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Info about CMYK Colors

CMYK color profile

Short description

The CMYK color profile is the applicable color model when it comes to four-color printing. It constructs all colors from the combination of the primary colors cyan, magenta, yellow (yellows), and from the black component called key or key color. It uses the value from 0 to 100 in each case, indicating the intensity of each color. In the CMYK color model, the more color used, the darker the overall color.

There are always four color values strung together. As a result, there are over 4 trillion CMYK colors, but not all of them can be represented, since monitors and even printers cannot accurately reproduce all gradations.

Use

The CMYK color system is one of the most common systems for printing. That is why it is used for image or photo processing to produce printed products.

It can be found in most image editing programs and should be selected as the default color system when working with printers. This is the only way to obtain the most accurate and consistent printing results possible.

Worth knowing

If the colors cyan, magenta and yellow are mixed, this does not lead to black in the 100% color application, but to a gray-brown. This is due to the pigments of the three printing inks, which cannot be mixed to form a deep black. In CMYK printing, the individual colors are applied one after the other. The key color is applied first, followed by magenta, then cyan, and finally yellow.

The saturation values for the individual colors are given in percent with values between 0 and 100. 0 percent corresponds to an unprinted area, 100 percent forms the solid area. Even though there are more CMYK color gradations, the RGB color space is larger than the CMYK color space. As a result, in many cases RGB colors cannot be transferred 1:1 into the CMYK print profile. This can lead to unintentional color deviations. If you want to maintain an authentic and defined driving profile when creating the print file up to the print itself, the print data must already be created in CMYK. One can also transform the data during export. Various image processing programs offer the transformation in one step. Converting too early can lead to the loss of color information. Especially in the case of bright colors, it is the case that these are lost in the conversion process, since they are not included in the CMYK palette. This effect is countered by using spot colors such as Pantone or HKS.

Examples

White CMYK code
CMYK 0 / 0 / 0

Blue CMYK code
CMYK 100 / 100 / 0 / 0

Red CMYK code
CMYK 0 / 100 / 100 / 0

Green CMYK code
CMYK 100 / 0 / 100 / 0

Gray CMYK code
CMYK 0 / 0 / 0 / 50

Yellow CMYK code
CMYK 0 / 0 / 100 / 0

Note

Colors are displayed differently on each device. Please note that the colors do not always match 100%. Differences can occur when real colors are processed. We recommend a comparison of the real colors. We do not assume any liability.

Display options

CMYK-Color chart

Not all CMYK colors are displayed here.

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Colors

RGB to HEX

convert from RGB red green blue to #RRGGBB

RGB to CMYK

convert from RGB red green blue to CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black

Icons

RGB to RAL®

convert from RGB red green blue to RAL®-number (RAL 0000)

RGB to HKS®

convert from RGB red green blue to HKS®-number (HKS 00)

RGB to PANTONE®

convert from RGB red green blue to Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000)

RGB to Sherwin Williams®

convert from RGB red green blue to Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000)

RGB to NCS®

convert from RGB red green blue to NCS-number (S0000-X00X)

nsc-logo

RGBA to HEX

convert from RGBA red green blue transparency to #RRGGBB

RGBA to CMYK

convert from RGBA red green blue transparency to CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black

Icons

RGBA to RAL®

convert from RGBA red green blue transparency to RAL®-number (RAL 0000)

RGBA to HKS®

convert from RGBA red green blue transparency to HKS®-number (HKS 00)

RGBA to PANTONE®

convert from RGBA red green blue transparency to Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000)

RGBA to Sherwin Williams®

convert from RGBA red green blue transparency to Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000)

RGBA to NCS®

convert from RGBA red green blue transparency to NCS-number (S0000-X00X)

nsc-logo

CMYK to HEX

convert from CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black to #RRGGBB

CMYK to RGB

convert from CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black to RGB red green blue

CMYK to RGBA

convert from CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black to RGBA red green blue transparency

CMYK to RAL®

convert from CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black to RAL®-number (RAL 0000)

CMYK to HKS®

convert from CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black to HKS®-number (HKS 00)

CMYK to PANTONE®

convert from CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black to Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000)

CMYK to Sherwin Williams®

convert from CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black to Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000)

CMYK to NCS®

convert from CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black to NCS-number (S0000-X00X)

nsc-logo

HEX to RGB

convert from #RRGGBB to RGB red green blue

HEX to RGBA

convert from #RRGGBB to RGBA red green blue transparency

HEX to CMYK

convert from #RRGGBB to CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black

Icons

HEX to RAL®

convert from #RRGGBB to RAL®-number (RAL 0000)

HEX to HKS®

convert from #RRGGBB to HKS®-number (HKS 00)

HEX to PANTONE®

convert from #RRGGBB to Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000)

HEX to Sherwin Williams®

convert from #RRGGBB to Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000)

HEX to NCS®

convert from #RRGGBB to NCS-number (S0000-X00X)

nsc-logo

RAL® to RGB

convert from RAL®-number (RAL 0000) to RGB red green blue

RAL® to RGBA

convert from RAL®-number (RAL 0000) to RGBA red green blue transparency

RAL® to CMYK

convert from RAL®-number (RAL 0000) to CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black

Icons

RAL® to HEX

convert from RAL®-number (RAL 0000) to #RRGGBB

RAL® to HKS®

convert from RAL®-number (RAL 0000) to HKS®-number (HKS 00)

RAL® to PANTONE®

convert from RAL®-number (RAL 0000) to Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000)

RAL® to Sherwin Williams®

convert from RAL®-number (RAL 0000) to Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000)

RAL® to NCS®

convert from RAL®-number (RAL 0000) to NCS-number (S0000-X00X)

nsc-logo

HKS® to RGB

convert from HKS®-number (HKS 00) to RGB red green blue

HKS® to RGBA

convert from HKS®-number (HKS 00) to RGBA red green blue transparency

HKS® to CMYK

convert from HKS®-number (HKS 00) to CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black

Icons

HKS® to HEX

convert from HKS®-number (HKS 00) to #RRGGBB

HKS® to RAL®

convert from HKS®-number (HKS 00) to RAL®-number (RAL 0000)

HKS® to PANTONE®

convert from HKS®-number (HKS 00) to Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000)

HKS® to Sherwin Williams®

convert from HKS®-number (HKS 00) to Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000)

HKS® to NCS®

convert from HKS®-number (HKS 00) to NCS-number (S0000-X00X)

nsc-logo

PANTONE® to RGB

convert from Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000) to RGB red green blue

PANTONE® to RGBA

convert from Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000) to RGBA red green blue transparency

PANTONE® to CMYK

convert from Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000) to CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black

Icons

PANTONE® to HEX

convert from Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000) to #RRGGBB

PANTONE® to RAL®

convert from Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000) to RAL®-number (RAL 0000)

PANTONE® to HKS®

convert from Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000) to HKS®-number (HKS 00)

PANTONE® to Sherwin Williams®

convert from Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000) to Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000)

PANTONE® to NCS®

convert from Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000) to NCS-number (S0000-X00X)

nsc-logo

Sherwin Williams® to RGB

convert from Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000) to RGB red green blue

Sherwin Williams® to RGBA

convert from Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000) to RGBA red green blue transparency

Sherwin Williams® to CMYK

convert from Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000) to CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black

Icons

Sherwin Williams® to HEX

convert from Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000) to #RRGGBB

Sherwin Williams® to RAL®

convert from Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000) to RAL®-number (RAL 0000)

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