DMC Mouliné Spécial

3781 — Mocha Brown dark

Browns family

Need details on DMC 3781? This dark, muted brown shade (Mocha Brown dark) is hex #503D2E, RGB 80, 61, 46. Cross-brand equivalents in Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art Sampler, and Valdani are listed below — ranked by perceptual similarity — alongside 8 nearby DMC shades and color-theory harmony pairings.

Hex
#503D2E
RGB
80, 61, 46
HSL
26°, 27%, 25%
Lab
27.4, 5.9, 12.4
Lightness
25%
Dark
Saturation
27%
Muted
Hue
26°
Family
Browns

Brand Equivalents for DMC 3781

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

DMC 3781Mocha Brown dark

Closest match to DMC 3781 in 43 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 colour distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.

More stranded cotton

Ariadna181289% Good
Luca-S48487% Good
Dimensions15472 Mocha Brown very dark86% Good
PNK Kirov671286% Good
Gamma3228 т.коричневый-хаки79% Fair
Finca8171 Beige Brown very dark77% Fair
Riolis86069% Approx

Hand-dyed & overdyed

Crescent Colors Silk077 Briar patch83% Fair
Caron1110 Cedar Brown81% Fair
Needle NecessitiesC136 Dk Fudge Brown81% Fair
The Gentle Art Simply Shaker7082 Piney Woods80% Fair
Classic Colorworks SilkBriar Patch76% Fair
The Gentle Art1120 Cherry Bark75% Fair
ThreadworX10362 Green Applewood71% Approx
Olde Willow215 Allentown Brown43% Approx
Dinky Dyes31 Choco Latte32% Approx

Silk

Vineyard Silk042 Dark Earth92% Good
Eterna Silk1160 Tawny Brown Dark84% Fair
Soie d'Alger3435 Brown Grey very dark83% Fair
Silk and Ivory227 Bran Flakes72% Approx
YLI Silk234 Chocolate63% Approx
Kimono Silk308 Rickshaw63% Approx
Kreinik Silk Mori7136 Dark Mocha52% Approx

Wool for needlepoint

Appleton185 Chocolate84% Fair

Metallic, rayon & specialty

Madeira Rayon1230 Taupe dark82% Fair
Rainbow GalleryW123 Chestnut78% Fair
Kreinik1700 Misty Gold71% Approx
Glissen Gloss812 Dark brown65% Approx
Anchor Marlitt1072 Grey Brown dark61% Approx
Coats Rayon51 Chona Brown50% Approx
Petite Treasure BraidPB11 Purple10% Approx

Other threads & beads

Planet Earth141 twig85% Good
Coats Puppets7358 7358Puppets83% Fair
Planet Earth Pepperpot051 chestnut56% Approx
Mill Hill Beads0301156% Approx

Fuse beads

HamaH12 Brown86% Good
PerlerP12 Brown74% Approx
Artkal SS16 Brown66% Approx
CocoL1349% Approx
MARDR1349% Approx

Yarn for crochet & knitting

Bernat Super Value53015 Taupe Heather55% Approx
Red Heart Super Saver0360 Cafe Latte52% Approx
Caron One Pound10581 Espresso36% Approx

Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 3781 (Mocha Brown dark) in any brand.

Similar DMC Colors to 3781

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

Working with DMC 3781

On white fabric
10.3:1
On dark fabric
2:1
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.

DMC 3781 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 Mocha Brown dark turns up.

DMC 3781 is a Mouliné Spécial-only number: there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile version of this shade. For a sheen or sparkle in the same tone, blend one strand of the nearest metallic with two strands of DMC 3781.

Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D3781, Diamond Drills USA AD3781. A kit legend or drill bag marked 3781 means this colour. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.

Color Harmonies for DMC 3781

DMC threads that pair well with 3781, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

Browns Family

DMC 3781 in context with nearby shades from the browns color family.

About DMC 3781

Meet DMC 3781, Mocha Brown dark — a muted, dark thread in the browns family with earthy sienna tones. Stitchers describe its character as dramatic and quiet, perfect for tree trunks and earth tones. It blends comfortably into projects centered on animal fur and warm outlines.

Frequently Asked Questions

DMC 3781 — what color is it?

The color of DMC 3781 is Mocha Brown dark — a dark brown thread (hex #503D2E, RGB 80, 61, 46). It shows up most in leather accents and horse designs.

What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 3781?

The closest Anchor match for DMC 3781 (Mocha Brown dark) is Anchor 904 (Brown Grey Medium) with a 91% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 898 (Drab Brown Dark, 82%) and Anchor 1086 (Taupe Medium Dark, 77%).

Which DMC threads are close to 3781?

The closest DMC threads to 3781 are 3021 Brown Grey very dark (ΔE 3.44), 839 Beige Brown dark (ΔE 4.6), and 3790 Beige Grey ultra dark (ΔE 5.45). These are useful substitutes when 3781 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is DMC 3781 good for?

DMC 3781 (Mocha Brown dark) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring leather accents, horse designs, cinnamon motifs, bark patterns. 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 3781.

What fabric color works best with DMC 3781 (Mocha Brown 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, 3781 has a contrast ratio of about 10.3:1 on white fabric and 2:1 on black. As a soft warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 3781?

No. DMC 3781 (Mocha Brown dark) exists only as Mouliné Spécial six-strand cotton — there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile code for it. For a matching shine, blend one strand of the nearest Light Effects colour with two strands of the cotton.

What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 3781?

Diamond Dotz D3781 and Diamond Drills USA AD3781 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 3781 is this colour 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 3781?

Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Vineyard Silk 042 Dark Earth (92%), Ariadna 1812 (89%), Luca-S 484 (87%). Percentages are perceptual colour distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.