Converting CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) to RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is a common conversion in graphic design and printing because CMYK is used for print processes, and RGB is used for digital displays.
CMYK to RGB Conversion Formula:
To convert CMYK to RGB, you can use the following formulas:
Convert CMYK values to decimals (if they are in percentages):
C (Cyan), M (Magenta), Y (Yellow), and K (Key/Black) values need to be divided by 100 if they are given as percentages (e.g., 50% becomes 0.5).
C = Cyan / 100
M = Magenta / 100
Y = Yellow / 100
K = Key (Black) / 100
Apply the conversion formulas:
R = 255 × (1 - C) × (1 - K)
G = 255 × (1 - M) × (1 - K)
B = 255 × (1 - Y) × (1 - K)
Round the results to get the final RGB values (0-255).
Example Conversions:
1. CMYK(0%, 100%, 100%, 0%)
CMYK: (0%, 100%, 100%, 0%)
C = 0.0, M = 1.0, Y = 1.0, K = 0.0
Convert to RGB:
R = 255 × (1 - 0.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 255
G = 255 × (1 - 1.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 0
B = 255 × (1 - 1.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 0
RGB = (255, 0, 0) — This is pure red.
2. CMYK(60%, 40%, 0%, 20%)
CMYK: (60%, 40%, 0%, 20%)
C = 0.6, M = 0.4, Y = 0.0, K = 0.2
Convert to RGB:
R = 255 × (1 - 0.6) × (1 - 0.2) = 255 × 0.4 × 0.8 = 81.6 ≈ 82
G = 255 × (1 - 0.4) × (1 - 0.2) = 255 × 0.6 × 0.8 = 122.4 ≈ 122
B = 255 × (1 - 0.0) × (1 - 0.2) = 255 × 1.0 × 0.8 = 204
RGB = (82, 122, 204)
3. CMYK(100%, 0%, 0%, 0%)
CMYK: (100%, 0%, 0%, 0%)
C = 1.0, M = 0.0, Y = 0.0, K = 0.0
Convert to RGB:
R = 255 × (1 - 1.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 0
G = 255 × (1 - 0.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 255
B = 255 × (1 - 0.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 255
RGB = (0, 255, 255) — This is cyan.
4. CMYK(0%, 0%, 100%, 0%)
CMYK: (0%, 0%, 100%, 0%)
C = 0.0, M = 0.0, Y = 1.0, K = 0.0
Convert to RGB:
R = 255 × (1 - 0.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 255
G = 255 × (1 - 0.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 255
B = 255 × (1 - 1.0) × (1 - 0.0) = 0
RGB = (255, 255, 0) — This is pure yellow.
CMYK to RGB Conversion Tools:
If you'd prefer not to do the conversion manually, you can use an online converter:
CMYK to RGB Conversion Tool by RapidTables — A simple tool to convert CMYK values to RGB.
ColorHexa CMYK to RGB — Convert CMYK to RGB and explore other color conversions.
RGB Color Codes — A user-friendly tool for converting CMYK to RGB.
Summary:
To convert CMYK to RGB, you can use the formulas:
R = 255 × (1 - C) × (1 - K)
G = 255 × (1 - M) × (1 - K)
B = 255 × (1 - Y) × (1 - K)
The process involves converting percentages to decimals and applying the formula to get the final RGB values.
Use online tools for convenience if you'd like to skip the math.