Color · Converter
CMYK to RGB converter.
Type cyan, magenta, yellow and black percentages and get RGB and hex for screen use. Edit the RGB side and the CMYK follows. Plain screen arithmetic, not a print profile.
Convert both ways
All formats
Enter a color to see every format.
How CMYK to RGB works
The formula
This is the “naively convert from CMYK to RGBA” algorithm in CSS Color 5. With C, M, Y and K as fractions from 0 to 1:
- R = 1 − min(1, C × (1 − K) + K)
- G = 1 − min(1, M × (1 − K) + K)
- B = 1 − min(1, Y × (1 − K) + K)
- Multiply by 255 and round to the nearest whole number (halves round up).
Worked example, cmyk(0%, 66%, 80%, 0%): K = 0, so R = 1 − 0 = 1.000 (255), G = 1 − 0.66 = 0.340 (86.7, which is 87) and B = 1 − 0.80 = 0.200 (51). That is rgb(255, 87, 51) or #FF5733.
Rounding note: for cmyk(0%, 81%, 81%, 30%) the red channel is 0.7 × 255 = 178.5, which this tool rounds up to 179; the CSS Color 5 text lists the equivalent firebrick as rgb(178, 34, 34). The difference is rounding of an exact half.
Read this before you print anything. CMYK here is the simple screen-to-ink arithmetic from the CSS Color 5 specification. It knows nothing about real inks, paper, dot gain or an ICC profile, which the specification itself calls “necessarily approximate”. Any workflow using a profile such as FOGRA39 or SWOP will give different numbers for the same color. Use this for quick web, spreadsheet and mock-up work, and use your print vendor’s profile for production.
Sources
- CSS Color Module Level 5, section "Naively Converting Between Uncalibrated CMYK and sRGB-Based Color" (retrieved October 16, 2026).
- CSS Color Module Level 4, W3C Candidate Recommendation Draft (retrieved October 16, 2026).
Cite this page: TNAADO Tools, “CMYK to RGB Converter,” tools.tnaado.ca/color/cmyk-to-rgb/, formulas from the W3C CSS Color specifications, retrieved October 16, 2026.
20 common colors
Click Use to load a row into the converter. The names are CSS color names; CMYK is the simple screen formula described above.
| Color | HEX | RGB | HSL | CMYK | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| black | #000000 | rgb(0, 0, 0) | hsl(0, 0%, 0%) | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 100%) | |
| white | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) | hsl(0, 0%, 100%) | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 0%) | |
| red | #FF0000 | rgb(255, 0, 0) | hsl(0, 100%, 50%) | cmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 0%) | |
| lime | #00FF00 | rgb(0, 255, 0) | hsl(120, 100%, 50%) | cmyk(100%, 0%, 100%, 0%) | |
| blue | #0000FF | rgb(0, 0, 255) | hsl(240, 100%, 50%) | cmyk(100%, 100%, 0%, 0%) | |
| yellow | #FFFF00 | rgb(255, 255, 0) | hsl(60, 100%, 50%) | cmyk(0%, 0%, 100%, 0%) | |
| cyan | #00FFFF | rgb(0, 255, 255) | hsl(180, 100%, 50%) | cmyk(100%, 0%, 0%, 0%) | |
| magenta | #FF00FF | rgb(255, 0, 255) | hsl(300, 100%, 50%) | cmyk(0%, 100%, 0%, 0%) | |
| gray | #808080 | rgb(128, 128, 128) | hsl(0, 0%, 50%) | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 50%) | |
| silver | #C0C0C0 | rgb(192, 192, 192) | hsl(0, 0%, 75%) | cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 25%) | |
| maroon | #800000 | rgb(128, 0, 0) | hsl(0, 100%, 25%) | cmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 50%) | |
| olive | #808000 | rgb(128, 128, 0) | hsl(60, 100%, 25%) | cmyk(0%, 0%, 100%, 50%) | |
| green | #008000 | rgb(0, 128, 0) | hsl(120, 100%, 25%) | cmyk(100%, 0%, 100%, 50%) | |
| purple | #800080 | rgb(128, 0, 128) | hsl(300, 100%, 25%) | cmyk(0%, 100%, 0%, 50%) | |
| teal | #008080 | rgb(0, 128, 128) | hsl(180, 100%, 25%) | cmyk(100%, 0%, 0%, 50%) | |
| navy | #000080 | rgb(0, 0, 128) | hsl(240, 100%, 25%) | cmyk(100%, 100%, 0%, 50%) | |
| orange | #FFA500 | rgb(255, 165, 0) | hsl(39, 100%, 50%) | cmyk(0%, 35%, 100%, 0%) | |
| pink | #FFC0CB | rgb(255, 192, 203) | hsl(350, 100%, 88%) | cmyk(0%, 25%, 20%, 0%) | |
| brown | #A52A2A | rgb(165, 42, 42) | hsl(0, 59%, 41%) | cmyk(0%, 75%, 75%, 35%) | |
| gold | #FFD700 | rgb(255, 215, 0) | hsl(51, 100%, 50%) | cmyk(0%, 16%, 100%, 0%) |
CMYK to RGB FAQ
How do I convert CMYK to RGB?
For each of red, green and blue compute 1 − min(1, ink × (1 − K) + K) with the percentages as fractions, then scale by 255. cmyk(0%, 66%, 80%, 0%) is rgb(255, 87, 51), which is #FF5733 in hex.
Why does the result look different from my print proof?
This formula has no knowledge of inks, paper or dot gain. The CSS Color 5 specification itself calls it necessarily approximate. A proof made with an ICC profile such as FOGRA39 or SWOP will look different on a calibrated screen.
What do the four CMYK values mean?
Cyan, magenta and yellow are the three process inks and K (key) is black. Each is a percentage from 0 to 100. 0, 0, 0, 0 is paper white and 0, 0, 0, 100 is black.
Can I convert CMYK straight to hex?
Yes. The result panel shows the hex code alongside RGB, HSL and the nearest named color if there is one.
Why is 100% of every ink black?
With K at 100% the formula returns black regardless of the other inks, because there is no light left to reflect.
Is anything I type sent to a server?
No. The conversion runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded or stored.
What this does, and what it does not
This converts between the screen color model (sRGB) and a simple CMYK approximation. It is not a color-managed print conversion, so do not use it to sign off print colors. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.