Anchor 979 Sea Blue Dark
Anchor 979 Sea Blue Dark is a dark, soft blue with the screen hex #185073. DMC has no exact twin: its nearest is DMC 803 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark at ΔE 3.5 (close), while Madeira offers Madeira 1011 Blue Dark at ΔE 1.5 (very close).
Updated
Anchor stranded cotton
Anchor 979 Sea Blue Dark
#185073 · RGB 24, 80, 115
Closest to Anchor 979 in other brands
- DMC 803 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark ΔE 3.5 close
- Madeira 1011 Blue Dark ΔE 1.5 very close
- Perler Dark Blue ΔE 5.4 close
- Hama 36 Neon Blue ΔE 8.8 similar
- Artkal S S144 Marine ΔE 7.2 similar
- Nabbi N01 Black ΔE 15.0 loose
Anchor 979 color values
| Code | 979 |
|---|---|
| Name | Sea Blue Dark |
| Hex (screen) | #185073 |
| RGB | 24, 80, 115 |
| CIELAB (D65) | L* 32.2, a* -4.9, b* -25.2 |
| HSL | 203°, 65 %, 27 % |
| Color family | Blue, 44 of 59 lightest first |
| Lightness | dark (L* 32.2) |
| Nearest DMC | DMC 803 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark, ΔE 3.5 |
Anchor 979 equivalents in other brands
None of these 14 picks is a perfect twin of Anchor 979: the best is Madeira 1011 at ΔE 1.5.
| Brand | Color | Name | ΔE2000 | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMC | 803 | Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark | 3.5 | close |
| DMC | 311 | Wedgewood Ultra Very Dark | 5.2 | close |
| DMC | 797 | Royal Blue | 5.5 | close |
| Madeira | 1011 | Blue Dark | 1.5 | very close |
| Madeira | 1005 | Antique Blue Dark | 2.0 | very close |
| Madeira | 1010 | Blue Very Dark | 3.2 | close |
| Perler | Dark Blue | code 80-19008 | 5.4 | close |
| Perler | Cobalt | code 80-15200 | 9.7 | similar |
| Hama | 36 | Neon Blue | 8.8 | similar |
| Hama | 41 | Fluorescent Blue | 9.1 | similar |
| Artkal S | S144 | Marine | 7.2 | similar |
| Artkal S | S103 | Caribbian Blue | 7.4 | similar |
| Nabbi | N01 | Black | 15.0 | loose |
| Nabbi | N17 | Bright Blue | 16.4 | loose |
Anchor shades closest to Anchor 979
No other Anchor color comes within ΔE 3 of Anchor 979; the nearest, Anchor 164 Sapphire Dark, sits at ΔE 4.6.
| Color | Name | Hex | ΔE2000 | Lighter or darker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 164 | Sapphire Dark | #094264 | 4.6 | darker |
| 147 | Delft Blue Medium Light | #074d8e | 5.3 | more saturated |
| 170 | Surf Blue Dark | #00556c | 7.0 | slightly more muted |
| 143 | Copen Blue Dark | #0c4386 | 7.1 | a little darker and more saturated |
| 922 | Denim Dark | #41596a | 7.4 | a little lighter and more muted |
| 142 | Copen Blue Medium | #165ba4 | 7.4 | lighter and more saturated |
| 162 | Sapphire Medium Dark | #0b658c | 7.5 | lighter and slightly more saturated |
| 1066 | Wedgewood Dark | #1b576a | 7.7 | a little lighter and slightly more muted |
Shading Anchor 979: lighter and darker blue steps
4 lighter steps and 4 darker steps from the Anchor blue family, L* from 40 to 26.
| Step | Color | Name | L* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 lighter | 162 | Sapphire Medium Dark | 40.0 |
| 3 lighter | 142 | Copen Blue Medium | 38.4 |
| 2 lighter | 922 | Denim Dark | 36.6 |
| 1 lighter | 1066 | Wedgewood Dark | 34.2 |
| this color | 979 | Sea Blue Dark | 32.2 |
| 1 darker | 143 | Copen Blue Dark | 28.9 |
| 2 darker | 164 | Sapphire Dark | 26.4 |
| 3 darker | 1068 | Wedgewood Very Dark | 26.2 |
| 4 darker | 1035 | Antique Blue Dark | 26.0 |
Blends that stitch up close to Anchor 979
One strand each of Anchor 162 and Anchor 1036 models at ΔE 0.7, closer than any single Anchor shade (best single: Anchor 164, ΔE 4.6).
| Recipe (2 strands) | Blend hex | ΔE to Anchor 979 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 × Anchor 162 Sapphire Medium Dark + 1 × Anchor 1036 Antique Blue Very Dark | #1a5275 | 0.7 |
| 1 × Anchor 162 Sapphire Medium Dark + 1 × Anchor 148 Delft Blue Medium | #0a4f7a | 1.9 |
| 1 × Anchor 147 Delft Blue Medium Light + 1 × Anchor 851 Blue Mist Dark | #1d4f76 | 1.9 |
Outline and backstitch colors for Anchor 979
Ranked by WCAG contrast ratio against #185073; 3:1 or more keeps a backstitch line readable.
How to use Anchor 979
Substituting Anchor 979 takes care: DMC 803 is a little lighter (ΔE 3.5), and Madeira 1011 is slightly more saturated (ΔE 1.5). Stitch a small test on your fabric before you commit a whole area.
Anchor 979 is number 44 of 59 in the Anchor blue family, counted from the lightest. For shading, step up to Anchor 1066 Wedgewood Dark and down to Anchor 143 Copen Blue Dark. No other Anchor shade sits within ΔE 3, so it is hard to confuse with the rest of the card.
Anchor 979 stands out on white or cream fabric (contrast 8.6:1 against white) and turns subtle on black Aida (2.4:1).
For a fuse-bead version of the same design, the nearest beads are Perler Dark Blue (ΔE 5.4), Hama 36 Neon Blue (ΔE 8.8) and Artkal S S144 Marine (ΔE 7.2); beads come in fewer shades than Anchor, so expect a close match at best.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 979?
DMC 803 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark is the closest DMC match to Anchor 979 Sea Blue Dark (ΔE 3.5, close). Runners-up: DMC 311 (ΔE 5.2) and DMC 797 (ΔE 5.5).
What color is Anchor 979?
Anchor 979 Sea Blue Dark is a dark, soft blue in the blue family: hex #185073, RGB 24, 80, 115, L* 32.2. These are screen values for a dyed thread, so check a real skein in daylight.
What can I use instead of Anchor 979?
Inside Anchor, Anchor 164 Sapphire Dark is nearest (ΔE 4.6). From other brands, DMC 803 (ΔE 3.5) or Madeira 1011 (ΔE 1.5). A 1+1 blend of Anchor 162 and Anchor 1036 models at ΔE 0.7.
What is Anchor 979 in Perler beads?
Perler Dark Blue (#0e5092) is the nearest Perler bead at ΔE 5.4 (close). In Hama the nearest is Hama 36 Neon Blue (ΔE 8.8).
What is the Madeira equivalent of Anchor 979?
Madeira 1011 Blue Dark at ΔE 1.5 (very close), then Madeira 1005 at ΔE 2.0.
Related
Nearest Anchor colors
- Anchor 147 Delft Blue Medium Light ΔE 5.3
- Anchor 170 Surf Blue Dark ΔE 7.0
- Anchor 922 Denim Dark ΔE 7.4
- Anchor 142 Copen Blue Medium ΔE 7.4
- Anchor 162 Sapphire Medium Dark ΔE 7.5
- Anchor 1066 Wedgewood Dark ΔE 7.7
Anchor 979 in other brands
- DMC 803 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark ΔE 3.5
- Perler Dark Blue ΔE 5.4
- Hama 36 Neon Blue ΔE 8.8
- Artkal S S144 Marine ΔE 7.2
- Nabbi N01 Black ΔE 15.0