CMYK to HEX Converter

Enter the cyan, magenta, yellow and black percentages from a print spec and get the HEX code and RGB values for screens, websites and design apps. Switch direction to go from HEX to CMYK.

C 85 · M 50 · Y 0 · K 0 = #2680FF

CMYK percentages (0–100)

Empty boxes count as 0. You can also paste all four at once, like cmyk(18%, 55%, 0%, 27%).

HEX

#2680FF

RGB

rgb(38, 128, 255)

A screen version of the color. The printed color depends on the ink and paper, so treat it as a close match.

How to Convert CMYK to HEX

CMYK says how much of each ink to put on paper. HEX says how much red, green and blue light a screen should give off. To go from one to the other, work out the RGB values first, then write them in hex:

Divide each CMYK percentage by 100, so 85% becomes 0.85.
Work out red, green and blue with the formulas below. Round each to a whole number from 0 to 255.
Convert each of the three numbers to two hex digits (0 = 00, 255 = FF). Divide by 16: the whole part is the first digit, the remainder is the second, with 10–15 written as A–F.
Put them together in order, red then green then blue, after a #.

Red = 255 × (1 − C) × (1 − K)

Green = 255 × (1 − M) × (1 − K)

Blue = 255 × (1 − Y) × (1 − K)

Each ink takes away one color of light: cyan takes away red, magenta takes away green and yellow takes away blue. Black darkens all three equally. To go the other way, see the HEX to CMYK converter.

Worked Example: C 85 M 50 Y 0 K 0 to HEX

A printed brochure uses a blue listed as C 85, M 50, Y 0, K 0, and you need the same blue for a website.

Step 1: Turn the percentages into decimals

C = 0.85 · M = 0.50 · Y = 0 · K = 0

Step 2: Work out red, green and blue

Red = 255 × 0.15 × 1 = 38.25 → 38 · Green = 255 × 0.5 × 1 = 127.5 → 128 · Blue = 255 × 1 × 1 = 255

Step 3: Write each number in hex

38 = 2×16 + 6 → 26 · 128 = 8×16 + 0 → 80 · 255 = 15×16 + 15 → FF

Result: #2680FF, which is rgb(38, 128, 255). The tool above opens with this color loaded.

CMYK to HEX Chart

Common CMYK values and the HEX codes the formula gives for them.

Common CMYK values converted to HEX and RGB
Color	CMYK	HEX	RGB
Cyan	100, 0, 0, 0	#00FFFF	0, 255, 255
Magenta	0, 100, 0, 0	#FF00FF	255, 0, 255
Yellow	0, 0, 100, 0	#FFFF00	255, 255, 0
Red	0, 100, 100, 0	#FF0000	255, 0, 0
Green	100, 0, 100, 0	#00FF00	0, 255, 0
Blue	100, 100, 0, 0	#0000FF	0, 0, 255
Orange	0, 50, 100, 0	#FF8000	255, 128, 0
Navy	100, 80, 0, 40	#001F99	0, 31, 153
Pink	0, 25, 0, 0	#FFBFFF	255, 191, 255
50% grey	0, 0, 0, 50	#808080	128, 128, 128
Black	0, 0, 0, 100	#000000	0, 0, 0
White (no ink)	0, 0, 0, 0	#FFFFFF	255, 255, 255

What's the Difference Between CMYK and HEX?

They describe color in opposite ways. A screen starts black and adds red, green and blue light; HEX is just a short way of writing those three amounts. A printer starts with white paper and adds ink, and each ink soaks up some of the light, so more ink means darker. Use CMYK for anything printed and HEX for anything on a screen.

CMYK and HEX compared
	CMYK	HEX
Used for	Printing: flyers, packaging, business cards	Screens: websites, apps, social media
Made of	Four inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, black	Three lights: red, green, blue
Written as	Four percentages, e.g. C 85 M 50 Y 0 K 0	# and six digits, e.g. #2680FF
White is	No ink (0, 0, 0, 0)	All light (#FFFFFF)
Black is	Full black ink (0, 0, 0, 100)	No light (#000000)

Why the Screen Color Won't Match the Print Exactly

The formula is the standard quick conversion, and it gets you close. It can't be exact, because the same CMYK numbers look different on glossy and uncoated paper, and with different printing presses and inks. Print shops handle this with a color profile that describes their press. That is why Photoshop or a print supplier can show a slightly different HEX for the same CMYK values.

For a website, social graphics or a mock-up, the result here is fine. For a brand color that must match across print and screen, ask the designer or brand guide for an official HEX value. Most brand guides list CMYK, RGB and HEX side by side for this reason.

Finding the HEX of a CMYK Color in Photoshop or Illustrator

Photoshop: click the foreground color to open the Color Picker, type the values into the C, M, Y and K boxes, and read the HEX code from the # box.
Illustrator: double-click the fill color to open the Color Picker, enter the CMYK values, and read the # box.

Both apps convert using the document's color profile, so their answer may differ from this page by a few points. If you need to match a file someone else made, use the value their app shows.

Frequently asked questions

What is the HEX code for 100% cyan?

C 100, M 0, Y 0, K 0 converts to #00FFFF. Printed cyan ink is a little darker and less bright than that on a screen.

What happens when black (K) is 100%?

The result is #000000 whatever the other three values are, because full black ink blocks all the light in the formula.

Can I enter decimals?

Yes. Values like 12.5 work. If you paste four numbers between 0 and 1, such as 0.18, 0.55, 0, 0.27, they are read as 18%, 55%, 0% and 27%.

Is CMYK to HEX conversion exact?

No conversion between print and screen is exact. This formula is the standard quick method; design apps and printers adjust it with color profiles for their paper and press.

Sources

W3C: CSS Color Module Level 4, hex notation: how #RRGGBB codes describe red, green and blue.
Adobe: Choose colors in Photoshop: the Color Picker with CMYK and HEX fields.

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