HEX to CMYK color converter
Paste a hex code from your CSS, a Figma file or a brand guide and get CMYK as you type — with the steps shown, and a straight answer on what those numbers will and won't do on paper.
This is the standard formula, not an ICC profile. A print shop converts with its own profile, so its numbers can differ — for print, ask for that profile or a press proof. Why
Other ways to write it
All formats
Name and Tailwind
Contrast (WCAG)
How a hex code becomes CMYK
A hex code is three screen values in base 16. CMYK is how much of four inks to lay down. The conversion goes through RGB:
- Split the hex into pairs and read each as a number: first digit × 16 + second (A–F are 10–15).
- Divide each by 255, so it runs 0–1: R′, G′, B′.
- Black first: K = 1 − the largest of R′, G′, B′.
- Then each ink: C = (1 − R′ − K) ÷ (1 − K), and the same for M with G′ and Y with B′.
Worked example, #E4572E: E4 = 228, 57 = 87, 2E = 46 → 0.894, 0.341,
0.180 → K = 0.106 → C = 0, M = 0.618, Y = 0.798 →
cmyk(0%, 61.8%, 79.8%, 10.6%).
The panel follows the color in the converter.
#E4572E
Hex colors to CMYK for print: what the numbers can't promise
A hex code describes light from a screen; CMYK describes ink on paper. The formula maps one onto the other, but it doesn't know your paper, your press or your printer's inks. Three things to know before a hex color goes to print:
Your printer's numbers will differ
Design apps and print shops convert through an ICC profile made for a specific press and paper (Coated FOGRA39, U.S. Web Coated SWOP and so on). Same hex, different profile, different CMYK. Use the value here as a starting point or a brand-guide column; for the job itself, ask the printer for their profile and a proof.
Some screen colors can't be printed
Screens mix light; ink can only absorb it. Very bright greens, pure blues, neon oranges and electric
purples sit outside what CMYK can reach, so they print duller. #0000FF
becomes 100% cyan and 100% magenta, which prints violet rather than screen blue.
#000000 is not the deepest black
The formula gives K 100 and nothing else. That's right for text, but a large area printed with black ink alone looks dark grey. Printers use a rich black — black plus some cyan, magenta and yellow — and each has its own recipe, so ask.
From brand guide to print
- Take the hex from the brand guide or the CSS.
- Convert it here for a starting CMYK value, or a brand-guide column.
- In the design file, set the document to CMYK with the printer's profile.
- Ask for a press proof before the run. For a logo that must match everywhere, ask about a spot color.
Color hex to CMYK chart
Click a row to load it into the converter.
| Color | HEX | CMYK | On paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | #000000 | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 100%) | K only; ask for rich black on large areas |
| White | #FFFFFF | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 0%) | No ink: the paper's own white |
| Red | #FF0000 | cmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 0%) | |
| Lime | #00FF00 | cmyk(100%, 0%, 100%, 0%) | Outside print gamut: prints duller |
| Blue | #0000FF | cmyk(100%, 100%, 0%, 0%) | Prints violet, not screen blue |
| Cyan | #00FFFF | cmyk(100%, 0%, 0%, 0%) | |
| Magenta | #FF00FF | cmyk(0%, 100%, 0%, 0%) | |
| Yellow | #FFFF00 | cmyk(0%, 0%, 100%, 0%) | |
| Orange | #FFA500 | cmyk(0%, 35.3%, 100%, 0%) | |
| Gray | #808080 | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 49.8%) | |
| Silver | #C0C0C0 | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 24.7%) | |
| Maroon | #800000 | cmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 49.8%) | |
| Navy | #000080 | cmyk(100%, 100%, 0%, 49.8%) | |
| Teal | #008080 | cmyk(100%, 0%, 0%, 49.8%) | |
| Tailwind blue-500 | #3B82F6 | cmyk(76%, 47.2%, 0%, 3.5%) |
HEX to CMYK: questions
Can you convert a hex code to CMYK?
Yes. The hex gives three RGB values, and the formula turns those into four ink percentages: #E4572E is cmyk(0%, 61.8%, 79.8%, 10.6%). It's exact arithmetic, but it isn't a print match — see the print section above.
Can I send hex codes to a printer?
Hex is a screen value; a printer works in CMYK or in spot colors such as Pantone. Give them CMYK from your design app set to their profile, and keep the hex next to it in the brand guide for the web.
Why does Photoshop or Illustrator give different CMYK for the same hex?
They convert through the ICC profile in their color settings, which also caps the total ink and decides how much black replaces the other three inks. This page uses no profile. Both answers are right for what they do; for a print job, the profile's answer is the one to use.
What happens to the last two digits of an 8-digit hex?
They're alpha (opacity), and CMYK has none. The converter drops them and converts the color as if it were fully opaque.
How do I find the hex code for a CMYK color?
Paste the CMYK into the same field — cmyk(0, 62, 80, 11) or just 0 62 80 11 — and the hex appears under All formats. Going that way can't recover what the formula rounded, so expect a digit or two of difference.
Chrome extension
Got the hex from a web page?
Pick it straight off any page with KD Color: HEX, RGB, HSL and OKLCH in one click.
Add to ChromeColor API
Do it in code
curl "https://color.koval.tools/v1/convert?value=%23E4572E"One call returns HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, Lab, LCH and OKLCH — CMYK by the same formula as this page. No key needed to try it. Convert docs · Pricing
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