DMC 3750 — Very Dark Antique Blue

Quick Conversion Table

Brand	Equivalent	Match	Buy links
Anchor	1036	exact	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Madeira	1712	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Cosmo ⚠	735	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Sullivans	45375	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
J&P Coats	7980	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →
Bucilla	13750	close	Amazon → LoveCrafts →

There are darks, and then there are rich darks. DMC 3750 Very Dark Antique Blue at #384C5E belongs to the second category: it's not a flat, absorption-heavy dark but a deep, complex blue-teal that contains visible color even at this extreme end of the value range. Under a magnifying glass, stitches in 3750 reveal their blue character clearly; from normal viewing distance they read as one of the deeper darks in the DMC range. This combination of depth and color richness is what makes it irreplaceable in certain design contexts.

The Antique Blue Family

The antique blue family in DMC — running from 3750 (Very Dark) through DMC 3752 (Very Light Antique Blue) and DMC 3753 (Ultra Very Light Antique Blue) — is characterized by a slightly grayed, slightly teal-influenced blue that reads as more complex than a straightforward navy or cobalt. At the very dark end, 3750 demonstrates this complexity most clearly: it's too colored to be navy, too grayed to be jewel-toned, too blue to be navy-green. The antique quality, that slight weathering of the hue, is visible even at full depth.

This character makes 3750 a natural partner for historical and traditional embroidery work. The antique quality echoes the specific blues produced by indigo dyeing — one of the most historically important dye sources for textiles worldwide. Indigo blues have a specific grayed, complex quality depending on how they were processed, and 3750 captures that quality at maximum depth.

Structural and Design Roles

Very Dark Antique Blue anchors the value scale in designs with blue-toned color stories. As the darkest note, it defines the deepest shadow areas — the back of a blue-shaded ocean, the recessed interior of a fabric fold, the shadow side of a rounded vessel. In designs that use the full antique blue family for shading, 3750 sets the ceiling for how deep the darkest values can go, and the family steps lighter from there.

In blackwork and counted voided work, 3750 provides a dark that belongs to a blue-toned design's color story. Using it rather than DMC 310 (Black) or DMC 3799 (Very Dark Pewter Gray) for the structural line work on a nautical or water-themed piece creates a cohesive dark that participates in the palette rather than sitting above it as a neutral frame. The stitching appears more integrated and the overall design feels more intentional.

For pixel art and modern graphic cross-stitch with nautical, space, or night-sky themes, 3750 delivers the kind of very dark blue that distinguishes night from pure black — a distinction that matters enormously in these designs and that the color's visible blue character makes possible even at this dark value. Pair it with DMC 336 (Navy Blue) for a fully dark blue palette or step up through the antique blue family with DMC 3752 for mid-range antique blues.

Anchor 1036 is an exact match and performs reliably for this specific very dark blue. At this depth, where the color is rich and strong enough to assert itself clearly, exact match equivalents matter less than they do for pale colors — the comparison is more forgiving. Still, Anchor 1036 is the most recommended cross-brand substitute and delivers the deep, complex blue character faithfully.

Madeira 1712 is a close match; it may read slightly differently in the blue versus teal balance that characterizes Very Dark Antique Blue. Cosmo 735 and Sullivans 45375 are both close matches in the right value neighborhood. At this dark value, the Sullivans sheen is less visible than in lighter colors, making it a more viable substitute here than for the lighter antique blues.

Within DMC, the natural lighter companion is DMC 3752 (Very Light Antique Blue) — a significant value jump to a considerably lighter thread in the same family. DMC 336 (Navy Blue) provides comparable depth with a cleaner, less antique-grayed blue character. DMC 823 (Dark Navy Blue) goes darker and more purely navy. For specific applications where the antique-grayed quality matters less than simple dark blue presence, either navy option can substitute functionally, though the character of the finished work will differ noticeably.

Reference quality

How We Validate This Color Record

Use this page as a reference card for DMC 3750: the structured data, quick conversions, and long-form copy are all tied back to the same stored color record.

Methodology: This page renders DMC 3750, its hex value, and every brand equivalent from the site's source-of-truth color record, then checks long-form body copy against those same stored fields.
Verification status: Source-field checked. The page content is audited against the stored DMC number, brand equivalents, and match-quality labels before publishing.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-20
Approximation warning: Screen hex values, thread photos, and cross-brand conversions are reference aids. Dye lots, thread sheen, and fabric color can still shift the result in hand.

Read the Stitchies methodology

Decision guide

When to use the DMC 3750 reference page

This page should help you decide faster between palette planning, brand substitution, and shade comparison without turning the color record into a thin lookup page.

Best for

+ Palette planning when you want the stored DMC 3750 Very Dark Antique Blue record, hex value #384C5E, and linked brand equivalents in one place.
+ Checking the quickest cross-brand shortlist before you buy floss, compare stash substitutes, or route into a more specific conversion page.
+ Finding nearby shades in the blues family before you commit to accents, shading, or background blends.

Watch for

! Screen previews are only reference aids. Very Dark Antique Blue can shift on real fabric because thread sheen, stitch coverage, and room lighting change how the color reads.
! A stored equivalent is still a shortlist, not a guarantee that two brands will disappear into each other in the same stitched motif.
! Older charts, discontinued kit floss, and dye-lot variation can all introduce small but visible differences that the page cannot detect for you.

Before you commit

Confirm the role of DMC 3750 Very Dark Antique Blue: decide whether you need an exact hero shade, a forgiving background, or a rough stash substitute.
Compare on project fabric: view the skein or stitched sample on the same fabric count and color you will actually use.
Use the linked conversion pages next: open the brand-specific pages when you need match-quality caveats before substituting away from the DMC reference.

DMC 3750 FAQ

These questions appear on the page so the FAQ schema stays aligned with what visitors can actually read.

What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 3750?+

The closest Anchor equivalent to DMC 3750 (Very Dark Antique Blue) is Anchor 1036. This is an exact match.

What color is DMC 3750?+

DMC 3750 is called "Very Dark Antique Blue" and has a hex color value of #384C5E. It belongs to the blues color family.

What is the Madeira equivalent of DMC 3750?+

The closest Madeira equivalent to DMC 3750 (Very Dark Antique Blue) is Madeira 1712. This is a close match.

Very Dark Antique Blue earns a dedicated projects note because of how powerfully it contributes to specific design aesthetics. It's not a color that appears in every project — but in the right project, it's transformative.

Nautical and maritime samplers are the most obvious application. Traditional sailor's valentines, ship's log designs, compass rose pieces, and maritime alphabet samplers all use this color family for the deepest navy-adjacent tones that suggest the depth and weight of ocean water. 3750 at the darkest end of these pieces provides the anchor that makes the lighter blues read as genuine light rather than simply pale versions of the dark.

For stitchers working on full-coverage pieces with night sky or space themes — galaxy designs, constellation maps, moon phase collections — Very Dark Antique Blue provides a more visually interesting very-dark than flat black. Stitching vast areas of near-black in 3750 rather than DMC 310 preserves the blue nature of the sky while providing the depth necessary for full-coverage backgrounds. This distinction is subtle at normal viewing distance but gives the piece a quality of depth and richness that pure black cannot match.