Deka conversion chart - Peggy Stogdill, MDA

Sadly, Decart, Inc. (not to be confused with DecoArt!) has recently ceased production of DEKA Permanent Fabric Paints in the United States. When the paints currently available on my website, as well as those from other suppliers, are sold out, there will be no more. (Unless a decision is made to import DEKA paints from Germany at some future date).

Therefore, I've worked out a conversion chart from those DEKA colors I used most often in my books, packets and magazine articles to both Delta Fabric Dye-Brush On Fabric Color and DecoArt SoSoft Fabric Acrylics. Note: Paint formulations differ from one to the other so, even though the color may closely match, transparency/opacity, brightness/dullness, etc. may vary. Proportions given below are approximate--please make adjustments as necessary. Colors designated with an * may be substituted "as is" when an exact color match is not necessary.

In the chart below, stock numbers appear the first time a color is listed.

Aug 8, 2001 *Thanks to a sharp-eyed customer who couldn't figure out how mixing peaches and reds could result in a substitute for Porcelain Blue, we now have our first revised version. Also, as I continue to work with these paints, I may make further adjustments in the future--keep checking!

Dec. 13, 200l *Well, thanks to ANOTHER sharp-eyed customer, we're now at version 1.2 (conversion has been added for Violet, which escaped notice in Version 1 and 1.1).
Version 1.2

April 20, 2002 Version 1.3

Permission granted to print one copy for personal use only.
DEKA Color	Delta Fabric Dye, BrushOn Color Conversion	DecoArt SoSoft Fabric Acrylic,Color Conversion
#400 Colorless Extender	#10310 Delta Fabric Gel Medium	SoSoft Fabric Medium- Transparent Medium
#408 Violet	#10308 Violet	#DSS12 Lavender
#419 Covering White	#10319 White	#DSS1 White
#418 Black	#10318 Black	#DSS24 Lamp Black
#420 Pearl White Metallic	#10420 Starlite White (Starlite Shimmering Fabric Color)	#DSP1 White (SoSoft Shimmering Pearls)
#421 Metallic Gold	#10402 Gold (Starlite Shimmering Fabric Color)	#DSM19 Glorious Gold (SoSoft Metallics)
#422 Metallic Silver	#10401 Silver (Starlite Shimmering Fabric Color)	#DSM2 Silver Platinum (SoSoft Metallics)
#433 Maize	#10301 Lemon + a speck of #10308 Violet or *Lemon	10 parts #DSS3 Cadmium Yellow + 1 part #DSS47 Hauser Light Green or *Cadmium Yellow
#434 Ginger	3 parts Lemon + 2 parts #10325 Pigskin + *a speck* of Violet or *Pigskin	7 parts #DSS2 Antique Gold + 4 parts #DSS12 Lavender + 1 part Hauser Light Green or *Antique Gold
#435 Dusty Rose	1 part #10304 Pink + 1 part White + 1 *scant* part Pigskin + a *speck* of Black	1 part DSS52 Fuchsia + 2 parts DSS7 Peaches 'n Cream (brighter version), or 1 part Fuchsia + 2 parts DSS40 Mocha
#436 Brigade Red	#10347 Red	#DSS25 Christmas Red (Primary)
#438 Cranberry Wine	10 parts Red + 1 or 2 parts Violet	2 parts Christmas Red + 1 part DSS55 Alizarin Crimson *Alizarin Crimson
#450 Porcelain Blue	2 parts #10329 Midnight + 1 part White + a speck of #10312 Light Green	3 part #DSS13 True Blue + 1 scant part Hauser Light Green *True Blue
#451 Blueberry	#10311 Dark Blue + a speck of Black or *Dark Blue	1 part #DSS42 Primary Blue + 1 part #DSS43 Prussian Blue
#453 Olive	4 parts #10326 English Yew + 1 part Lemon	8 parts Cadmium Yellow + 1 part #DSS19 Avocado Green
#454 Pewter Green	7 parts Lemon + 3 parts Dark Blue + 5 parts English Yew + 7 parts White	#DSS45 Spruce Green
#455 Pine	2 parts English Yew + 1 part #10329 Midnight + 3 parts Lemon or *English Yew	Avocado Green
#462 Sunset Pink	5 parts Light Salmon + 1 part #10305 Light Red + a speck of Pigskin	3 parts Peaches 'n Cream + 1 part #DSS38 Soft Red
#464 Logwood Purple	2 parts Violet + 3 or 4 parts Midnight	1 part Alizarin Crimson + 1 part Primary Blue
#468 Cactus Green	10 parts Lemon + 4 parts English Yew + 4 parts White + 1 part Dark Blue	3 parts Hauser Light Green + 1 part #DSS46 Hauser Dark Green *#DSS49 Light Soft Sage

Note: These conversions were worked out with the techniques used in my published materials in mind--usually semi-transparent color on white fabric. How the paint looks on the palette is often quite different than how it looks in the painting, and the appearance of a color/mixture might vary greatly from one brand to another on the palette, yet appear very similar in the painted design.

Delta's Fabric Color line presently includes 21 Fabric Dye-BrushOn Colors (all of those listed above are this type, unless otherwise noted), 35 Starlite Shimmering Fabric Colors (also a dye-type product), and 10 Starlite Glitter Fabric Colors.

DecoArt's So-Soft Fabric Paints presently includes 39 SoSoft Fabric Acrylics (all of those listed above are this type, unless otherwise noted), 18 So-Soft Shimmering Pearls, 12 SoSoft Metallics, 3 SoSoft Glitters, 4 SoSoft Neons, and 11 SoSoft Dimensionals.

IMPORTANT: If substituting another brand for DEKA when painting from any of my books, packets, or articles, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for fabric prep, drying time, heat-setting, etc.!

Check first with your favorite retailer--they may be able to order the paints for you if they don't already have them in stock. No local shop or retailer? Try Alpine Imports, an Illinois company, at 1-800-654-6114. Or visit their website.

NOTE: Mixing brands is not usually a good idea, but my technique is based upon the use of a lot of DEKA Colorless Extender. This is the ONE item you'll probably need to replace if you are still using the DEKA paints, so it was important to find a substitute. I have successfully substituted Delta's Fabric Gel Medium and Jacquard Colorless #100. Jacquard products are available from Dharma Trading Co.--www.dharmatrading.com, 1-800-542-5227.