What is Pantone TPG?
Also known as: Textile Paper Green
Paper-based proofing standard used for color review of textile designs without printing on actual fabric. Faster and cheaper than fabric strike-offs but less accurate.
In detail
Pantone TPG is a paper-based proofing system showing how Pantone TCX (Textile Cotton) colors will approximately appear, printed on coated paper rather than on cotton fabric. The advantage is workflow speed: TPG proofs print in minutes from any commercial printer, while fabric strike-offs take days from a textile print partner. The disadvantage is accuracy: paper does not match cotton's substrate properties (absorbency, surface texture, dye-ink interaction), so TPG is an approximation only. Use TPG for early-stage client review and color direction; do not use TPG as the final color approval — always order a fabric strike-off before production. Some designers use TPG as the working reference during iteration and approve only against the strike-off at the end. TPG is Pantone's response to the discontinuation of the older TPX paper guides — same colors, updated paper stock, current reference. TPG is significantly cheaper to maintain than TCX (cotton swatches degrade with handling and need periodic replacement; paper guides last years). Most studios keep both: TPG for desk-side palette work, TCX cotton swatches for production-spec moments.
Example
A designer reviews 8 colorways with a buyer in a meeting using TPG-printed swatches. They narrow to 3 candidates. The 3 candidates go to fabric strike-offs for the final color approval. TPG saved 6 days of strike-off cycles for the eliminated 5 candidates.