996 — Electric Blue medium
Blues family#0097E1
Below: DMC 996 (Electric Blue medium), a medium, highly saturated blue shade with hex #0097E1 and RGB 0, 151, 225. Find its closest Gentle Art Sampler, Valdani, and Crescent Colors matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar DMC shades and a full set of color harmony picks.
About DMC 996
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Electric Blue
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 996
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 996 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 996 (Electric Blue medium) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 996
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 996
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
With its high saturation, DMC 996 (Electric Blue medium) draws the eye — a natural pick for focal motifs, small pops of color, and details you want to read first.
DMC 996 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 Electric Blue medium turns up.
DMC 996 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 996.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D996, Diamond Drills USA DMC996. A kit legend or drill bag marked 996 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 996
DMC threads that pair well with 996, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blues Family
DMC996 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.
About DMC 996
Known as Electric Blue medium, DMC 996 is a medium, highly saturated shade sitting in the blues family with sky blue tones. The vibrant and steady mood of this color makes it a natural fit for sapphire accents and porcelain patterns. Expect to see it used in hydrangea blooms and skies across many cross-stitch charts.
Frequently Asked Questions
DMC 996 — what color is it?
The color of DMC 996 is Electric Blue medium — a medium blue thread (hex #0097E1, RGB 0, 151, 225). It shows up most in nautical themes and winter scenes.
What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 996?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 996 (Electric Blue medium) is Anchor 410 (Electric Blue Dark) with a 74% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 1089 (Electric Blue Medium, 65%) and Anchor 161 (Baby Blue Dark, 52%).
Which DMC threads are close to 996?
The closest DMC threads to 996 are 809 Delft Blue (ΔE 6.26), 3755 Baby Blue (ΔE 7.28), and 807 Peacock Blue dark (ΔE 7.54). These are useful substitutes when 996 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What is DMC 996 good for?
DMC 996 (Electric Blue medium) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring nautical themes, winter scenes, forget-me-nots, bluebird motifs. 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 996.
What fabric color works best with DMC 996 (Electric Blue medium)?
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, 996 has a contrast ratio of about 3.2:1 on white fabric and 6.5:1 on black. As a cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.
Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 996?
No. DMC 996 (Electric Blue medium) 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 996?
Diamond Dotz D996 and Diamond Drills USA DMC996 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 996 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 996?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Soie d'Alger 996 Electric Blue medium (100%), Vineyard Silk 224 Laguna Beach (96%), Artkal C C100 Electric Blue (91%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.