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Color converter

RGB to CMYK converter

Convert RGB or HEX to CMYK with real ICC profile conversion (U.S. Web Coated SWOP v2 and Coated FOGRA39) computed in your browser via Little CMS. Free, no signup, fully client-side.

Quick picks

CMYK press profile

Dominant US offset standard for coated paper. Default for North-American print shops.Source RGB is sRGB v4. Conversion runs in your browser via Little CMS with the real ICC profile — results follow the selected profile and rendering intent. Upload your print shop's own .icc to soft-proof against it (the file never leaves your browser).

On screen (sRGB)

What you see on this monitor

#FF5733

Press preview · U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2

Approx. how the CMYK ink looks once printed

#FF5733

RGB · 0–255

CMYK · 0–100%

Cyan0%
Magenta65.9%
Yellow80%
Key (black)0%
Use #FF5733 in Polotno Studio →

Quick answers

  • #FF5733 RGB → C0 M67 Y80 K0 CMYK (sRGB) · C0 M64 Y76 K0 under Coated Fogra39
  • Pure black RGB(0,0,0) → C0 M0 Y0 K100 CMYK · Rich black for offset: C40 M30 Y30 K100
  • #1DA1F2 (Twitter Blue) → C81 M47 Y0 K0 CMYK · Out of gamut on most coated presses
  • #1DB954 (Spotify Green) → C75 M0 Y66 K27 CMYK · Press preview noticeably duller than screen
  • Pure red RGB(255,0,0) → C0 M100 Y100 K0 CMYK

You have a brand HEX or RGB color and you need its CMYK build for a print job. The picker above runs the real ICC profile conversion in your browser using standard color-management math. You can also upload your print shop's own ICC profile to soft-proof against it.

Real ICC profiles, not an approximation

This page bundles the actual ICC profile files (sRGB v4 and the destination CMYK profiles) and runs them through Little CMS compiled to WebAssembly — the same color-management engine that powers Firefox, GIMP, and most Linux print pipelines. Numbers come from the selected ICC profile and perceptual intent, not a simple formula. Many lightweight converters skip the ICC engine and silently assume sRGB → US SWOP.

Bundled profiles: sRGB v4 (ICC, freely distributable), U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 and Coated FOGRA39 / ISO 12647-2:2004 (Adobe Color Profile Bundling Agreement).

Bring your own ICC profile

Most pro print shops have their own ICC profile that captures their press, paper, and ink behavior. Click ↑ Upload your shop's ICCin the profile picker to run the conversion against it. The file is parsed entirely in your browser — Polotno never sees it, and it is not uploaded. That lets you test your shop's profile without installing a desktop color-management app.

Common brand colors — RGB to CMYK (sRGB → Coated Fogra39)

ColorHEX / RGBCMYK approx.
Coca-Cola Red#F40009 · 244, 0, 9C0 M100 Y100 K0
Spotify Green#1DB954 · 29, 185, 84C76 M0 Y89 K0
Twitter Blue#1DA1F2 · 29, 161, 242C81 M47 Y0 K0
Pure black#000000 · 0, 0, 0C0 M0 Y0 K100
Rich black (offset)#1A1B25 · 26, 27, 37C75 M68 Y67 K90

Frequently asked questions

Q: How do I convert RGB to CMYK accurately?

Accurate RGB to CMYK conversion needs an ICC profile engine — the same kind of color-management pipeline your print shop uses. This page bundles U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 and Coated FOGRA39 ICC profiles and runs the conversion in your browser via Little CMS (lcms-wasm), so the numbers reflect the selected profile and rendering intent (perceptual). For color-critical production work, soft-proof with your shop's exact ICC profile — the bundled profiles cover common US and European offset standards, but every press has its own quirks.

Q: Why does my screen RGB look different in CMYK print?

RGB is additive (light) and has a wider gamut than CMYK (ink) — monitors can render saturated electric blues, neon greens, and pure magentas that a four-color press cannot reproduce. When the printer mixes ink, those out-of-gamut colors get clipped to the nearest in-gamut equivalent, which usually looks duller. Soft-proof in your design tool against your print shop's CMYK profile before sending to press; the bigger the gap, the more your design relies on out-of-gamut color.

Q: Which ICC profile should I pick for offset printing?

European offset presses often use Coated FOGRA39 (ISO 12647-2:2004) or its successor ISO Coated v2; American presses often use U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2 or GRACoL 2013. For uncoated stock, switch to the matching uncoated variant your shop specifies. If your print shop hasn't told you which profile, ask — they'll have a preferred ICC. This page bundles two common profiles (SWOP v2 and FOGRA39); for shops using a different profile, upload their exact ICC file here.

Q: Can I convert HEX to CMYK?

Yes — HEX is just a string-encoded RGB triplet, so converting HEX to CMYK is a two-step pipeline: HEX → RGB, then RGB → CMYK. The converter on this page accepts HEX with or without the leading hash (e.g. #FF5733 or FF5733) and updates the CMYK values live. Common HEX brand colors like Coca-Cola Red (#F40009), Spotify Green (#1DB954), and Twitter Blue (#1DA1F2) sit outside many four-color press gamuts and can shift visibly when converted — pay attention to the press-preview swatch.

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