Converter
HEX to CMYK Converter
Convert a HEX colour code to CMYK ink percentages in one step. Paste a hex code below and the four process ink values appear immediately, laid out the way a press control strip shows them.
These values are mathematical approximations. Ink, paper, press calibration and colour profile all change the printed result — always approve colour from a physical proof. Full disclaimer.
How do you convert HEX to CMYK?
To convert HEX to CMYK, read the hex code as three RGB values, divide each by 255, then set K to 1 minus the largest of the three. Each remaining ink is (1 − channel − K) divided by (1 − K). Multiply all four by 100 for percentages. For example, #1E90FF converts to C 88, M 44, Y 0, K 0.
The HEX to CMYK formula #
HEX describes light leaving a screen. CMYK describes ink absorbing light on paper. The conversion works by asking how much light the colour is missing altogether, calling that the black ink, then working out how much of each coloured ink is needed on top.
The division by 1 − K is the step people miss. Without it you would be asking the coloured inks to do work the black ink has already done, and every dark colour would come out far too heavy.
A worked example, step by step #
Take #1E90FF, a mid blue, and convert HEX to CMYK by hand.
- Split the code into pairs: 1E, 90, FF.
- Read each pair as base 16: R = 30, G = 144, B = 255.
- Normalise: r = 0.118, g = 0.565, b = 1.0.
- The largest is 1.0, so K = 1 − 1.0 = 0. No black ink.
- With K at zero the denominator is 1, so the sums simplify: C = 1 − 0.118 = 0.882, M = 1 − 0.565 = 0.435, Y = 1 − 1.0 = 0.
- As percentages: C 88, M 44, Y 0, K 0. Total ink coverage 132%.
That blue is a good example of a colour that looks fine on screen and disappointing in print. It sits outside what four process inks can reach, so the press will produce something duller and slightly greyer. Nothing is wrong with your file when that happens — it is a limit of the medium. Here is why, in more detail.
HEX to CMYK chart: 40 common colours #
Forty colours people convert often, calculated with the formula above. Click any row to load it into the converter.
| Colour | HEX | CMYK | Ink |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | 100% |
| White | #FFFFFF | 0, 0, 0, 0 | 0% |
| Red | #FF0000 | 0, 100, 100, 0 | 200% |
| Lime | #00FF00 | 100, 0, 100, 0 | 200% |
| Blue | #0000FF | 100, 100, 0, 0 | 200% |
| Yellow | #FFFF00 | 0, 0, 100, 0 | 100% |
| Cyan | #00FFFF | 100, 0, 0, 0 | 100% |
| Magenta | #FF00FF | 0, 100, 0, 0 | 100% |
| Dodger blue | #1E90FF | 88, 44, 0, 0 | 132% |
| Navy | #000080 | 100, 100, 0, 50 | 250% |
| Teal | #008080 | 100, 0, 0, 50 | 150% |
| Forest green | #228B22 | 76, 0, 76, 45 | 197% |
| Olive | #808000 | 0, 0, 100, 50 | 150% |
| Orange | #FFA500 | 0, 35, 100, 0 | 135% |
| Crimson | #DC143C | 0, 91, 73, 14 | 178% |
| Maroon | #800000 | 0, 100, 100, 50 | 250% |
| Purple | #800080 | 0, 100, 0, 50 | 150% |
| Hot pink | #FF69B4 | 0, 59, 29, 0 | 88% |
| Silver | #C0C0C0 | 0, 0, 0, 25 | 25% |
| Charcoal | #36454F | 32, 13, 0, 69 | 114% |
| Gold | #FFD700 | 0, 16, 100, 0 | 116% |
| Coral | #FF7F50 | 0, 50, 69, 0 | 119% |
| Salmon | #FA8072 | 0, 49, 54, 2 | 105% |
| Tomato | #FF6347 | 0, 61, 72, 0 | 133% |
| Chocolate | #D2691E | 0, 50, 86, 18 | 154% |
| Sienna | #A0522D | 0, 49, 72, 37 | 158% |
| Beige | #F5F5DC | 0, 0, 10, 4 | 14% |
| Ivory | #FFFFF0 | 0, 0, 6, 0 | 6% |
| Khaki | #F0E68C | 0, 4, 42, 6 | 52% |
| Turquoise | #40E0D0 | 71, 0, 7, 12 | 90% |
| Sky blue | #87CEEB | 43, 12, 0, 8 | 63% |
| Royal blue | #4169E1 | 71, 53, 0, 12 | 136% |
| Slate blue | #6A5ACD | 48, 56, 0, 20 | 124% |
| Indigo | #4B0082 | 42, 100, 0, 49 | 191% |
| Lavender | #E6E6FA | 8, 8, 0, 2 | 18% |
| Plum | #DDA0DD | 0, 28, 0, 13 | 41% |
| Sea green | #2E8B57 | 67, 0, 37, 45 | 149% |
| Lime green | #32CD32 | 76, 0, 76, 20 | 172% |
| Spring green | #00FF7F | 100, 0, 50, 0 | 150% |
| Dark slate | #2F4F4F | 41, 0, 0, 69 | 110% |
Converting HEX to CMYK in design software #
The numbers above are the plain arithmetic. Design software does something more careful, and it is worth knowing which you are looking at.
- Photoshop and Illustrator convert through the CMYK profile assigned to the document, using measured data about how real inks behave. Their answer will differ slightly from this page, and it is the better one when you know which press is running the job.
- InDesign holds colours in whatever space you defined and converts at export. Check your PDF export preset rather than the swatch panel.
- Canva and Figma are RGB tools. Neither does profile-aware CMYK conversion, so a value from this page is a reasonable specification to hand to a printer alongside the file.
Use this converter to understand or communicate a colour. Let colour-managed software handle the document conversion when a specific press is involved.
What a HEX to CMYK conversion cannot tell you #
It cannot tell you what the colour will look like coming off the press. Four things change that, and none of them are in the arithmetic:
- The paper. The same file prints noticeably duller on uncoated stock than on gloss, because uncoated paper absorbs ink and scatters light.
- The press profile. A commercial sheetfed press and a digital press in a copy shop work to different standards and will hit different colours from identical numbers.
- Dot gain. Halftone dots spread slightly as ink meets paper, so tints print darker than the percentage suggests.
- Your monitor. If it has never been calibrated, the colour you are matching to may not be the colour you think it is.
Use these values to specify and communicate a colour. Use a physical proof from your actual printer to approve one.
Terms you will meet along the way #
Most of these are covered properly in the guide to CMYK.
HEX to CMYK questions #
How do I convert HEX to CMYK?
Read the hex code as three RGB values, divide each by 255, then set K to 1 minus the largest of the three. Each remaining ink is the channel subtracted from 1, minus K, divided by 1 minus K. Multiply all four by 100. The converter at the top of this page does all of that as you type.
Is there one correct CMYK value for a hex colour?
No. A hex code describes light coming out of a screen; CMYK describes ink sitting on paper. There is no single true translation between the two, only a best estimate. The formula on this page gives the standard mathematical estimate, which is what design software shows you before you assign a colour profile. Your printer's own profile will produce slightly different numbers, and both are legitimate.
What is the CMYK value of #FFFFFF and #000000?
White is 0, 0, 0, 0 — no ink at all, just the paper. Black is 0, 0, 0, 100, meaning the black plate alone at full strength. Note that a design file often wants a richer black than that for large solid areas, built by adding some cyan and magenta underneath.
Why is my K value zero when the colour looks dark?
The formula only assigns ink to K when all three channels are below full brightness together. A saturated dark blue can come out as heavy cyan and magenta with no black at all. It will print, but it eats ink and can look muddy. If K reads 0 on a dark colour, consider building it by hand: pull some cyan and magenta out and add black.
Can I use these numbers straight in Illustrator or InDesign?
You can type them in, yes. But if your document already has a CMYK profile assigned, the application is doing a profile-aware conversion that is more accurate than this arithmetic. Use this converter to understand or communicate a colour, and let your design software handle the actual document conversion.
What does the ink coverage figure mean?
It is the four ink percentages added together. A colour at 88, 44, 0, 0 has 132% coverage. Presses have a ceiling, often between 240% and 300% depending on the press and the paper, because too much wet ink will not dry properly and can offset onto the next sheet. If your colour goes over, your printer will ask you to reduce it.
Does the converter send my colour anywhere?
No. Every calculation on this site runs in your browser. Nothing about the colours you enter is transmitted to us or stored.
Does it work with three-digit and eight-digit hex codes?
Yes. A three-digit code is shorthand where each digit is doubled, so #F0A means the same as #FF00AA. Eight-digit codes work too; the last pair is the alpha channel, which is ignored for CMYK because ink has no opacity value.