DMC Mouliné Spécial

816 — Garnet

Reds family

Looking up DMC 816? It's Garnet, a medium-dark red shade (#89132C / RGB 137, 19, 44). Scroll down for Cosmo, Classic Colorworks, and Weeks Dye Works equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close DMC alternatives and curated color harmonies.

Hex

#89132C

RGB

137, 19, 44

HSL

347°, 76%, 31%

Lab

29.3, 48.3, 18.0

Lightness

31%

Dark

Saturation

76%

Rich

Hue

347°

Family

Reds

Brand Equivalents for DMC 816

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

DMC 816 Garnet

Sullivans

Shell Pink Dark 45365 85% Good

Raspberry Very Dark 45492 76% Approx

Plum Dark 45262 75% Approx

Dusty Rose Ultra Very Dark 45465 73% Approx

Rosewood Medium 45456 72% Approx

Cosmo

242 86% Good 2241 86% Good 655 76% Approx 4300 75% Approx 467 75% Approx

Classic Colorworks

Ladybug 83% Good Holly Berry 81% Good Apple Fritter 75% Approx Ribbon Red 71% Approx Cherry Cobbler 71% Approx

Weeks Dye Works

Garnet 2264 87% Good Louisiana Hot Sauce 2266a 86% Good Merlot 1334 79% Approx Bordeaux 1339 77% Approx Carolina Cecil 2239a 75% Approx

Gentle Art Sampler

Acorn 0111 37% Fair Brown Bear 1191 34% Fair Currant 0312 31% Fair Cherry Bark 1120 18% Fair Cranberry 0360 14% Fair

Valdani

Garnet 775 100% Excellent Christmas Red medium 76 82% Good Terra Cotta very dark O507 80% Good Shell Pink very dark O78 70% Approx Terra Cotta dark P1 70% Approx

Crescent Colours

Bandana 094 88% Good

Bing Cherry 151 83% Good

Cupid 012 82% Good

Razzleberry 161 72% Approx

Manor Red 101 69% Approx

Similar DMC Colors to 816

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

DMC 816 Garnet

Christmas Red dark DMC 498 Near identical ΔE 1.8 Christmas Red medium DMC 304 Very close ΔE 3.63 Dusty Rose ultra very dark DMC 150 Very close ΔE 3.63 Terra Cotta very dark DMC 3777 Very close ΔE 4.06 Raspberry very dark DMC 777 Very close ΔE 4.49 Shell Pink dark DMC 3721 Very close ΔE 4.78 Garnet medium DMC 815 Close ΔE 5.06 Rose very deep DMC 326 Noticeable ΔE 5.7

Working with DMC 816

On white fabric

9.6:1

On dark fabric

2.2:1

Temperature

warm

Closest to

crimson

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.

Bold accents & focal points

With its high saturation, DMC 816 (Garnet) draws the eye — a natural pick for focal motifs, small pops of color, and details you want to read first.

Blending & gradients

DMC 816 (Garnet) sits a hair from DMC 498 (Christmas Red dark) (ΔE 1.8) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.

Color Harmonies for DMC 816

DMC threads that pair well with 816, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary

Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast

816

3847 Teal Green dark

Analogous

Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions

816

975 Golden Brown dark 917 Plum medium

Triadic

Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced

816

904 Parrot Green very dark 3765 Very Dark Peacock Blue

Monochromatic

Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

816

3328 Salmon dark 760 Salmon 776 Pink Medium

Reds Family

DMC 816 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

816 Garnet 816 3858 Rosewood medium 3858 315 Antique Mauve dark 315 3777 Terra Cotta very dark 3777 632 Desert Sand ultra very dark 632 918 Red Copper dark 918 400 Mahogany dark 400 221 Shell Pink very dark 221 3802 Antique Mauve very dark 3802 779 Cocoa dark 779 300 Mahogany very dark 300

About DMC 816

Meet DMC 816, Garnet — a vivid, medium-dark thread in the reds family with warm crimson tones. The shade reads as intense and saturated — a go-to choice for roses and hearts. It also turns up in patterns built around holiday designs and bold accents.

Frequently Asked Questions

DMC 816 — what color is it?

The color of DMC 816 is Garnet — a medium-dark red thread (hex #89132C, RGB 137, 19, 44). It shows up most in cardinal birds and apple motifs.

What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 816?

The closest Anchor match for DMC 816 (Garnet) is Anchor 20 (Garnet Light) with a 84% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 22 (Garnet, 84%) and Anchor 1025 (Dusty Rose Dark, 83%).

Which DMC threads are close to 816?

The closest DMC threads to 816 are 498 Christmas Red dark (ΔE 1.8), 304 Christmas Red medium (ΔE 3.63), and 150 Dusty Rose ultra very dark (ΔE 3.63). These are useful substitutes when 816 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is DMC 816 good for?

DMC 816 (Garnet) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring cardinal birds, apple motifs, ladybug designs, barn scenes. Its medium-dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 816.

What fabric color works best with DMC 816 (Garnet)?

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, 816 has a contrast ratio of about 9.6:1 on white fabric and 2.2:1 on black. As a warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

DMC Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion