535 — Ash Grey very light
Blacks family#4B4B46
Below: DMC 535 (Ash Grey very light), a medium-dark, subdued black shade with hex #4B4B46 and RGB 75, 75, 70. Find its closest J&P Coates, Sullivans, and Cosmo matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar DMC shades and a full set of color harmony picks.
About DMC 535
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Pebble
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 535
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 535 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 535 (Ash Grey very light) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 535
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 535
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 535 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 Ash Grey very light turns up.
DMC 535 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 535.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D535, Diamond Drills USA DMC535. A kit legend or drill bag marked 535 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 535
DMC threads that pair well with 535, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blacks Family
DMC535 in context with nearby shades from the blacks color family.
About DMC 535
DMC 535 is the floss known as Ash Grey very light: a subdued, medium-dark member of the blacks family. The deep and grounded character of this shade lends itself well to bold contrast and dramatic backgrounds. Stitchers frequently choose it for wrought iron and night skies in their projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does DMC 535 look like?
DMC 535 (Ash Grey very light) is a medium-dark shade in the blacks family with hex #4B4B46 and RGB 75, 75, 70. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring crow motifs and gothic accents.
Which Anchor thread matches DMC 535?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 535 (Ash Grey very light) is Anchor 1041 (Beaver Grey Ultra Dark) with a 73% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 273 (Beaver Grey Very Dark, 68%) and Anchor 861 (Fern Green Dark, 52%).
What DMC colors are similar to 535?
The closest DMC threads to 535 are 844 Beaver Grey ultra dark (ΔE 4.88), 3787 Brown Grey dark (ΔE 5.53), and 413 Pewter Grey dark (ΔE 7.11). These are useful substitutes when 535 is unavailable or for building gradients.
When should I use DMC 535?
Reach for DMC 535 (Ash Grey very light) when your project calls for crow motifs, gothic accents, shadow textures, outlines. Its medium-dark character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 535.
What fabric color works best with DMC 535 (Ash Grey very 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, 535 has a contrast ratio of about 8.8:1 on white fabric and 2.4:1 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.
Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 535?
No. DMC 535 (Ash Grey very light) 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 color with two strands of the cotton.
What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 535?
Diamond Dotz D535 and Diamond Drills USA DMC535 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 535 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 535?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Eterna Silk 160 Stone Gray Dark (94%), Needlepoint Inc Silk 588 Burnt Umber (92%), Coats Puppets 0556 Artichoke green (91%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.