What is Thread Colour Picker?
Pick colours from photos, find closest DMC thread matches, favourite selections, and manage thread inventory including custom entries.
• Select a photo from your library
• Tap to sample a colour and see its hex value
• Get the top five closest thread colour matches
• Save your favourite thread manufacturer colours and export them as a PDF (with an optional thumbnail of your photo)
Colour Picker Guide
1. Tap “Select Picture” and choose a photo.
2. Tap anywhere on the image to pick a colour. A crosshair briefly appears to confirm the tap.
3. See the hex value for the selected colour and the top five closest thread matches.
4. Tap the small star next to a thread colour to add/remove it from favourites.
5. Tap the large star to open Favourites and manage or export to PDF.
Zooming and panning
• Pinch to zoom in/out.
• Drag to pan when zoomed in.
• “Fit to Screen” resets zoom and pan to the original view.
Viewing thread matches
• The app computes the top five closest thread colours to your selected colour using an RGB distance measure.
• For each of the five choices, you’ll see the thread code, thread name, and a swatch of the thread colour.
Important: Matches are approximate. Actual thread colour may vary due to lighting, screens, and dye lots.
Favourites
• Add/remove a favourite: Tap the small star next to a thread colour.
• View all favourites: Tap the large star near the hex swatch to open Favourites.
• In Favourites, each entry shows a colour swatch, the thread code, and the name.
• Remove from favourites: Tap the filled star next to a favourite.
• Undo: Tap “Undo” to restore the most recent removal(s).
• Clear all: Tap “Clear” (shows a confirmation) to remove all favourites.
Sorting: Favourites are sorted by code (numeric where possible, then alphabetically).
Exporting favourites to PDF
• Open Favourites and tap “Save”.
• The app generates a PDF with the title “Thread Colour Favourites”.
• The app can include an optional thumbnail of your current/last selected image, if available.
• The PDF includes a two-column list of favourite swatches, codes, and names.
Notes
• If no favourites have been saved, the app shows “No favorites yet” and won’t produce a PDF.
Tip
• If you zoomed and panned before opening Favourites, the PDF will include a thumbnail of the zoomed region, making it easier to remember where you sampled colours.
Tips for best results
• Use well-lit, high-quality photos for more reliable colour sampling.
• Zoom in and pan to isolate the area you want to sample.
• Use “Fit to Screen” to quickly reset after using zoom/pan.
• Remember that display colour and thread dye lots can differ; treat matches as guidance.
Inventory User Guide
This guide explains how to use the Inventory section of the app to track thread stock, add your own custom threads, and keep notes and photos for reference.
What you can do
• Keep track of your threads DMC and Custom entries.
• Browse all catalog thread colors and any custom threads you create.
• Search by code, name, category, or color family.
• Filter to show only items with bobbin or skein stock, or just your custom entries.
• Save notes per thread.
• Add an optional thread photo
• Create and delete your own custom thread entries.
Adding a custom thread
1. Tap “Add Thread” (top-right). (+) symbol
2. You’ll land on “Thread Details” for a new custom entry.
3. Fill in:
• “Thread Number” (required to save)
• “Thread Name” (required to save)
• “Category” (optional)
• “Color Family” (optional)
4. Set your “Bobbin Stock” and “Skein Stock” counts (numbers only).
5. Add notes (optional).
6. Optionally add a thread photo by tapping “Add Thread Photo”.
7. Tap “Save” to store your custom entry and return to Inventory.
Notes:
• The Save button is disabled until “Thread Number” and “Thread Name” are both non-empty.
Adding a thread photo
• Tap “Add Thread Photo” and select an image from your library.
• The app prepares the image for display and storage automatically.
• Photos are stored locally with the thread record.
Saving and auto-save
• Catalog entries: Changes to stock, notes, and photo are saved automatically; “Save” also saves and closes.
• Custom entries: Auto-save occurs when the required fields (“Thread Number” and “Thread Name”) are filled. Before that, the app won’t commit changes. “Save” stores and returns to Inventory.
Deleting a custom entry
• Available only for existing custom entries.
• Scroll to the bottom of “Thread Details” and tap “Delete Entry”.
• Confirm the deletion. This permanently removes the custom thread.
Filters, counts, and totals
• The “Bobbin Stock (X)” and “Skein Stock (X)” buttons display your total counts across both catalog and custom threads.
• The “Custom Stock” filter shows only your custom entries (useful for focusing on personal additions).
• Use search + filters together to quickly narrow the list.
Sorting and order
• Catalog items appear in the app’s built-in order.
• Custom items are sorted by:
• Numeric value of the code (if present), then
• Alphanumeric code, then
• Name
• To focus on your custom list, use the “Custom Stock” filter.
Data and privacy
• Inventory data (stock counts, notes, photos, custom entries) is stored locally on your device.
• No data is uploaded by the app.
• Deleting the app may remove this data unless backed up by your device’s system backups.
Tips
• Use search to find by code, name, category, or color family.
• Use filters to quickly show only items you have in stock or just your custom entries.
• Keep notes for spool locations, suppliers, or project-specific details.
• Add a photo for quick visual identification.
Troubleshooting
• “Save” is disabled on a new custom entry:
• Ensure “Thread Number” and “Thread Name” are both filled.
• “No matching inventory items”:
• Clear the search text or toggle off active filters.
• Stock fields keep reverting to “0”:
• Leaving a stock field empty resets it to zero when focus moves away; enter digits only.
Created by
Frank Halliday
Version
1.2
Support
For support, feedback, or feature requests, contact:
Legal
© 2026 Frank Halliday. All rights reserved.
Thread Colour Picker is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by DMC or any other thread brand.