Anchor Stranded Cotton

401 — Shell Grey Very Dark

Reds family

Anchor 401 — Shell Grey Very Dark — has hex #352C2A and RGB 53, 44, 42. This dark, subdued red 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
#352C2A
RGB
53, 44, 42
HSL
11°, 12%, 19%
Lab
18.9, 3.7, 2.8
Lightness
19%
Very dark
Saturation
12%
Neutral
Hue
11°
Family
Reds

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 401

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

Anchor 401 Shell Grey Very Dark

Sullivans

Beaver Grey Ultra Dark 45241 86% Good
Brown Grey Very Dark 45428 66% Approx
Ash Grey Very Light 45121 65% Approx
Pewter Grey Very Dark 45397 64% Fair
Mocha Brown Dark 45393 61% Fair

Crescent Colours

Black Coffee 004 81% Good
Wavy Navy 075 53% Fair
Cappuccino 007 49% Fair
Purple Aster 070 48% Fair
Tartan Plaid 073 44% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 401

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

Anchor 401 Shell Grey Very Dark
Beaver Grey Very Dark Anchor 273 Very close ΔE 4.85 Beaver Grey Ultra Dark Anchor 1041 Close ΔE 5.39 Brown Grey Dark Anchor 905 Noticeable ΔE 6.19 Pewter Grey Dark Anchor 400 Noticeable ΔE 6.71 Pewter Grey Very Dark Anchor 236 Noticeable ΔE 7.22 Beaver Grey Medium Anchor 8581 Noticeable ΔE 7.3 Beaver Grey Dark Anchor 1040 Noticeable ΔE 7.81 Antique Blue Dark Anchor 922 Noticeable ΔE 9.37

Working with Anchor 401

On white fabric
13.6:1
On dark fabric
1.5:1
Temperature
soft 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 401 (Shell Grey Very Dark) holds its own as an outlining and lettering color where lighter threads would get lost against the fill.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 401

Anchor threads that pair well with 401, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
401
400 Pewter Grey Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
401
273 Beaver Grey Very Dark 273 Beaver Grey Very Dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
401
683 Misty Green Ultra Very Dark 922 Antique Blue Dark
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
401
233 Shell Grey Dark 391 Beige Grey Medium 830 Drab Brown Very Light

Reds Family

Anchor 401 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

401 Shell Grey Very Dark 401 45 Garnet Very Dark 45 1006 Dusty Rose Very Dark 1006 1019 Antique Mauve Dark 1019 22 Garnet 22 1005 Christmas Red Ultra Very Dark 1005 897 Shell Pink Very Dark 897

About Anchor 401

A dark, subdued entry in the reds family, Anchor 401 carries the name Shell Grey Very Dark with red-orange tones. Its tone is dark and steady, making it a popular choice for barn scenes and tomato patterns. It pairs nicely in designs that call for roses or hearts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Anchor 401?

Anchor 401 is called Shell Grey Very Dark. It's a dark red shade (hex #352C2A, RGB 53, 44, 42) in the reds family, commonly used for valentines, poppies, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Anchor 401?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 401 (Shell Grey Very Dark) is DMC 3371 (Black Brown) with a 85% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 09 (Very Dark Cocoa, 72%) and DMC 938 (Coffee Brown ultra dark, 71%).

What's a good substitute for Anchor 401?

The closest Anchor threads to 401 are 273 Beaver Grey Very Dark (ΔE 4.85), 1041 Beaver Grey Ultra Dark (ΔE 5.39), and 905 Brown Grey Dark (ΔE 6.19). These are useful substitutes when 401 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Anchor 401?

Cross-stitchers pull Anchor 401 (Shell Grey Very Dark) for charts featuring valentines, poppies, cardinal birds, apple motifs. The dark tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.

Is Anchor 401 (Shell Grey Very Dark) good for backstitching and outlines?

It's an excellent outline color. The depth of 401 defines edges and text cleanly where lighter threads would disappear into the fill; one strand is usually enough for backstitch.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion