About DMC's Color Changes
and the "Dots" Before/After/Around Numbers
Color Changes
Some DMC colors changed in late 1994 because of environmental regulations that impacted the dye process. Two color families have been changed:
-
Gray family: 3799, 413, 317, 414, 318, 415, 762. It is a bluer gray now than it had been.
- Two colors from a blue-green family have been changed: 503 and 504; other members of that family are unchanged.
If you are in the middle of a project and have run out of a color that has been changed, write to Jill Reed at DMC (10 Port Kearny, South Kearny NJ 07032) and tell her what colors you need to finish your project; these will be sent at no charge.
Dots and Stuff on the Labels
Some DMC labels have dots, underscores, boxes, etc. Ignore boxes, underscores, etc. and look only at the dots.
Dots behind the color number are internal manufacturing and routing codes for DMC, so ignore these, too.
If there are dots before the number in the gray family and 503/504, this indicates the new color formulation.
Other colors do have dots before them, but this does not mean a color change; these dots are more internal DMC codes.
No future dye process changes are contemplated. This information is straight from Jill Reed.
Summary
- Pay attention *only* to dots *before the numbers* for the *changed gray family and 503/504*; these dots mean the new color.
- Ignore dots and other symbols on other colors before the number.
- Ignore dots and other symbols behind *all* the color numbers.
copyright 1998, Martha Beth Lewis
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