CMYK color profile
Short description
The CMYK color model (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is the standard color space for professional four-color printing. It describes how colors are created by mixing printing inks on physical material - usually paper. In contrast to RGB, which adds light colors, CMYK works subtractively: the more color is applied, the less light is reflected - and the darker the result appears.
Each of the four colors can have a value between 0% and 100%. A high percentage value stands for high color coverage in the print. By combining these values, several trillion CMYK color tones can be generated - however, the displayable color gamut is lower than that of RGB, which is why conversions can lead to visible color deviations.
Use
The CMYK color system is the industry standard in printing - from magazines, catalogs and packaging to corporate designs. Every professional print shop works with CMYK color profiles (e.g. ISO Coated v2, FOGRA39) to ensure consistent and accurate color results. Designers should therefore convert their RGB or HEX colors to CMYK before approving them for printing in order to minimize colour deviations.
In digital design programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Affinity Designer, the CMYK color space can be selected directly as a working profile. This allows printing colors to be simulated exactly and checked visually at an early stage.Tips for designers & agencies
When converting screen colors (RGB/HEX) to CMYK, note that particularly bright blue, green and neon tones appear duller in print. A soft proof preview helps to assess the color appearance. For corporate designs, use CMYK color values from verified brand guidelines or Pantone references to achieve consistent print results.
When working with qConv, you can convert any digital color to exact CMYK values in seconds, compare color deviations and even generate matching alternative palettes.DIC Color System
Short Description
The DIC Color System (Dainippon Ink and Chemicals) is a Japanese industrial standard for printing, coatings, and plastics. It was developed to ensure precise and globally reproducible color matching for printing, packaging, product design, and industrial applications. With over 1,200 defined shades, the DIC system offers exceptional diversity tailored to the needs of modern design and manufacturing.
Each color in the DIC system is uniquely numbered (e.g., DIC-156 or DIC-N867) and based on standardized pigment formulations. This guarantees that the same color can be reproduced exactly, regardless of the production site. Functionally similar to the Pantone® system, DIC is primarily used in the Asian market and by international brands with production facilities in Japan.
Usage
The DIC Color System is the leading standard in the Japanese graphic and packaging printing industry. It is used by printers, design agencies, product developers, and brand manufacturers to ensure consistent colors across materials—from paper and cardboard to plastics and textiles. Due to its close ties to industrial production, DIC is also widely applied in automotive coatings, plastic finishing, and product branding.
For digital workflows, DIC colors can be integrated into design software such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and converted to other systems (e.g., Pantone®, RAL, or NCS) using tools like qConv. This allows global color standards to be efficiently compared and harmonized.
Tips for Designers & Agencies
If you design for the Asian market or work with Japanese brands, familiarity with the DIC system is essential. It provides precisely defined colors optimized for regional production processes and printing methods. In global projects, make sure to convert DIC values early into international systems to avoid color deviations across production sites.
With qConv, you can directly compare and convert DIC shades and create color palettes for international brand guidelines. This ensures consistent and professional color communication across countries and printing standards.
Popular conversions
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
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)
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
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)
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)
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
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)
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
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)
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
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)
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
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)
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
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)
Sherwin Williams® to HKS®
convert from Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000) to HKS®-number (HKS 00)
Sherwin Williams® to PANTONE®
convert from Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000) to Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000)
Sherwin Williams® to NCS®
convert from Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000) to NCS-number (S0000-X00X)
NCS® to RGB
convert from NCS-number (S0000-X00X) to RGB red green blue
NCS® to RGBA
convert from NCS-number (S0000-X00X) to RGBA red green blue transparency
NCS® to CMYK
convert from NCS-number (S0000-X00X) to CMYK cyan / magenta / yellow / black
NCS® to HEX
convert from NCS-number (S0000-X00X) to #RRGGBB
NCS® to RAL®
convert from NCS-number (S0000-X00X) to RAL®-number (RAL 0000)
NCS® to HKS®
convert from NCS-number (S0000-X00X) to HKS®-number (HKS 00)
NCS® to PANTONE®
convert from NCS-number (S0000-X00X) to Pantone®-number (Pantone 0000)
NCS® to Sherwin Williams®
convert from NCS-number (S0000-X00X) to Sherwin Williams®-number (SW 0000)