Hex to CMYK / RGB Converter
Paste a hex color to get its RGB values and an estimated CMYK print mix — handy when prepping brand colors for print.
Enter a hex color like #BF360C.
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Hex, RGB & CMYK FAQ
Need this done for you? We handle Graphic Design for businesses across Buffalo and the Twin Cities.
No — it is a math estimate. True CMYK on press depends on the paper, inks, and color profile, so presses can render the same file differently. For color-critical jobs, ask for a printed proof.
Screens use backlit RGB light; print uses CMYK ink on paper, a smaller color range. Bright blues and greens especially shift. Designing in CMYK and proofing avoids surprises.
Yes. Give us your hex, CMYK, or Pantone (PMS) value and we will match as closely as the process allows, then proof it before the run.
How to convert hex to CMYK & RGB
A hex code is RGB in disguise — each pair of characters is one color channel written in base-16, so hex to RGB is exact math. RGB to CMYK is always an estimate: ink on paper can’t hit everything a backlit screen can, so treat the mix as a starting point and request a printed proof when color is critical.
The converter splits your hex code into three pairs and reads each as a number from 0 to 255 for red, green, and blue (a 3-digit shorthand like #F30 gets each digit doubled first). For CMYK, it scales each channel to a 0–1 value, sets black as K = 1 − the strongest channel, then figures cyan as (1 − red − K) ÷ (1 − K) — same pattern for magenta with green and yellow with blue — and rounds everything to whole percentages. Pure black (#000000) comes out as 0/0/0/100.
Worked example with our own orange, #BF360C: the pairs BF, 36, and 0C convert to RGB 191, 54, 12. Red is the strongest channel (191 ÷ 255 = 0.749), so K = 25%. Running the rest through the formula gives cyan 0%, magenta 72%, yellow 94% — roughly CMYK 0/72/94/25, exactly what the tool reports. Prepping brand colors for print? That’s day-to-day work for our studio in Buffalo.
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