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Appliqué Maker

Free tool

Thread colour matcher

Pick a colour, paste a hex code, or drop a stitch file to match every block. Distances are CIEDE2000 on manufacturer RGB values, so treat anything under ΔE 2.3 as the same colour and check a physical card for the rest.

About this tool

How matching works

Every chart is the manufacturer's published colour list as RGB approximations, the same data Ink/Stitch ships. Colours are converted to CIELAB and compared with CIEDE2000, the perceptual distance formula that weights lightness, chroma and hue the way people see them, rather than plain RGB distance. The closest threads are shown with the distance, so a colour with no good match is visible as such instead of being silently rounded.

Applique thread choices

For applique the satin border is the thread that shows; the placement and tack-down are sewn in a colour close to the fabric so they disappear under the fabric edge. Match the border thread to the fabric or the artwork, and pick the tack-down from the same chart a shade darker than the fabric.

Limits

  • Chart RGB values are approximations, not spectrophotometer readings; check a physical card for a customer's brand colour.
  • DST and EXP files carry no colours, so there is nothing to match; use the colour sheet the design came with.

How to use it

  1. 1

    Give it a colour

    Pick a colour, paste a hex code, or drop a stitch file to match every block in it.

  2. 2

    Pick the brands you stock

    Results are shown for the brands you select, with the closeness of each match.

  3. 3

    Read the distance

    ΔE under 1 is indistinguishable, under 2.3 very close, under 5 close, under 10 noticeable side by side.

  4. 4

    Copy the list

    Paste it into the colour sheet for the job.

Questions

How accurate is the match?

Chart RGB values are the manufacturers' screen approximations, not spectrophotometer readings. ΔE under 2.3 is indistinguishable on screen; under 5 is close; above 10 is a different colour. Sheen and thread weight also change how a colour reads on fabric.

Which charts are included?

Isacord Polyester, Madeira Polyneon and Rayon, Sulky Rayon and Polyester, Robison-Anton Polyester, Floriani Polyester, Hemingworth, Marathon Polyester, Gütermann Creativ Dekor, Coats Sylko, Brother Embroidery and Janome, via the Ink/Stitch palette files.

Can I convert Isacord to Madeira numbers?

Yes: choose the source brand, type the catalogue number, and pick the target brand. The result lists the three closest threads with their ΔE.

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