311 — Navy Blue medium
Blues family
Looking up DMC 311? It's Navy Blue medium, a dark blue shade (#203050 / RGB 32, 48, 80). Scroll down for Cosmo, Classic Colorworks, and Weeks Dye Works equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close DMC alternatives and curated color harmonies.
Brand Equivalents for DMC 311
Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Valdani
Crescent Colours
Similar DMC Colors to 311
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 311
It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.
Its nearest neighbor, DMC 336 (Navy Blue), is barely a step away (ΔE 2.12). Tweed the two together for subtle shading, or substitute freely when one is out of stock.
Color Harmonies for DMC 311
DMC threads that pair well with 311, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blues Family
DMC 311 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.
About DMC 311
A dark, moderately saturated entry in the blues family, DMC 311 carries the name Navy Blue medium with sky blue tones. The shade reads as dark and rich — a go-to choice for porcelain patterns and hydrangea blooms. It also turns up in patterns built around skies and water.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is DMC 311?
DMC 311 is called Navy Blue medium. It's a dark blue shade (hex #203050, RGB 32, 48, 80) in the blues family, commonly used for winter scenes, forget-me-nots, and similar motifs.
What's the closest Anchor match for DMC 311?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 311 (Navy Blue medium) is Anchor 147 (Navy Blue Medium Light) with a 91% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 143 (Royal Blue Dark, 89%) and Anchor 139 (Delft Very Dark, 89%).
What's a good substitute for DMC 311?
The closest DMC threads to 311 are 336 Navy Blue (ΔE 2.12), 803 Baby Blue ultra very dark (ΔE 3.34), and 3750 Antique Blue very dark (ΔE 5.48). These are useful substitutes when 311 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use DMC 311?
Cross-stitchers pull DMC 311 (Navy Blue medium) for charts featuring winter scenes, forget-me-nots, bluebird motifs, whale designs. The dark tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.
What fabric color works best with DMC 311 (Navy Blue medium)?
It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground. For reference, 311 has a contrast ratio of about 13.1:1 on white fabric and 1.6:1 on black. As a cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.