Hex to CMYK Color Converter

Enter Calculation

Hex Color (e.g. #1E90FF)

Results

CMYK Color

cmyk(88%, 44%, 0%, 0%)

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (black)

Cyan (C)	88.24%
Magenta (M)	43.53%
Yellow (Y)	0%
Key / Black (K)	0%
RGB	rgb(30, 144, 255)

What is the Hex to CMYK Converter?

This tool converts a hexadecimal color code — the six-digit notation used across the web and in design software — into the CMYK color model used by printers. CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black), and each value is expressed as a percentage of ink coverage. Because screens emit light (RGB) while paper reflects it (CMYK), converting between them is an essential step when preparing digital artwork for print.

A hex code maps to four CMYK ink percentages: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black).

How to use it

Enter a hex code such as #1E90FF in the box and submit. The tool accepts values with or without the leading #, and supports both 6-digit codes and 3-digit shorthand like #0AF. The result shows the four CMYK percentages plus the underlying RGB values so you can verify the conversion.

The formula explained

First each color channel is normalized from 0–255 to a 0–1 range by dividing by 255. The black channel is found as \(K = 1 - \max(R, G, B)\). When K is below 1, the colored channels are computed as \(C = (1 - R - K) / (1 - K)\), and similarly for M and Y. If the color is pure black (\(K = 1\)), all of C, M and Y are set to 0 to avoid dividing by zero. Multiply each result by 100 to express it as a percentage.

$$K = 1 - \max(R,G,B), \quad C = \frac{1-R-K}{1-K}, \quad M = \frac{1-G-K}{1-K}, \quad Y = \frac{1-B-K}{1-K}$$

Key (K) is found first from the largest RGB component, then C, M, and Y are derived from it.

Worked example

Take pure red #FF0000. \(R = 255/255 = 1\), \(G = 0\), \(B = 0\). Max = 1, so \(K = 1 - 1 = 0\). Then $$C = \frac{1 - 1 - 0}{1 - 0} = 0, \quad M = \frac{1 - 0 - 0}{1} = 1, \quad Y = \frac{1 - 0 - 0}{1} = 1.$$ As percentages this is C 0%, M 100%, Y 100%, K 0% — i.e. cmyk(0, 100, 100, 0).

FAQ

Why don't printed colors match my screen exactly? RGB has a wider gamut than CMYK, so some vivid screen colors cannot be reproduced with ink and shift slightly when printed.

Does this use an ICC color profile? No — this is the standard mathematical conversion. Professional print workflows apply device-specific ICC profiles for the most accurate match.

Can I enter shorthand hex? Yes, 3-digit codes like #0AF are expanded to #00AAFF automatically.