Anchor 905 Tawny Dark
On screen, Anchor 905 Tawny Dark reads as a very dark, soft brown (#41321c). DMC has no exact twin: its nearest is DMC 3031 Mocha Brown Very Dark at ΔE 3.8 (close), while Madeira offers Madeira 1904 Beige Gray Ultra Very Dark at ΔE 5.5 (close).
Updated
Anchor stranded cotton
Anchor 905 Tawny Dark
#41321c · RGB 65, 50, 28
Closest to Anchor 905 in other brands
- DMC 3031 Mocha Brown Very Dark ΔE 3.8 close
- Madeira 1904 Beige Gray Ultra Very Dark ΔE 5.5 close
- Perler Cocoa ΔE 12.0 loose
- Hama 12 Brown ΔE 7.8 similar
- Artkal S S16 Brown ΔE 13.8 loose
- Nabbi N02 Dark Brown ΔE 8.5 similar
Anchor 905 color values
| Code | 905 |
|---|---|
| Name | Tawny Dark |
| Hex (screen) | #41321c |
| RGB | 65, 50, 28 |
| CIELAB (D65) | L* 21.9, a* 3.4, b* 16.5 |
| HSL | 36°, 40 %, 18 % |
| Color family | Brown, 55 of 59 lightest first |
| Lightness | very dark (L* 21.9) |
| Nearest DMC | DMC 3031 Mocha Brown Very Dark, ΔE 3.8 |
Anchor 905 equivalents in other brands
None of these 14 picks is a perfect twin of Anchor 905: the best is DMC 3031 at ΔE 3.8.
| Brand | Color | Name | ΔE2000 | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMC | 3031 | Mocha Brown Very Dark | 3.8 | close |
| DMC | 898 | Coffee Brown Very Dark | 8.0 | similar |
| DMC | 838 | Beige Brown Very Dark | 8.0 | similar |
| Madeira | 1904 | Beige Gray Ultra Very Dark | 5.5 | close |
| Madeira | 1505 | Fern Green Ultra Very Dark | 6.6 | similar |
| Madeira | 1506 | Fern Green Very Dark | 7.9 | similar |
| Perler | Cocoa | code 80-15262 | 12.0 | loose |
| Perler | Black | code 80-19018 | 13.7 | loose |
| Hama | 12 | Brown | 7.8 | similar |
| Hama | 63 | Bronze | 11.3 | loose |
| Artkal S | S16 | Brown | 13.8 | loose |
| Artkal S | S13 | Black | 13.8 | loose |
| Nabbi | N02 | Dark Brown | 8.5 | similar |
| Nabbi | N03 | Brown Medium | 12.0 | loose |
Anchor shades closest to Anchor 905
No other Anchor color comes within ΔE 3 of Anchor 905; the nearest, Anchor 1041 Stone Gray Very Dark, sits at ΔE 6.4.
| Color | Name | Hex | ΔE2000 | Lighter or darker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1041 | Stone Gray Very Dark | #3c362b | 6.4 | more muted |
| 1088 | Mocha Brown Very Dark | #3d2c23 | 7.2 | a little darker and slightly more muted |
| 1086 | Mocha Brown Dark | #5c4636 | 8.8 | lighter |
| 904 | Mocha Brown Dark | #5f4d31 | 9.2 | much lighter and slightly more saturated |
| 273 | Stone Gray Dark | #554d3a | 9.6 | lighter and slightly more muted |
| 382 | Fudge Dark | #361c11 | 11.2 | darker |
| 846 | Fern Green Dark | #46410b | 11.3 | lighter and more saturated |
| 360 | Coffee Dark | #532b19 | 11.6 | more saturated |
Shading Anchor 905: lighter and darker brown steps
4 lighter steps and 4 darker steps from the Anchor brown family, L* from 34 to 14.
| Step | Color | Name | L* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 lighter | 904 | Mocha Brown Dark | 33.9 |
| 3 lighter | 273 | Stone Gray Dark | 33.0 |
| 2 lighter | 1086 | Mocha Brown Dark | 31.6 |
| 1 lighter | 846 | Fern Green Dark | 27.0 |
| this color | 905 | Tawny Dark | 21.9 |
| 1 darker | 1088 | Mocha Brown Very Dark | 19.7 |
| 2 darker | 380 | Fudge | 17.9 |
| 3 darker | 381 | Fudge Medium | 15.0 |
| 4 darker | 382 | Fudge Dark | 13.6 |
Blends that stitch up close to Anchor 905
One strand each of Anchor 904 and Anchor 403 models at ΔE 1.4, closer than any single Anchor shade (best single: Anchor 1041, ΔE 6.4).
| Recipe (2 strands) | Blend hex | ΔE to Anchor 905 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 × Anchor 904 Mocha Brown Dark + 1 × Anchor 403 Black | #443621 | 1.4 |
| 1 × Anchor 360 Coffee Dark + 1 × Anchor 862 Laurel Green Dark | #44391f | 3.9 |
| 1 × Anchor 273 Stone Gray Dark + 1 × Anchor 382 Fudge Dark | #473a2b | 4.0 |
Outline and backstitch colors for Anchor 905
Ranked by WCAG contrast ratio against #41321c; 3:1 or more keeps a backstitch line readable.
| Role | Color | Name | Contrast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonal outline (brown) | 1045 | Toast Light | 4.2:1 |
| Strongest contrast | 1 | Snow White | 12.0:1 |
| Softer gray or brown line | 232 | Rose Gray Medium | 4.4:1 |
Stitching with Anchor 905
Substituting Anchor 905 takes care: DMC 3031 is a little lighter and slightly more muted (ΔE 3.8), and Madeira 1904 is a little darker (ΔE 5.5). Stitch a small test on your fabric before you commit a whole area.
Anchor 905 is number 55 of 59 in the Anchor brown family, counted from the lightest. For shading, step up to Anchor 846 Fern Green Dark and down to Anchor 1088 Mocha Brown Very Dark. No other Anchor shade sits within ΔE 3, so it is hard to confuse with the rest of the card.
Anchor 905 stands out on white or cream fabric (contrast 12.4:1 against white) and nearly vanishes on black Aida (1.7:1).
For a fuse-bead version of the same design, the nearest beads are Perler Cocoa (ΔE 12.0), Hama 12 Brown (ΔE 7.8) and Artkal S S16 Brown (ΔE 13.8); beads come in fewer shades than Anchor, so expect a similar shade at best.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 905?
DMC 3031 Mocha Brown Very Dark is the closest DMC match to Anchor 905 Tawny Dark (ΔE 3.8, close). Runners-up: DMC 898 (ΔE 8.0) and DMC 838 (ΔE 8.0).
What color is Anchor 905?
Anchor 905 Tawny Dark is a very dark, soft brown in the brown family: hex #41321c, RGB 65, 50, 28, L* 21.9. These are screen values for a dyed thread, so check a real skein in daylight.
What can I use instead of Anchor 905?
Inside Anchor, Anchor 1041 Stone Gray Very Dark is nearest (ΔE 6.4). From other brands, DMC 3031 (ΔE 3.8) or Madeira 1904 (ΔE 5.5). A 1+1 blend of Anchor 904 and Anchor 403 models at ΔE 1.4.
What is Anchor 905 in Perler beads?
Perler Cocoa (#392928) is the nearest Perler bead at ΔE 12.0 (loose). In Hama the nearest is Hama 12 Brown (ΔE 7.8).
What is the Madeira equivalent of Anchor 905?
Madeira 1904 Beige Gray Ultra Very Dark at ΔE 5.5 (close), then Madeira 1505 at ΔE 6.6.
Related
Nearest Anchor colors
- Anchor 1041 Stone Gray Very Dark ΔE 6.4
- Anchor 1088 Mocha Brown Very Dark ΔE 7.2
- Anchor 1086 Mocha Brown Dark ΔE 8.8
- Anchor 904 Mocha Brown Dark ΔE 9.2
- Anchor 273 Stone Gray Dark ΔE 9.6
- Anchor 846 Fern Green Dark ΔE 11.3
Anchor 905 in other brands
- DMC 3031 Mocha Brown Very Dark ΔE 3.8
- Madeira 1904 Beige Gray Ultra Very Dark ΔE 5.5
- Perler Cocoa ΔE 12.0
- Hama 12 Brown ΔE 7.8
- Artkal S S16 Brown ΔE 13.8
- Nabbi N02 Dark Brown ΔE 8.5