8581 — Beaver Grey Medium
Blacks family
Anchor 8581 (Beaver Grey Medium) is a dark, subdued black shade with hex code #403E3A and RGB values 64, 62, 58. Below you'll find the closest Sullivans, Cosmo, and Classic Colorworks equivalents — ranked by visual color similarity — plus 8 similar Anchor shades and color harmony pairings.
Brand Equivalents for Anchor 8581
Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works
DMC
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Valdani
Crescent Colours
Similar Anchor Colors to 8581
Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with Anchor 8581
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
Anchor 8581 (Beaver Grey Medium) sits a hair from Anchor 1040 (Beaver Grey Dark) (ΔE 1.76) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.
Color Harmonies for Anchor 8581
Anchor threads that pair well with 8581, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blacks Family
Anchor 8581 in context with nearby shades from the blacks color family.
About Anchor 8581
Known as Beaver Grey Medium, Anchor 8581 is a dark, subdued shade sitting in the blacks family. This thread brings a dramatic and quiet presence to projects featuring dramatic backgrounds or wrought iron. Look for it in charts that feature night skies or silhouettes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anchor 8581 — what color is it?
The color of Anchor 8581 is Beaver Grey Medium — a dark black thread (hex #403E3A, RGB 64, 62, 58). It shows up most in gothic accents and shadow textures.
What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 8581?
The closest DMC match for Anchor 8581 (Beaver Grey Medium) is DMC 844 (Beaver Grey ultra dark) with a 87% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 535 (Ash Grey very light, 78%) and DMC 3787 (Brown Grey dark, 72%).
Which Anchor threads are close to 8581?
The closest Anchor threads to 8581 are 1040 Beaver Grey Dark (ΔE 1.76), 400 Pewter Grey Dark (ΔE 2.93), and 235 Pewter Grey (ΔE 4.19). These are useful substitutes when 8581 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is Anchor 8581 good for?
Anchor 8581 (Beaver Grey Medium) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring gothic accents, shadow textures, outlines, lettering. Its dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 8581.
What fabric color works best with Anchor 8581 (Beaver Grey Medium)?
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, 8581 has a contrast ratio of about 10.7:1 on white fabric and 2:1 on black. As a neutral shade, as a near-neutral, it plays quietly with almost any palette and works well as a background or shading tone.