---
title: "Similar Fabric Colors, Different Codes: How to Tell Them Apart"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/similar-fabric-color-codes-difference/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Élodie Marchand, The Colorist of New Orleans"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/"
published: "2026-07-10"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "difference between similar fabric colours, difference between similar fabric colors, fabric color code comparison, ivory vs greige cushion fabric, navy vs black cushion fabric"
---

# What's the difference between two fabric color codes that look almost the same?

*A warm ivory and a pale greige can share a screen and still belong in different rooms. Here is how the workshop tells neighbors on the chart apart.*

Also asked as: Is one more creamy than the other?; Difference in colors between 24, 28 and 30

> **The quick answer:** Neighboring color codes usually differ only in tone, so the workshop sends its color chart or a photo taken under light to help you choose. P-50 is a warmer, creamier soft ivory; P-51 is a cooler, more neutral, very light greige. N06 is a dark navy very close to black, and N09 is black. On thin stripes, that difference barely shows on screen.

![Pine alcove seat with a terracotta bouclé cushion and full-length geometric back cushion under an arched window](https://cushionguide.com/media/window-seat-cushions/terracotta-boucle-alcove-seat-geometric-back-cushion-1600.webp "In a plastered arch, a terracotta seat and a long geometric back turn a deep window recess into a proper banquette.")

## Key facts

- Neighboring color numbers on a chart usually differ only in tone.
- P-50 is creamier and warmer, a soft ivory; P-51 is cooler and more neutral, a very light greige.
- N06 is a dark navy very close to black; N09 is black.
- On thin stripes, the navy-versus-black difference barely shows on screen.
- The workshop sends its color chart or a photo taken under light to compare.
- Floor cushions can be made in any size, such as 23.5 x 35.5 in (60 x 90 cm).
- N-code stripes are 100% cotton with the stripes woven in, so stripe colors can't be custom-mixed.
- Stripe widths vary by code, from about 0.25 in (0.7 cm) up to about 2 in (5 to 6 cm).

## Three near-twin code sets: P-50/P-51, N06/N09, 24/28/30

| Codes | How they differ | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| P-50 vs P-51 | P-50 is a warm, creamy soft ivory; P-51 is a cooler, very light greige | One photo of both under the same light |
| N06 vs N09 | N06 is a dark navy very close to black; N09 is black | A close photo, because thin stripes hide the gap on screen |
| 24, 28 and 30 (floor-cushion chart) | Tone only, which matters if you're after something like a brownish black | The color chart, to pick the closest shade |

## Why a screen flattens tone

Tone is the quiet part of color: the butter in an ivory, the drop of ink in a navy. Screens flatten it. Warm lamplight pushes a fabric toward cream and daylight pulls it toward gray, so the same ivory can look creamier at night and grayer at noon.

That is why the workshop answers these questions with its chart or a photo taken under light, never with an adjective alone. Daylight never lies; your screen sometimes does. For a [window seat cushion](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/window-seat-cushions/) that lives in full sun, read [screen versus daylight](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-color-screen-vs-daylight/), and when the choice is close, order [fabric swatches](https://cushionguide.com/guides/fabric-swatches-before-ordering/) first. Is your room lit by a north window or a warm lamp, my friends?

## Chasing a brownish black

A buyer wrote to the workshop wanting a floor cushion in a brownish black, 23.5 x 35.5 in (60 x 90 cm), and asked what separated colors 24, 28 and 30. The size was the easy part: any size can be made. The three colors differ only in tone, so the workshop sent its color chart and let the buyer pick the one closest to that brown-black.

> **Tailor's margin:** Neighboring fabric codes like P-50 and P-51 differ in tone, not color family: warm ivory against light greige. Ask for one photo of both under the same light.

> N06 is a dark navy so close to black that on a thin stripe it barely separates from N09 on screen; a photo under light settles it.
>
> — Élodie

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Is P-50 creamier than P-51? And how different are N06 and N09?

**The workshop's answer:** P-50 is creamier and warmer with a soft ivory tone; P-51 is cooler and more neutral, a very light greige. N06 is a dark navy very close to black and N09 is black. With thin stripes the difference barely shows on screen, so the workshop sent a photo taken under light.

**A common question:** What separates colors 24, 28 and 30? I'm after a brownish black at 23.5 x 35.5 in.

**The workshop's answer:** Any size can be made, including 23.5 x 35.5 in (60 x 90 cm). The numbered colors differ only in tone, so the workshop sent its color chart to pick the closest shade.

**A common question:** The listing photo and the chart don't match. Which one do I trust?

**The workshop's answer:** Usually both are right: warm light makes fabric look creamier and daylight makes it look grayer. On bench ranges the chart is the better guide, and the workshop confirms with photos before production so you can still switch.

**A common question:** Can you tell me which fabric another buyer used in their review photo?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Send a screenshot of the review photo and the workshop looks up the order and gives you the codes, for example N03 with matching N03 piping. If two beiges are too close to call, it sends close-ups.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Can I see two near-identical codes together before I order?

Yes. Ask for one photo of both fabrics taken under the same light, or for close-ups of the fabric rolls. For a color-critical project, physical swatches in your own daylight settle it better than any screen.

### Will navy piping or stripes read as black on my cushion?

On screen, very nearly. N06 dark navy and N09 black are hard to tell apart in thin stripes, which is why the workshop sends a photo taken under light. If the distinction matters, order a sample of both.

### Can the workshop suggest a piping code for the body color I picked?

Yes. Send photos of the room or wallpaper and it suggests body and piping codes, for example soft 903 with 910 warm ivory piping against a blue-gray wallpaper. Ask for close-ups of the rolls before deciding.

## Related at the atelier

- [Window Seat Cushion in Navy Pinstripe: 4 Mistakes It Avoids](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-pinstripe-ivory-window-seat-cushion-garden-room/): On a white window seat, choose a cushion with a fine stripe rather than plain ivory: a navy pinstripe on ivory reads as texture from across the room yet gives the box edge a clear line.
- [Black Ticking Stripe Window Seat Cushion by a Garden View](https://cushionguide.com/readings/black-ticking-stripe-window-seat-garden-view/): A ticking stripe window seat cushion looks most tailored when the stripes run front to back, turn over a self-piped edge and drop straight down the front band.
- [Navy Floral Window Seat Cushion, Up Close: How the Edge Ages](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-floral-cushion-piped-box-edge-closeup/): A printed window seat cushion with self piping ages more gracefully than a solid one with a contrast cord, because the covered edge and the busy floral hide the small marks daily life leaves.
- [Which fabric code is olive green, and will it look too bright?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/olive-green-cushion-fabric-code/): Olive green is code 123 in the velvet chart, a muted, earthy olive; L24 is the linen alternative.
- [If I send a photo, can you tell me which of your colors matches best?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/match-cushion-color-from-photo/): Yes, a cushion color can be matched from a photo: send a picture of the color you want, your sofa or your room, and the workshop compares it with its fabric charts, names the closest codes, checks…
- [Why does the same fabric code look different in two of your photos?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/same-fabric-looks-different-in-photos/): The same fabric looks different in two photos because lighting, camera settings, angle and screen brightness all change how its color reads.
- [What to write in a custom cushion order note: sizes, codes and extras](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-cushion-personalization-note/)
- [How to order a custom cushion size that isn't in the size menu](https://cushionguide.com/guides/custom-size-cushion-not-on-menu/)

*With color and care — Élodie*

---

Written by Élodie Marchand (https://cushionguide.com/masters/elodie/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/similar-fabric-color-codes-difference/