To ensure your colors match across different materials, utilize these official tools:
Note: Pantone LLC owns the trademarks for TPX, TCX, and the Pantone Matching System. This article is for educational purposes regarding color conversion workflows.
For older colors (pre-2020), many industry groups have published unofficial cross-reference tables. Example: pantone tcx to tpx converter
Since there is no official mathematical formula, professionals use the following reliable methods:
Pantone is slowly phasing out the confusion. The newer standard is becoming the universal default for soft goods. The legacy TPX paper fans are being discontinued in favor of TPG (Textile Paper – Green) , which uses safer chemistry, but the number remains the same. To ensure your colors match across different materials,
This is the oldest and most reliable method for verifying a match, as it removes digital approximation errors.
If you are sourcing physical paper guides, ensure you are buying the TPG version. TPX guides are outdated, and older paper yellow over time, leading to inaccurate color matching. Example: Since there is no official mathematical formula,
Designers often start with cotton swatches but need to send Pantone codes for print products. A converter helps bridge this gap.
Imagine you are launching a luxury loungewear brand. You design a robe using a specific dusty rose shade on cotton fabric (). For a cohesive brand launch, you also want to manufacture matching ceramic mugs, rigid gift boxes, and plastic slippers ( TPX/TPG ).
If a perfect match between a plastic part and a fabric trim is non-negotiable, choose one substrate as the "Master Standard." Send physical cuttings of that master to all vendors so they can adjust their dye lots to match the physical sample, rather than relying solely on the book numbers.