414 — Steel Grey dark
Grays family#646B78
Need details on DMC 414? This medium, subdued gray shade (Steel Grey dark) is hex #646B78, RGB 100, 107, 120. 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.
About DMC 414
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Lead
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 414
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 414 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 414 (Steel Grey dark) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 414
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 414
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 414 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 dark turns up.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D414, Diamond Drills USA DMC414. A kit legend or drill bag marked 414 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 414
DMC threads that pair well with 414, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Grays Family
DMC414 in context with nearby shades from the grays color family.
About DMC 414
A medium, subdued entry in the grays family, DMC 414 carries the name Steel Grey dark. Stitchers describe its character as steady and quiet, perfect for slate textures and rabbit fur. It blends comfortably into projects centered on shading and outlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is DMC 414?
DMC 414 is called Steel Grey dark. It's a medium gray shade (hex #646B78, RGB 100, 107, 120) in the grays family, commonly used for elephant motifs, cobblestone paths, and similar motifs.
What's the closest Anchor match for DMC 414?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 414 (Steel Grey dark) is Anchor 922 (Antique Blue Dark) with a 90% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 400 (Pewter Grey Dark, 50%) and Anchor 1035 (Antique Blue Very Dark, 49%).
What's a good substitute for DMC 414?
The closest DMC threads to 414 are 931 Antique Blue medium (ΔE 6.06), 04 Dark Tin (ΔE 7.85), and 317 Pewter Grey (ΔE 8.33). These are useful substitutes when 414 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use DMC 414?
Cross-stitchers pull DMC 414 (Steel Grey dark) for charts featuring elephant motifs, cobblestone paths, industrial designs, wolf patterns. The medium 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 414 (Steel Grey 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, 414 has a contrast ratio of about 5.4:1 on white fabric and 3.9:1 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 414 come in a satin, metallic, or Étoile version?
Yes. The same number is made as DMC Satin S414. 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 414?
Diamond Dotz D414 and Diamond Drills USA DMC414 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 414 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 414?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are YLI Silk 225 Medium Blue Gray (100%), Classic Colorworks Silk Ocean Tide (90%), Crescent Colors Silk 041 Ocean Tide (90%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.