CMYK to RGB Converter

How to use the cmyk to rgb converter

1. Enter the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black) percentages in the four fields.
2. The tool instantly calculates the equivalent RGB values on a 0 to 255 scale.
3. Copy the rgb() string or the HEX code directly into your CSS or design software.
4. Use the HSL row if you prefer hue, saturation and lightness notation.

How the CMYK to RGB formula works

CMYK describes how much ink covers white paper, while RGB describes how much light a screen emits. To turn ink percentages into screen values, each channel is computed by subtracting the ink coverage from full brightness. The standard formula is:

R = 255 x (1 - C/100) x (1 - K/100)

The same pattern applies to green and blue using M and Y respectively. For example, a conversion of C=75, M=0, Y=75, K=0 gives R = 255 x 0.25 x 1 = 63.75, which rounds to 64. G = 255 x 1 x 1 = 255. B = 255 x 0.25 x 1 = 63.75, rounding to 64. The result is rgb(64, 255, 64), a bright green.

Common CMYK to RGB reference values

This table lists frequently used ink mixes and their screen equivalents. You can use these as quick references when you need a quick answer without opening a tool.

Why colors shift between CMYK and RGB

Printers mix cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks on white paper. Screens emit red, green and blue light on a dark background. Because these are fundamentally different physical processes, some colors that look vivid in print cannot be reproduced exactly on a monitor, and vice versa. The gamut of printable inks is narrower than the gamut of emitted light in certain hues, particularly bright cyans and greens.

When you convert print colors to screen colors, the mathematical formula gives the closest sRGB approximation. Professional designers often use ICC color profiles for more precise mapping, but the basic formula this converter uses is the industry standard for quick translations and web work.

Using the converted values in CSS

Once you have the RGB output, you can apply it directly in stylesheets. The rgb() function accepts three integers from 0 to 255: color: rgb(64, 255, 64);. Modern CSS also supports space-separated syntax without commas: rgb(64 255 64).

If you prefer hexadecimal notation, copy the HEX row. For example, #40FF40 is the same green shown above. HEX codes are widely used in design tools like Figma and Sketch. If you need to go the other direction, a dedicated hex to cmyk tool handles that conversion. You can also pair this page with an rgb to hex utility if you only have RGB values and need the hash format.

Edge cases and common mistakes

A frequent error is entering decimal fractions instead of percentages. CMYK values should be between 0 and 100, not 0 and 1. Entering 0.75 for cyan will produce a nearly white result instead of the intended strong cyan. Always double-check that your source file uses percentages before pasting numbers into any converter.

Another issue is rich black versus pure black. Pure black in CMYK is C=0, M=0, Y=0, K=100, which converts to RGB 0, 0, 0. Rich black adds cyan, magenta and yellow ink to create a deeper printed black, but mathematically it still converts to RGB 0, 0, 0 when K is 100 percent because the key channel zeroes out all light. If K is less than 100, the added inks darken the resulting RGB value beyond what K alone would produce.

Worked examples