CxF, AxF, and QTX: Essential File Formats Powering Digital Textile Color Management

In the textile industry, delivering consistent color and appearance is essential for brand reputation and customer satisfaction. As digital transformation accelerates, brands and suppliers rely on standardized file formats to communicate color and appearance data accurately across global supply chains. Three formats—CxF, AxF, and QTX—are at the heart of this process.

What Are CxF, AxF, and QTX?

CxF (Color Exchange Format):
CxF, developed by X-Rite and standardized as ISO 17972, is an XML-based format designed for digital color data exchange. It stores spectral color data and metadata (such as device, light source, and measurement conditions), ensuring color accuracy and interoperability between devices and workflows. CxF is widely used for color specification and compliance in printing, packaging, textiles, and automotive coatings.

AxF (Appearance Exchange Format):
AxF is a binary format based on HDF5 architecture, created to capture complex material appearance properties—gloss, transparency, texture, anisotropy, metallic effects, and more. AxF enables the creation of digital twins for realistic visualization in CAD and rendering workflows, supporting virtual prototyping and supplier collaboration. It bridges design and quality control by linking appearance data to measurement, making it invaluable for automotive, consumer goods, plastics, and textiles.

QTX (Spectral Data for QC):
QTX is a text-based format widely used for spectral reflectance data in color matching and quality control. It represents the “digital fingerprint” of a color standard, streamlining lab dips and production QC for mills and suppliers. QTX files are integrated with software like PantoneLIVE, Color iQC, Color iMatch, and Datacolor Match, supporting robust QC processes in textile and apparel workflows.

Why Do These Formats Matter?

• Consistency Across Supply Chains:
  Standardized formats like CxF, AxF, and QTX reduce costly color mismatches and appearance discrepancies, ensuring products meet brand standards from design to production.
• Enhanced Collaboration:
  Brands, suppliers, and manufacturers can share data confidently, accelerating approvals and reducing rework.
• Accelerated Digital Transformation:
  Virtual prototyping and digital material libraries speed up design cycles and improve visualization, enabling faster time-to-market.
• Improved Quality Control:
  Reliable spectral and appearance data support robust QC processes and compliance, minimizing errors and rework.

Deep Dive: Features and Use Cases

CxF is ideal for workflows focused on color accuracy, supporting spot color matching and compliance verification.
AxF enables physically accurate visualization for design and marketing, capturing the full appearance of materials for digital twins and predictive rendering.
QTX is simple, lightweight, and widely supported in QC workflows, making it the go-to format for lab dips and production color matching.

Best Practices for Textile Brands and Suppliers

• Use CxF for color specification and compliance across supply chains.
• Use AxF for realistic visualization and digital material libraries.
• Use QTX for lab dips and production QC in textile workflows.
• Combine AxF and CxF for end-to-end workflows, linking design and quality control.
  
  

Practical Example
A global textile brand designing a new collection can use CxF to specify color standards, AxF to visualize materials digitally for approvals, and QTX to ensure production matches the approved colors. This integrated approach reduces errors, speeds up development, and ensures consistency from concept to consumer.

Ready to take your textile color management to the next level? By adopting CxF, AxF, and QTX file formats, your organization can achieve unmatched color accuracy, streamline collaboration with suppliers, and accelerate your digital transformation journey. Don’t let color mismatches or inefficient workflows hold your brand back—embrace the power of standardized data exchange and set a new benchmark for quality and innovation in the textile industry.

Contact our Color Experts today to discover how X-Rite’s solutions—including PANTORA, Color iQC, and our full suite of digital color management tools—can help you implement best practices and stay ahead of the competition.