RGB to CMYK Converter: Convert Color Values Online

Convert colors between RGB and CMYK color spaces using numeric fields or a visual color picker. View RGB, CMYK, HEX, and HSL results together.

Bidirectional RGB ↔ CMYK conversion: Convert screen colors for print, or convert CMYK print values back to RGB.
Visual color picker: Pick a shade and see RGB and HEX values update. RGB, CMYK, HEX, and HSL display after conversion.
Four-format display: View your color in RGB, CMYK, HEX, and HSL at the same time.
On-page conversion: The conversion logic runs on the page, with no color data sent to a server by this tool.
No account required: Use the converter without creating an account or registering.

RGB to CMYK

#000000

CMYK to RGB

C (%)

M (%)

Y (%)

K (%)

Quick Color Reference

Color	RGB	CMYK	HEX	Notes
Pure Black	0, 0, 0	0%, 0%, 0%, 100%	#000000	K-only black, common text color
Pure White	255, 255, 255	0%, 0%, 0%, 0%	#FFFFFF	No ink applied
Red	255, 0, 0	0%, 100%, 100%, 0%	#FF0000	Vivid on screen, slightly darker in print
Green	0, 128, 0	100%, 0%, 100%, 50%	#008000	Standard web green
Blue	0, 0, 255	100%, 100%, 0%, 0%	#0000FF	Notable gamut shift in CMYK
Yellow	255, 255, 0	0%, 0%, 100%, 0%	#FFFF00	Often a closer screen-to-print match
Cyan	0, 255, 255	100%, 0%, 0%, 0%	#00FFFF	One of the four CMYK base inks
Magenta	255, 0, 255	0%, 100%, 0%, 0%	#FF00FF	One of the four CMYK base inks
Orange	255, 165, 0	0%, 35%, 100%, 0%	#FFA500	Common brand accent color
Purple	128, 0, 128	0%, 100%, 0%, 50%	#800080	Significant shift in print, appears duller in CMYK
Dark Gray	64, 64, 64	0%, 0%, 0%, 75%	#404040	Neutral tone for text and backgrounds
Coral	255, 127, 80	0%, 50%, 69%, 0%	#FF7F50	Popular web color, minor shift in print

How to Use This RGB to CMYK Converter

Convert RGB to CMYK: Enter red, green, and blue values (0–255), or use the color picker to select a shade. The RGB inputs and HEX value update automatically. Click "Convert to CMYK" to see the results.
Convert CMYK to RGB: Enter your cyan, magenta, yellow, and black percentages (0–100). Click "Convert to RGB" to calculate the corresponding RGB values and see the color preview.
Read the results: After conversion, the result panel shows the primary output, a color swatch preview, and a detail grid with RGB, CMYK, HEX, and HSL values.

Pro Tips

Use the color picker for exploration: Click the color swatch next to the RGB inputs to browse colors visually. The picker syncs with the RGB fields so you can choose a shade and read its values.

Match formats to your workflow: The detail grid shows RGB, CMYK, HEX, and HSL values together. Copy the format you need for design software, such as HEX for web, CMYK for print, or HSL for CSS.

Expect gamut differences: Some bright screen colors, especially neons and vivid blues, cannot be exactly reproduced in CMYK. Use the converted values as a guide, not an exact print match.

Bidirectional workflow: Convert RGB to CMYK to prepare digital designs for print, then convert CMYK to RGB to preview print-sourced colors as screen values.

Soft-proof before print approval: Use the color swatch preview to compare the original and converted colors. If the shift is too large for a brand color, ask your printer about a Pantone spot color instead of relying on CMYK process alone.

FAQ

Q. How do I convert RGB to CMYK?

Enter red, green, and blue values (0–255) in the RGB fields, or choose a shade with the color picker. Click "Convert to CMYK" to see the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black percentages. The result panel also shows the HEX code and HSL values.

Q. How do I convert CMYK to RGB?

Enter cyan, magenta, yellow, and black percentages (0–100) in the CMYK fields and click "Convert to RGB." The tool calculates the corresponding red, green, and blue values and shows a color swatch for the converted RGB color.

Q. What is the difference between RGB and CMYK?

RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive color model used for screens — combining light produces white. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is a subtractive model used for printing — layering inks absorbs light. The CMYK gamut is smaller than RGB, so some vibrant on-screen colors cannot be exactly reproduced in print.

Q. Why do colors look different after converting to CMYK?

Colors outside the CMYK gamut — especially neon greens, electric blues, and vivid purples — often shift when converted for print. They may appear duller or darker. Use the converter as a guide, and request a physical proof from your printer for critical color matches.

Q. Can I use CMYK values directly in design software?

Yes. Copy the CMYK percentages from this tool and paste them into Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign. Make sure your document is in CMYK color mode first (Image → Mode → CMYK in Photoshop) so the software reads the values in the intended color mode.

About the RGB to CMYK Converter

Convert colors between RGB and CMYK color spaces. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is the additive color model used by digital screens; combining red, green, and blue light produces white. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is the subtractive model used in print production; layering inks absorbs light. Use this converter to prepare digital designs for print, match brand colors across web and physical materials, or preview print values as screen colors.

The converter includes a visual color picker and displays results in RGB, CMYK, HEX, and HSL, so you can copy the values you need. Conversions run in your browser using standard color-space formulas. No color data is uploaded by this tool, and no sign-up is required.

Use it for print preparation, brand color matching, design software reference, prepress checks, and color education. No design software is required for the conversion.

Common Use Cases for RGB to CMYK Conversion

Print preparation: Convert digital designs from RGB to CMYK before sending them to a commercial printer. Preview likely color shifts before the file goes to print.
Brand color matching: Find the closest printable equivalent for a brand color originally defined in HEX or RGB. Use the four-format display to copy values for different applications — HEX for the website, CMYK for the business card, and HSL for CSS variables.
Design software reference: Copy color values in the format your software expects without switching tools. Use HEX for web development, CMYK for InDesign and Illustrator, and HSL for CSS gradients and theme customization.
Prepress checks: Convert CMYK press values back to RGB to preview them as screen colors. This reverse workflow helps designers and clients compare print-sourced values on their monitors before approving a print run.
Color education: Explore how the RGB and CMYK color models relate by converting colors back and forth. The visual picker and four-format display make it easy to see which colors shift significantly and which remain stable across both color spaces.
Packaging and product design: Check how digital mockup colors translate to CMYK before sending files to a packaging manufacturer. Review out-of-gamut colors early so they can be adjusted before production.

RGB vs CMYK: Key Differences

RGB and CMYK are different color models designed for different output media.

Color creation method: RGB is additive — colors are created by adding red, green, and blue light together. All three at maximum intensity produce white. CMYK is subtractive — colors are created by layering cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks that absorb (subtract) specific wavelengths of light.
Color gamut: The RGB gamut is larger than CMYK. Vibrant neons, electric blues, and intense purples that look vivid on screen often have no direct CMYK equivalent, so converted values should be treated as print approximations.
Use case: Use RGB for anything displayed on a screen (websites, apps, social media graphics, presentations). Use CMYK for anything physically printed (business cards, brochures, packaging, posters, magazines).
Value ranges: RGB uses integer values from 0 to 255 per channel. CMYK uses percentages from 0% to 100% per channel. This tool handles both input formats and converts between them using the formulas shown below.

RGB to CMYK Conversion Formula

The conversion uses standard color-space mathematics:

RGB to CMYK:

Normalize each RGB channel by dividing by 255: R' = R/255, G' = G/255, B' = B/255.
Calculate the black (K) component: K = 1 − max(R', G', B').
Calculate the remaining channels: C = (1 − R' − K) / (1 − K), M = (1 − G' − K) / (1 − K), Y = (1 − B' − K) / (1 − K).
Multiply C, M, Y, and K by 100 to get percentages.

CMYK to RGB:

R = 255 × (1 − C/100) × (1 − K/100).
G = 255 × (1 − M/100) × (1 − K/100).
B = 255 × (1 − Y/100) × (1 − K/100).
Round each result to the nearest integer (0–255).

Example: RGB (255, 0, 0) → K = 1 − max(1.0, 0, 0) = 0 → C = (1 − 1 − 0) / 1 = 0, M = (1 − 0 − 0) / 1 = 1.0, Y = (1 − 0 − 0) / 1 = 1.0 → CMYK (0%, 100%, 100%, 0%).

Common Color Reference Table

Look up the CMYK equivalent of frequently used RGB colors.

Color	RGB	CMYK	HEX	Notes
Pure Black	0, 0, 0	0%, 0%, 0%, 100%	#000000	K-only black, common text color
Pure White	255, 255, 255	0%, 0%, 0%, 0%	#FFFFFF	No ink applied
Red	255, 0, 0	0%, 100%, 100%, 0%	#FF0000	Vivid on screen, slightly darker in print
Green	0, 128, 0	100%, 0%, 100%, 50%	#008000	Standard web green
Blue	0, 0, 255	100%, 100%, 0%, 0%	#0000FF	Notable gamut shift in CMYK
Yellow	255, 255, 0	0%, 0%, 100%, 0%	#FFFF00	Often a closer screen-to-print match
Cyan	0, 255, 255	100%, 0%, 0%, 0%	#00FFFF	CMYK base ink
Magenta	255, 0, 255	0%, 100%, 0%, 0%	#FF00FF	CMYK base ink
Orange	255, 165, 0	0%, 35%, 100%, 0%	#FFA500	Common brand accent
Purple	128, 0, 128	0%, 100%, 0%, 50%	#800080	Significant shift in print
Dark Gray	64, 64, 64	0%, 0%, 0%, 75%	#404040	Neutral tone
Coral	255, 127, 80	0%, 50%, 69%, 0%	#FF7F50	Popular web color

Tips for RGB to CMYK Conversion

Work in RGB first, convert last: Design your project in RGB to keep the wider screen color range available, then convert to CMYK when preparing the final print file.
Expect darker results: CMYK inks absorb light, so converted colors often appear slightly darker and less saturated than their RGB originals. Bright neons, electric blues, and vivid purples shift the most.
Use the right CMYK profile: If your printer specifies a particular ICC profile (e.g., U.S. Web Coated SWOP, FOGRA39), apply it in your design software before converting. The generic formula used by this tool provides an approximation and does not account for specific press conditions.
Verify critical brand colors with Pantone: For brand-essential colors that need tight matching, ask your printer about a Pantone spot color instead of relying solely on CMYK process printing. CMYK can only approximate many brand colors.
Check the round-trip: Convert RGB to CMYK, then convert the result back from CMYK to RGB to compare the screen values before and after conversion. Large shifts indicate out-of-gamut colors that may need manual adjustment.