553 — Violet
Pinks family
Need details on DMC 553? This medium, muted pink shade (Violet) is hex #924F92, RGB 146, 79, 146. 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.
Brand Equivalents for DMC 553
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 Colors
Closest match to DMC 553 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
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 553 (Violet) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 553
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 553
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 553 (Violet) sits a hair from DMC 33 (Fuchsia) (ΔE 2.46) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.
DMC 553 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 Violet turns up.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D553, Diamond Drills USA AD553. A kit legend or drill bag marked 553 means this colour. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 553
DMC threads that pair well with 553, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Pinks Family
DMC 553 in context with nearby shades from the pinks color family.
About DMC 553
Meet DMC 553, Violet — a muted, medium thread in the pinks family with orchid-toned tones. Stitchers describe its character as restrained and earthy, perfect for baby projects and peony petals. It blends comfortably into projects centered on flamingo designs and tulip blooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
DMC 553 — what color is it?
The color of DMC 553 is Violet — a medium pink thread (hex #924F92, RGB 146, 79, 146). It shows up most in skin tones and romantic motifs.
What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 553?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 553 (Violet) is Anchor 92 (Purple Medium) with a 89% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 98 (Violet Medium Light, 77%) and Anchor 110 (Lavender Medium, 74%).
Which DMC threads are close to 553?
The closest DMC threads to 553 are 33 Fuchsia (ΔE 2.46), 208 Lavender very dark (ΔE 5.4), and 552 Violet medium (ΔE 7.72). These are useful substitutes when 553 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is DMC 553 good for?
DMC 553 (Violet) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring skin tones, romantic motifs, blush accents, cherry blossoms. Its medium tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 553.
What fabric color works best with DMC 553 (Violet)?
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, 553 has a contrast ratio of about 5.6:1 on white fabric and 3.8:1 on black. As a soft cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.
Does DMC 553 come in a satin, metallic, or Étoile version?
Yes. The same number is made as DMC Satin S553. The base shade is matched across the lines, but the fibre 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 553?
Diamond Dotz D553 and Diamond Drills USA AD553 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 553 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 553?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Soie d'Alger 3313 Violet (100%), Crescent Colors Silk 072 Empress (90%), Riolis 535 (86%). Percentages are perceptual colour distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.