1 — Black
Blacks family#090A09
Looking up Valdani 1? It's Black, a very dark black shade (#090A09 / RGB 9, 10, 9). Scroll down for Sullivans, Cosmo, and Classic Colorworks equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close Valdani alternatives and curated color harmonies.
Brand Equivalents for Valdani 1
The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.
DMC
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Crescent Colors
Similar Valdani Colors to 1
Closest Valdani threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with Valdani 1
It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.
Because it is so deep, Valdani 1 (Black) holds its own as an outlining and lettering color where lighter threads would get lost against the fill.
Valdani is hand-dyed, so Valdani 1 (Black) carries subtle tonal shifts skein to skein. Buy enough for a project in one dye lot, and stitch in a random or cross-country order to blend any variation.
Color Harmonies for Valdani 1
Valdani threads that pair well with 1, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blacks Family
Valdani1 in context with nearby shades from the blacks color family.
About Valdani 1
A very dark, subdued entry in the blacks family, Valdani 1 carries the name Black. The shade reads as deep and quiet — a go-to choice for gothic accents and shadow textures. It also turns up in patterns built around outlines and lettering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is Valdani 1?
Valdani 1 is called Black. It's a very dark black shade (hex #090A09, RGB 9, 10, 9) in the blacks family, commonly used for night skies, silhouettes, and similar motifs.
What's the closest DMC match for Valdani 1?
The closest DMC match for Valdani 1 (Black) is DMC 310 (Black) with a 96% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 3371 (Black Brown, 55%) and DMC 939 (Navy Blue very dark, 40%).
What's a good substitute for Valdani 1?
The closest Valdani threads to 1 are 8113 Black Dark (ΔE 4.15), O501 Ebony Almond (ΔE 7.11), and 8111 Black Light (ΔE 7.15). These are useful substitutes when 1 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use Valdani 1?
Cross-stitchers pull Valdani 1 (Black) for charts featuring night skies, silhouettes, calligraphy, cat designs. The very dark tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.
Is Valdani 1 (Black) good for backstitching and outlines?
It's an excellent outline color. The depth of 1 defines edges and text cleanly where lighter threads would disappear into the fill; one strand is usually enough for backstitch.