There are industry standards and color systems associated with color card threads, particularly in the textile and sewing industries. Color cards are physical cards or swatch books that display a range of thread colors available for specific thread types, such as sewing thread, embroidery thread, or quilting thread. These color systems help standardize and communicate colors across different manufacturers and users.
Some of the commonly used color systems for color card threads include:
Pantone Matching System (PMS): The Pantone Matching System is widely used in various industries, including textiles. It provides a standardized color matching system that assigns unique identification numbers (PMS numbers) to specific colors. This system ensures consistent color communication across different manufacturers and suppliers.
Madeira Color System: Madeira is a well-known brand in the embroidery thread industry. They have their own color system that assigns unique color numbers to each thread shade. The Madeira color system is often used for their embroidery thread color cards.
Robison-Anton Rayon Color System: Robison-Anton is another prominent embroidery thread manufacturer. They have their own color system for their rayon embroidery threads, allowing for easy color selection and matching.
Sulky Color System: Sulky is a brand known for its high-quality embroidery threads. They use their own color system to organize and identify their thread colors.
Thread Manufacturer Color Codes: Some thread manufacturers may use their unique color codes or naming conventions for their threads. These codes help customers easily identify and order specific thread shades.
It's important to note that while these color systems provide a standardized way of identifying and communicating thread colors, slight variations in color perception can still occur due to differences in display settings, printing methods, and lighting conditions. For critical color matching, it's best to rely on physical color cards or swatches.
If you're looking to match thread colors accurately for a specific project or application, using the same brand of threads throughout the project is recommended. This ensures that the colors are consistent and complementary. Additionally, some thread manufacturers may offer conversion charts to help users match their thread colors to other color systems like Pantone or Madeira.