Pantone Color 2023: Viva Magenta as a DMC Palette

Which color of embroidery thread matches the Pantone color of 2023? For this translation to embroidery thread, we compared the digital color approach with the DMC colors from the Embroidery Library. Then we built a complete palette around it.

What is PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta?

Viva Magenta is a powerful red-pink color with both warm and cool properties. The shade is pronounced, but comes from the same natural color family as berries, flowers and carmine pigments.

Read the Pantone Color of the Year 2023.

Which DMC color comes closest?

DMC 3831 Raspberry Dark is digitally closest to Viva Magenta. DMC 309 and DMC 326 are useful alternatives if you are looking for a brighter or slightly warmer version.

Important: this is a practical digital approach, not an official conversion from Pantone or DMC. Screen color, dye bath, gloss, fabric color and light change how a hue is perceived. Therefore, compare the real yarn in daylight before starting a large project.

Digital color comparison; Real yarn colors may vary due to light, material and dye bath.

A DMC color palette for Viva Magenta

Combine raspberry with soft antique mauve and mocha beige for a refined palette. Garnet red enhances the shadows and blue-green provides a clear complementary contrast.

DMC 3831 – Raspberry Dark: main color.
DMC 778 – Antique Mauve Very Light: light pink shade.
DMC 902 – Garnet Very Dark: deep shadow.
DMC 3864 – Mocha Beige Light: calm neutral.
DMC 3847 – Blue Green Dark: complementary accent.

Deep red embroidery threads with subtle texture and shine, perfect for colorful cross stitch... — **DMC 3831**
Raspberry Dark

Pink embroidery thread with a subtle shine and light texture — **DMC 778**
Antique Mauve Very Light

Deep red embroidery thread with a slight sheen and texture, ideal for cross stitch projects — **DMC 902**
Garnet Very Dark

Light brown embroidery thread with a soft, cotton texture and subtle shine — **DMC 3864**
Mocha Beige Light

Deep sea green embroidery thread with subtle variations in texture and shine — **DMC 3847**
Blue Green Dark

View the full Pantone 2023 Color Palette in the Embroidery Library.

For a calm result, you can use about sixty percent of the main color, divide thirty percent among the supporting shades and save the last ten percent for the strongest accent.

Embroidery ideas with this color palette

Viva Magenta suits large flowers, pomegranates, beetles, bold typography, folkloric motifs and colorful portrait details.

Use multiple threads for full color areas and one or two threads for soft transitions. By placing colors next to each other in small stitches, the eye blends the shades without the need for new thread colors.

Source and staining method

The color name and Pantone number have been checked at Pantone. For the thread selection, the screen approach used was converted to the CIELAB color space and compared with the RGB and hex data of the DMC colors in the Embroidery Library. The DMC color mentioned is the smallest calculated color distance; the complementary colors are selected for harmony, contrast and practicality in embroidery.

Also check out the Pantone to DMC palettes for 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026.