30°
Family
Browns

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 393

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

Anchor 393 Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark

Sullivans

Beaver Grey Very Dark 45151 75% Approx
Drab Brown 45144 63% Fair
Brown Grey Dark 45395 62% Fair
Ash Grey Very Light 45121 60% Fair
Beaver Grey Ultra Dark 45241 52% Fair

Crescent Colours

Camouflage 063 85% Good
Balsam Fir 157 65% Approx
Muddy Puddle 180 51% Fair
Wisconsin Woods 114 49% Fair
Rod and Reel 116 45% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 393

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

Anchor 393 Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark
Brown Grey Medium Anchor 903 Very close ΔE 3.79 Drab Brown Dark Anchor 898 Very close ΔE 4.43 Beaver Grey Dark Anchor 1040 Noticeable ΔE 6.58 Brown Grey Medium Anchor 904 Noticeable ΔE 6.6 Beaver Grey Medium Anchor 8581 Noticeable ΔE 7.44 Taupe Medium Dark Anchor 1086 Noticeable ΔE 7.58 Pewter Grey Anchor 235 Noticeable ΔE 8.26 Drab Brown Medium Anchor 832 Noticeable ΔE 8.33

Working with Anchor 393

On white fabric
8.7:1
On dark fabric
2.4:1
Temperature
soft warm
Closest to
charcoal

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 393

Anchor threads that pair well with 393, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
393
779 Grey Blue Very Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
393
845 Khaki Green Medium Dark 1086 Taupe Medium Dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
393
169 Blue Green Dark 871 Antique Violet Medium
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
393
392 Beige Grey Dark 391 Beige Grey Medium 933 Dusty Flesh Very Light

Browns Family

Anchor 393 in context with nearby shades from the browns color family.

393 Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark 393 1004 Orange Spice Very Dark 1004 341 Mahogany Dark 341 370 Coffee Medium 370 309 Topaz Medium Dark 309 355 Chocolate Medium Dark 355 898 Drab Brown Dark 898 1014 Mahogany Very Dark 1014 1046 Golden Brown Medium Dark 1046 365 Golden Brown Medium 365 1088 Taupe Very Dark 1088

About Anchor 393

Meet Anchor 393, Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark — a muted, medium-dark thread in the browns family with earthy sienna tones. Its tone is somber and rich, making it a popular choice for tree trunks and earth tones. It pairs nicely in designs that call for animal fur or warm outlines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anchor 393 — what color is it?

The color of Anchor 393 is Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark — a medium-dark brown thread (hex #55493D, RGB 85, 73, 61). It shows up most in leather accents and horse designs.

What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 393?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 393 (Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark) is DMC 3787 (Brown Grey dark) with a 91% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 3790 (Beige Grey ultra dark, 79%) and DMC 3781 (Mocha Brown dark, 74%).

Which Anchor threads are close to 393?

The closest Anchor threads to 393 are 903 Brown Grey Medium (ΔE 3.79), 898 Drab Brown Dark (ΔE 4.43), and 1040 Beaver Grey Dark (ΔE 6.58). These are useful substitutes when 393 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is Anchor 393 good for?

Anchor 393 (Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring leather accents, horse designs, cinnamon motifs, bark patterns. Its medium-dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 393.

What fabric color works best with Anchor 393 (Beige Grey Ultra Very Dark)?

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first. For reference, 393 has a contrast ratio of about 8.7:1 on white fabric and 2.4:1 on black. As a soft warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion