Pantone TCX vs TPX vs TPG: Which Library for Fabric
Pantone publishes several colour libraries, and picking the wrong one is one of the most common, and most avoidable, reasons a strike-off comes back the wrong colour. For fabric, the library that matters is TCX. This guide explains what each library physically is, which one to specify to a mill, and what to do with older references.
Step by step
Know what each library physically is
TCX (Textile Cotton eXtended) swatches are dyed on cotton. TPG (Textile Paper Green) is printed on paper and replaced the older paper library, TPX (Textile Paper eXtended), which is retired. Pantone C and U are graphic-design libraries for print on coated and uncoated paper, not textile references at all.
- TCX = dyed cotton, the production reference
- TPG = current paper edition, for boards and early work
- TPX = retired paper edition
- C / U = print on paper, not for fabric
Specify fabric colour in TCX
A mill dyes fabric, so the reference that behaves like the finished product is the one dyed on fabric. Dye recipes, spectrophotometer targets and buyer QC are set against fabric swatches, so a TCX reference gives the mill the least room for interpretation.
- Send the TCX reference, not a description of the colour
- Approve production colour on fabric, never on paper
- Keep the physical TCX swatch you chose at hand for approvals
Use TPG for desk work and colour stories
Paper guides are lighter and cheaper, which makes them handy for mood boards and early palette building. But ink on paper and dye on cotton are different physical things: the same reference can look different between them, so never approve dyed colour from a paper guide.
- TPG for palette building only
- Expect a visible shift from paper to fabric
- Re-check every TPG pick against TCX before it goes to a mill
Update older TPX references
Older brand books may quote TPX references. Before you send one to a partner, look up its current equivalent in Pantone Connect or a current guide, and add the TCX reference for fabric work, so nobody has to guess what the old reference meant.
- Look up retired references in Pantone Connect
- Add the TCX reference for anything that will be dyed
- Update the brand book before sharing it with a new mill
Judge colour under the right light
Colours shift under different light (metamerism). Approve lab dips and strike-offs under D65 daylight, the standard viewing light, and check under the store's lighting too if the product will be sold under it.
- D65 daylight for approvals
- Check the retail lighting if it matters
- Never approve colour from a screen alone
Write the substrate and tolerance into the spec
The same dye looks different on cotton, polyester and viscose. State the fabric (fibre, weight and finish) next to the colour reference, and give an acceptable colour difference, for example ΔE under 2, so approval is a measurement rather than an opinion.
- Fibre, weight and finish next to every colour
- State a ΔE tolerance
- Keep one master colour list for the whole collection
Common mistakes to avoid
Questions designers ask
Can I use a TPG swatch to approve fabric colour?
No. A paper swatch and a dyed fabric are different physical things. Approve against a dyed (TCX) swatch or the mill's lab dip.
Why does the colour on my screen not match my Pantone guide?
Screens emit light and fabric reflects it, so they never match exactly. Calibrate your monitor for consistency, and treat the physical guide as the reference.
Where do I find the official Pantone reference for a colour?
Pantone Connect and Pantone's physical guides are the authoritative sources. Texloom's colour tools do not contain Pantone colours.
Know the exact numbers of every colour in your design
Texloom's Color Converter gives LAB, RGB, CMYK and HEX for any colour, in the same LAB space dye houses work in. For the Pantone reference itself, use Pantone Connect.
Open the Color Converter