The complete Anchor stranded cotton palette—all 444 colors, searchable by code or name. Britain's heritage embroidery thread since 1866. Tap any color to add it to your palette, or mark the threads you already own.
Anchor embroidery thread has roots stretching back to 1866, when the Clark family adopted the anchor symbol for their thread brand in Paisley, Scotland. Now manufactured in Hungary by Coats (the world's largest thread company), Anchor remains the preferred choice for stitchers across the UK, Europe, and Australia.
Each skein is made from 100% extra-long staple Egyptian cotton, double-mercerized for a brilliant luster and smooth finish. The mercerization process strengthens the fibers and gives Anchor its characteristic sheen—slightly more lustrous than some competitors. All colors are colorfast and won't bleed or fade when properly washed.
Anchor stranded cotton is six-strand divisible, allowing you to use fewer strands for finer detail or more for fuller coverage. Each skein contains 8 meters (8.7 yards) of thread, and the range is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified—verified free from harmful chemicals.
Anchor currently produces 444 solid colors of standard stranded cotton. The complete range includes 16 variegated Multicolor shades and 24 additional multicolor options, bringing the total to over 480 distinct threads.
Beyond stranded cotton, Anchor offers Pearl Cotton (Perle) in sizes 5 and 8 for dimensional stitching, Soft Cotton for larger needlework, and Tapisserie Wool for needlepoint and tapestry work.
Anchor color codes range from 1 to 1364, but the numbering isn't sequential. Unlike a simple 1-to-500 count, Anchor's system groups colors loosely by family, with gaps throughout the range.
White, black, and ecru: White is 1 (or 2 for a slightly different white), ecru is 387, and black is 403. These essentials appear in nearly every pattern.
Color families: Similar hues tend to cluster together: Blues cluster around 130–168, reds and pinks around 19–48, greens around 220–259, yellows and golds around 288–307, browns around 357–382, and purples around 85–112.
Higher numbers: Colors in the 800s, 900s, and 1000s fill out the palette with additional shades. The numbering reflects the historical expansion of the range rather than a logical color order.
Most cross stitch patterns are written for DMC thread, which means Anchor users often need conversion charts. The good news: approximate equivalents exist for nearly every color. The caution: they're approximations, not exact matches.
Tap any color in the chart above to see its closest DMC equivalent.
Each manufacturer uses different dye formulations. Anchor 403 (black) and DMC 310 (black) are both black—but they're not identical blacks. Many stitchers actually prefer Anchor's black, finding it richer and more opaque than DMC 310.
Some conversions are one-to-many: multiple DMC colors may map to the same Anchor number, and vice versa. A few colors have no close equivalent in the other brand at all.
Best practices for conversion: Never mix brands within the same project. When accuracy matters, compare physical skeins. Buy all your thread at once to ensure dye lot consistency. If a pattern specifies one brand, consider sticking with it.
For a detailed comparison of both brands, read our complete DMC vs Anchor guide.
Stitchers choose Anchor for several reasons beyond simple availability:
Fuller coverage: Anchor thread is slightly thicker than DMC, giving better coverage with fewer passes. This can be especially noticeable on darker fabrics.
Softer hand: Many stitchers find Anchor feels softer and silkier to work with—less prone to tangling and knotting.
Richer blacks: Anchor 403 is consistently praised in stitching communities. If your project uses a lot of black, it's worth trying both brands to see which you prefer.
Heritage and quality: With over 150 years of manufacturing history, Anchor maintains rigorous quality standards. Like DMC, colors are produced to exact specifications for batch-to-batch consistency.
The tradeoff: Anchor is harder to find in North America. If you're in the US or Canada, you'll likely need to order online or visit specialty needlework shops. In the UK, Europe, and Australia, Anchor is often easier to find than DMC.
Use the "I own this" toggle in the chart above to track your collection. Your selections save automatically in your browser—no account required.
Start with the essentials: White (1), black (403), and ecru (387), plus a basic skin tone range for figures and portraits, and the colors you need for your current project.
Regional tip: If you're in a region where Anchor is readily available, building an Anchor-based stash makes sense. If most patterns you stitch are written for DMC, you might maintain a smaller Anchor collection for specific projects or as alternatives when DMC colors are out of stock.
Stock up when you find it: For North American stitchers, Anchor availability can be spotty. When you find a good source, consider buying extra skeins of your most-used colors.
Found colors you love? Tap them to add to your palette, then open them in the editor to start your next pattern.
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