How it works
From a photo of your painted canvas to a list of DMC threads, in five steps.
Five steps
Photograph your canvas
Use your phone's camera or upload a JPG or PNG up to 15 MB. Even daylight gives the truest colors.
Crop to the design
Trim the photo to just the painted canvas, leaving out the table, frame, and your fingers.
Find the colors
Your browser picks out the colors in the crop, keeping small accents like an eye or a window, and merges shades that are nearly identical.
Match each to DMC
Each color is compared with 489 DMC six-strand shades using CIEDE2000, the standard measure of how different two colors look. You get the closest thread and two alternates, or can pick any DMC shade yourself.
Estimate and shop
Enter the size of the painted design and your mesh count for skein estimates, then shop each thread, copy the list, or print it for the store.
Tips for a good photo
- Shoot near a window in daylight, with the flash off.
- Hold the phone straight above the canvas so it isn't skewed.
- Keep your hand and phone from casting a shadow across the design.
- Fill the frame with the canvas, then crop tightly around the painted area.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are the matches?
Each match carries a label based on how far the thread is from the photo color:
- Excellent: side by side, most people can't tell them apart.
- Good: close, but worth checking against the canvas in person.
- Approximate: the nearest DMC shade, but visibly different. Open the row to compare the alternates, or search for any DMC thread by number or name.
Cameras and screens shift color, so treat every match as a starting point and check skeins against your canvas before you buy.
How are skein counts estimated?
As a rule of thumb, tent stitch uses about 0.11 yards of thread per square inch for each hole per inch of mesh, and a DMC skein holds about 8.7 yards. Threadwise applies that to each color's share of the canvas and rounds up to whole skeins, with a minimum of one.
Until you enter a size, the estimates are for a guess: 10 inches on the longer side, in your photo's proportions. Measure the painted design, not the blank canvas around it. Type one side and Threadwise fills in the other.
Basketweave and decorative stitches use more thread, so buy an extra skein for colors that cover large areas.
Which threads does it match?
DMC six-strand embroidery floss only; browse the full DMC color chart. Other brands and fibers such as wool or silk aren't in the catalog yet.
Why is a color marked “Not in list”?
You, or AI assist, left it out, usually because it's blank canvas or a shadow rather than paint. Tick “In list” on the row to add it back to your shopping list.
What if a color is missing from the list?
Small details can get folded into a neighboring color. Under the list, choose “Pick it on your canvas” and tap the spot, or add a DMC thread by number. Threadwise can't tell how much of the canvas an added color covers, so it counts one skein.
What does AI assist do?
When it's turned on, an AI model looks at a small preview of your crop, leaves out background and glare colors, and suggests colors the scan may have missed. If it's unavailable you still get the standard matches. See Privacy for what is sent.
Does it cost anything, or need an account?
No. Threadwise is free and there is nothing to sign up for.
Does Threadwise keep my photo?
No. Your photo is processed in your browser and discarded when you start over or leave the page. Your last thread list, without the photo, stays in this browser so you can come back to it. Read the privacy page for details.