Free tool
CMYK ↔ RGB converter
Convert any color between CMYK, RGB, and HEX with a live swatch. Type in either direction — the other side updates instantly.
RGB / HEX
CMYK (%)
Naive device-independent formula — see the notes below for why press output shifts further.
Swatch
#2597D4
No email required. Conversions run locally in your browser.
Color management notes
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The honest caveat
Why this is an approximation
The formula here is the standard naive conversion: K = 1 − max(R,G,B), then each ink channel scales against the remaining range. It is deterministic and reversible, which makes it useful for design work — but it ignores three things a real press cannot ignore:
- ICC profiles — a press converting through FOGRA39 or GRACoL maps colors differently from the naive formula, especially in shadows and saturated midtones.
- Dot gain — ink spreads when it hits paper. Uncoated stock gains more than coated; the same CMYK values print darker on uncoated.
- Substrate color — paper is never perfectly white. The substrate tint shifts every printed color slightly.
For press-critical brand colors, specify a Pantone spot color or ask your printer for a color-managed proof. For everything else, this converter gets you close enough to make design decisions.
FAQ
Color conversion FAQ
Why do my printed colors look different from my screen?
Screens emit light in RGB (additive color); presses lay ink in CMYK (subtractive color). The RGB gamut is larger — vivid blues, greens, and oranges that a screen can display simply cannot be mixed from cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink. When an RGB file converts to CMYK, out-of-gamut colors get pulled to the nearest printable color, which reads as "duller" or "muddier." Designing in CMYK (or soft-proofing against a CMYK profile) avoids the surprise.
Is this conversion exactly what my printer will produce?
No — this tool uses the standard naive formula, which is profile-agnostic. Real presses convert through ICC profiles (FOGRA39, GRACoL, SWOP) that account for ink, substrate, and dot gain, so the actual printed color shifts further. Treat this converter as a fast approximation for design decisions; rely on a color-managed proof for press-critical color.
Which colors lose the most in CMYK?
Saturated RGB blues and purples (they shift toward muddy violet), bright greens (toward olive), vivid oranges, and anything neon. Pure RGB blue (0,0,255) is the classic example — it prints as a noticeably duller purple-blue. If a brand color lives in that range, specify a Pantone spot color instead of process CMYK.
Should I design in RGB or CMYK?
For print-only work, design in CMYK from the start so what you see tracks what prints. For dual-use assets (web + print), design in RGB and soft-proof against your print profile before handoff. Web-to-print platforms like PrintIntegrator convert customer RGB uploads to press CMYK with an ICC profile at output time, which is more accurate than the naive formula.
What is rich black vs plain black?
Plain black is 100% K only — crisp for small text. Rich black layers other inks under the K (a common recipe is C60 M40 Y40 K100) for a deeper, denser black on large areas. Never use rich black for body text (registration shifts blur it) and never use plain black for large solids (it prints washed-out gray-black).
PrintIntegrator converts customer colors with real ICC profiles.
Customer uploads arrive in RGB; print-ready output ships in press CMYK with the ICC profile your press expects — not the naive formula.