Pantone to TCX Converter
Pick a Pantone Solid Coated color to find the closest Pantone TCX (Textile Cotton eXtended) match. Matching uses Delta E 2000 against a curated 50-color TCX benchmark set. Results are visual approximations — always verify with physical TCX swatches before fabric production. Note that Solid Coated and TCX describe different media, so matches are typically in the ΔE 5–15 range even for colors that share a name.
What is Pantone to TCX conversion?
Pantone Solid Coated (C) and Pantone TCX (Textile Cotton eXtended) are two different color reference systems within the Pantone library. Solid Coated is printed on paper for graphic design, packaging, and print collateral. TCX is printed on cotton fabric swatches for apparel, textiles, and home furnishings. They use different pigments, different substrates, and different reference swatches — which means that a "Pantone 485 C" and a "Pantone 485 TCX" (if such a code existed) would look meaningfully different in physical production.
What this converter does is find the visually closest TCX code to a given Solid Coated color, using Delta E 2000. This is useful when a brand identity designed in print needs to be extended to apparel, uniforms, or textile merchandise. But the match is never exact — the two systems produce different physical results even for near-identical hex values, and production work always requires physical verification against both the Solid Coated chip and the TCX swatch.
Why the matches are often distant (ΔE 5–15)
A ΔE of 5–15 is normal between a Solid Coated color and its closest TCX match, and it is not a bug. The print gamut and the textile gamut are different — print inks are optimized for saturated, vivid, ink-on-paper colors, while textile pigments are optimized for a slightly more muted, fabric-based appearance. The conversion is finding the closest available match within a fundamentally different color space, which produces larger deltas than conversions within the same system (like Solid Coated to RAL or Solid Coated to NCS).
For designers translating a brand from print to textile, the practical approach is: use this tool to find the closest TCX match as a starting point, order a physical TCX swatch of that match, compare it against the physical Solid Coated chip, and adjust if necessary. The final production specification should always be based on physical samples, not digital conversion.
How the conversion works
- The Solid Coated color's hex is converted to RGB, then to CIELAB.
- Delta E 2000 is computed between the Solid Coated LAB and each of the 50 TCX codes' LAB values.
- The top five matches by lowest Delta E are returned.
Delta E 2000 is the current CIE standard for perceptual color difference. It accounts for the fact that human eyes are more sensitive to some hue regions than others, so a given Delta E is comparable across all hue families — which is important when the closest match might be in a different family than the source color.
Accuracy and limitations
- Subset, not the full library. Our TCX reference covers 50 benchmark codes out of the ~2,300-color library. An exact TCX match may exist but is not in our set.
- Different media. Solid Coated ink and TCX pigment reflect light differently. Even a "perfect" screen match will differ in physical production.
- Deltas of 5–15 are expected. This is not a bug — it reflects the real difference between print and textile gamuts.
- Screen accuracy. Monitor calibration and ambient lighting affect what you see. Always verify against physical samples.
Use cases
- Brand extension to textile. A brand identity built in Pantone Solid Coated needs TCX references for uniforms, apparel, and merchandise.
- Print-to-apparel translation. Print packaging and textile products that must appear to match visually.
- Uniform and merchandise design. Corporate uniforms, team apparel, and branded merch often require TCX codes based on Solid Coated brand colors.
- Interior design from a brand palette. Brand environments with painted/printed walls and textile furnishings need both systems specified.
Common mistakes
- Expecting ΔE 0–5 matches between print and textile systems — this is not achievable and not typical.
- Assuming the closest TCX match is the "official equivalent" — no such equivalence exists between the two systems.
- Ignoring the physical fabric — different weaves, dye lots, and finishes shift the color noticeably.
- Comparing under mixed lighting — always use neutral 5000K daylight for TCX comparisons.
- Using our benchmark subset as the definitive answer for critical work — always verify with the full FHI Color Guide or Pantone Connect.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Pantone Solid Coated to TCX?
Select a Pantone Solid Coated color from the dropdown. The converter finds the closest TCX (Textile Cotton eXtended) match from our 50-color benchmark library, using Delta E 2000 perceptual color difference. The top five TCX matches are ranked by lowest Delta E. Results are visual approximations — always verify with physical TCX swatches before fabric production.
Is Pantone to TCX conversion exact?
No. Solid Coated (C) is a print ink system; TCX is a textile pigment system. The two use different pigments on different substrates, so no exact equivalence exists. The conversion finds the visually closest TCX match — but for production work, order physical TCX swatches from Pantone (via the FHI Color Guide or Pantone Connect) and verify the match against your target color.
What is the closest TCX to Pantone 485 C?
Pantone 485 C is a bright warm red. In our 50-color TCX benchmark set, the closest matches are typically 18-1663 Chinese Red (#B01C2E), 19-1664 True Red (#BF1932), and 18-1750 Viva Magenta (#BE3455), in the ΔE 8–15 range. None is an exact match — 485 C is more saturated than any of the TCX reds — but Chinese Red is the closest visual approximation for most purposes.
Why is the TCX match usually distant from the Solid Coated color?
Because the two systems use different reference swatches. Pantone Solid Coated is optimized for the print gamut — saturated, vivid, ink-based. TCX is optimized for the textile gamut — slightly more muted, fabric-based, and often lighter in appearance. A ΔE 8–15 between a Pantone Solid Coated color and its closest TCX match is normal, not a bug. For production work, matching both to a physical Pantone chip and a physical TCX swatch is the only reliable approach.
What if I need the exact TCX code, not just the closest match?
Our reference covers 50 benchmark TCX codes, not the full ~2,300-color library. If the exact TCX code you need is not in our set, you will need to use Pantone Connect (paid subscription) or the physical FHI Color Guide to look it up. Our tool is for design exploration and finding approximate matches, not for verifying specific TCX codes.