318 — Steel Grey light
Grays family#808796
Need details on DMC 318? This medium, subdued gray shade (Steel Grey light) is hex #808796, RGB 128, 135, 150. Cross-brand equivalents in Madeira, J&P Coates, and Sullivans are listed below — ranked by perceptual similarity — alongside 8 nearby DMC shades and color-theory harmony pairings.
About DMC 318
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Granite grey
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 318
The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Valdani
Crescent Colors
Closest match to DMC 318 in 67 more brands
The single nearest shade in every other palette we hold, from needlepoint silks and wools to fuse beads and yarn. Match quality is perceptual color distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.
More stranded cotton
Hand-dyed & overdyed
Silk
Wool for needlepoint
Metallic, rayon & specialty
Other threads & beads
Fuse beads
Yarn for crochet & knitting
Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 318 (Steel Grey light) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 318
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 318
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 318 in other DMC lines
DMC reuses base numbers across its specialty lines, so the same shade can exist as a satin, a metallic, or a sparkle floss under a prefixed code. Here is where Steel Grey light turns up.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D318, Diamond Drills USA DMC318. A kit legend or drill bag marked 318 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 318
DMC threads that pair well with 318, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Grays Family
DMC318 in context with nearby shades from the grays color family.
About DMC 318
DMC 318 (Steel Grey light) is a medium, subdued shade in the grays family. With a warm and grounded quality, this thread works beautifully in elephant motifs and cobblestone paths. You will find this color at home in patterns featuring industrial designs and wolf patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does DMC 318 look like?
DMC 318 (Steel Grey light) is a medium shade in the grays family with hex #808796 and RGB 128, 135, 150. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring shading and outlines.
Which Anchor thread matches DMC 318?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 318 (Steel Grey light) is Anchor 921 (Antique Blue Medium) with a 73% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 1034 (Antique Blue Medium Dark, 73%) and Anchor 939 (Blue Grey, 65%).
What DMC colors are similar to 318?
The closest DMC threads to 318 are 932 Antique Blue light (ΔE 6.86), 03 Medium Tin (ΔE 7.69), and 30 Medium Light Blueberry (ΔE 9.87). These are useful substitutes when 318 is unavailable or for building gradients.
When should I use DMC 318?
Reach for DMC 318 (Steel Grey light) when your project calls for shading, outlines, urban scenes, neutral backgrounds. Its medium character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 318.
What fabric color works best with DMC 318 (Steel Grey light)?
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, 318 has a contrast ratio of about 3.6:1 on white fabric and 5.8:1 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.
Does DMC 318 come in a satin, metallic, or Étoile version?
Yes. The same number is made as DMC Étoile C318. The base shade is matched across the lines, but the fiber changes the look: Satin is a high-sheen rayon, Light Effects is a metallic polyester most people blend one strand at a time, and Étoile is cotton with a sparkle filament that stitches like ordinary floss.
What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 318?
Diamond Dotz D318 and Diamond Drills USA DMC318 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 318 is this color regardless of drill brand — though each manufacturer dyes to the reference in its own batches, so avoid mixing brands inside one large block.
Which other thread brands come closest to DMC 318?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Paternayan 1211 Pearl Grey (88%), Olde Willow 054 Midnight Rain (86%), Mill Hill Beads 80777 (86%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.