Skip to content

Madeira 1801 Steel Gray Medium

Madeira 1801 Steel Gray Medium is a dark gray with the screen hex #6c626c. DMC has no exact twin: its nearest is DMC 317 Pewter Gray at ΔE 8.5 (similar), while Anchor offers Anchor 400 Gray Medium at ΔE 7.4 (similar).

Updated

Madeira stranded cotton

Madeira 1801 Steel Gray Medium

#6c626c · RGB 108, 98, 108

Closest to Madeira 1801 in other brands

Look up another color

Screen colors approximate dyed thread and plastic beads. ΔE is CIEDE2000: under 1 reads as identical, under 3 as very close.

Madeira 1801 color values

Code 1801
Name Steel Gray Medium
Hex (screen) #6c626c
RGB 108, 98, 108
CIELAB (D65) L* 42.8, a* 6.0, b* -4.2
HSL 300°, 5 %, 40 %
Color family Gray, 15 of 17 lightest first
Lightness dark (L* 42.8)
Nearest DMC DMC 317 Pewter Gray, ΔE 8.5

Madeira 1801 equivalents in other brands

None of these 14 picks is a perfect twin of Madeira 1801: the best is Anchor 400 at ΔE 7.4.

BrandColorNameΔE2000Match
DMC 317 Pewter Gray 8.5 similar
DMC 3740 Antique Violet Dark 8.9 similar
DMC 413 Pewter Gray Dark 9.8 similar
Anchor 400 Gray Medium 7.4 similar
Anchor 235 Charcoal Gray Medium 8.3 similar
Anchor 233 Rose Gray 8.4 similar
Perler Dark Grey code 80-19092 9.2 similar
Perler Slate Blue code 80-15252 12.9 loose
Hama 117 Taupe Grey 11.9 loose
Hama 62 Silver 12.1 loose
Artkal S S42 Silver 8.0 similar
Artkal S S156 Steel Grey 9.2 similar
Nabbi N27 Chocolate 14.6 loose
Nabbi N02 Dark Brown 15.1 loose

Full Madeira to DMC conversion chart →

Madeira shades closest to Madeira 1801

No other Madeira color comes within ΔE 3 of Madeira 1801; the nearest, Madeira 1714 Steel Gray Dark, sits at ΔE 4.8.

ColorNameHexΔE2000Lighter or darker
1714 Steel Gray Dark #615869 4.8 a little darker and slightly more saturated
1808 Shell Gray Dark #846f77 7.5 lighter and slightly more saturated
806 Antique Violet Dark #705357 9.0 a little darker and slightly more saturated
2613 Dusty Violet Dark #886e88 10.6 lighter and more saturated
1809 Shell Gray Very Dark #4f4543 12.3 much darker and slightly more muted
1802 Steel Gray Light #86828b 12.5 much lighter
2614 Dusty Violet Very Dark #5e445e 12.6 darker and more saturated
906 Cornflower Blue Medium #4f648f 15.5 more saturated

Shading Madeira 1801: lighter and darker gray steps

4 lighter steps and 2 darker steps from the Madeira gray family, L* from 61 to 21.

StepColorNameL*
4 lighter 1807 Shell Gray Medium 60.8
3 lighter 1803 Steel Gray Very Light 59.6
2 lighter 1802 Steel Gray Light 55.0
1 lighter 1808 Shell Gray Dark 49.0
this color 1801 Steel Gray Medium 42.8
1 darker 1809 Shell Gray Very Dark 30.2
2 darker 1506 Fern Green Very Dark 21.0

Blends that stitch up close to Madeira 1801

One strand each of Madeira 1802 and Madeira 1810 models at ΔE 1.8, closer than any single Madeira shade (best single: Madeira 1714, ΔE 4.8).

Recipe (2 strands)Blend hexΔE to Madeira 1801
1 × Madeira 1802 Steel Gray Light + 1 × Madeira 1810 Shell Gray Ultra Very Dark #69626a 1.8
1 × Madeira 2601 Coffee Brown Very Light + 1 × Madeira 1712 Dusty Blue Dark #74656c 2.9
1 × Madeira 1912 Beige Brown Dark + 1 × Madeira 1712 Dusty Blue Dark #72666b 3.0

Outline and backstitch colors for Madeira 1801

Ranked by WCAG contrast ratio against #6c626c; 3:1 or more keeps a backstitch line readable.

RoleColorNameContrast
Tonal outline (gray) 1309 Pistachio Green Very Light 4.8:1
Strongest contrast 2403 Winter White 5.7:1

How to use Madeira 1801

Substituting Madeira 1801 takes care: DMC 317 is a little lighter and more muted (ΔE 8.5), and Anchor 400 is darker and slightly more muted (ΔE 7.4). Stitch a small test on your fabric before you commit a whole area.

Madeira 1801 is number 15 of 17 in the Madeira gray family, counted from the lightest. For shading, step up to Madeira 1808 Shell Gray Dark and down to Madeira 1809 Shell Gray Very Dark. No other Madeira shade sits within ΔE 3, so it is hard to confuse with the rest of the card.

Madeira 1801 stands out on white or cream fabric (contrast 5.8:1 against white) and turns subtle on black Aida (3.6:1).

For a fuse-bead version of the same design, the nearest beads are Perler Dark Grey (ΔE 9.2), Hama 117 Taupe Grey (ΔE 11.9) and Artkal S S42 Silver (ΔE 8.0); beads come in fewer shades than Madeira, so expect a similar shade at best.

Frequently asked questions

What is the DMC equivalent of Madeira 1801?

DMC 317 Pewter Gray is the closest DMC match to Madeira 1801 Steel Gray Medium (ΔE 8.5, similar). Runners-up: DMC 3740 (ΔE 8.9) and DMC 413 (ΔE 9.8).

What color is Madeira 1801?

Madeira 1801 Steel Gray Medium is a dark gray in the gray family: hex #6c626c, RGB 108, 98, 108, L* 42.8. These are screen values for a dyed thread, so check a real skein in daylight.

What can I use instead of Madeira 1801?

Inside Madeira, Madeira 1714 Steel Gray Dark is nearest (ΔE 4.8). From other brands, DMC 317 (ΔE 8.5) or Anchor 400 (ΔE 7.4). A 1+1 blend of Madeira 1802 and Madeira 1810 models at ΔE 1.8.

What is Madeira 1801 in Perler beads?

Perler Dark Grey (#585c61) is the nearest Perler bead at ΔE 9.2 (similar). In Hama the nearest is Hama 117 Taupe Grey (ΔE 11.9).

What is the Anchor equivalent of Madeira 1801?

Anchor 400 Gray Medium at ΔE 7.4 (similar), then Anchor 235 at ΔE 8.3.

Founder price

FlossGrid Pro opens soon

Pro adds full-size PDF charts split over pages with overlap and a page map, up to 80 colors, symbol, color or symbol-on-color chart styles, a shopping-list CSV and saved projects in this browser. Reserve the founder price: 30% off $14 one-time when Pro opens. No payment is taken now. Everything on the free plan keeps working today.

We'll e-mail you once when Pro opens, with your founder price. No account, no newsletter. See the privacy policy.