Anytime you make a change there are questions, and one that we’ve been getting recently through the website, phone, and letters–plus we’ve even seen it pop up on a few blogs– is “Why did Coats & Clark change it’s color numbers?” Followed by, “Is there a conversion chart?” Yes, there is a color conversion guide and it is available on our website. Color Conversion Guide. Please use the color conversion chart as a guide. New Dual Duty XP is 100% polyester and Dual Duty Plus was cotton wrapped over a polyester core. While the colors are very, very close; an exact match in different fibers is not always possible. Different fibers dye and reflect colors differently. If you are trying to match a spool that you have had for awhile, factors such as exposure to light and other conditions in the way it was stored may have affected the color. Always check the colors visually to assure you have the best match. For an explanation of how the new color range and color numbering system was developed, I’m turning the question over to our thread “guy”, Ken Nelson. “The development of Coats & Clark Dual Duty XP gave us a chance to start with a clean sheet of paper. One of the things we wanted to do was to bring some logic back to our color numbering system. Our existing color numbering system was developed over 100 years ago when no one could have imagined having over 300 colors of thread! When colors were added, it wasn’t possible to do so in a sequential manner. In a range that had less than 900 numbers, Color 31, 320A and 495 were all in the pink family. We actually had four colors with the number 4 and a letter – 4A Medium Blue, 4B Pilot Blue, 4D Firmament Blue, and 4E Miracle Blue. The new system is sequential and logical. Here’s the breakdown for the color families: 0001 to 999 White / Black / Greys (Neutrals) 1000 to 1999 Pinks 2000 to 2999 Reds 3000 to 3999 Purples 4000 to 4999 Blues 5000 to 5999 Aqua / Jades 6000 to 6999 Greens 7000 to 7999 Yellows / Golds / Oranges 8000 to 8999 Browns (Including Natural, Cream and beige) 9000 to 9999 Special Effects (Multi-colors, Twists, Metallics, Fluorescents, Tints, etc.) We used 4 digits so that there was plenty of room to add colors between the shades without disrupting the logic. The first digit signifies a color family, the second digit signifies light, medium, or dark and the last two digits reference the unique color. Within the color family, colors are further grouped by shade so a low number like 4010 is a very light Crystal Blue, 4470 is a mid-range Yale Blue, and 4900 is Navy which is a dark color. The color range was also freshened with the latest colors in fashion and home decorating. We kept about 75% of the colors. Colors that were carried over into the Dual Duty XP color range, kept the same color name—only the number changed. Then the fun started—adding new colors and naming them. Things got pretty intense when we all disagreed on what color a rubber duck (new color 7270) was until I brought in one to prove I was right! At the end of the day, what we wanted to do is to make it easier for you to find the exact color that you need for any sewing project.” -Ken Nelson.
