HSL to CMYK converter
Enter hue, saturation and lightness and get CMYK values as a starting point for print artwork.
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Processing and privacy: The result is calculated inside your browser and your data is not sent to any server.
How to use it
- Enter hue (h), saturation (s) and lightness (l).
- The result appears straight away and updates as you edit.
- Copy the result, or copy a link that keeps the same values to share it.
How it is calculated
With S and L as fractions: C = (1 - |2L - 1|) × S, X = C × (1 - |(H / 60) mod 2 - 1|), m = L - C / 2; then (R1, G1, B1) is (C, X, 0), (X, C, 0), (0, C, X), (0, X, C), (X, 0, C) or (C, 0, X) by the 60 degree sector of H, and each channel is (value + m) × 255. Then (RGB kept unrounded): K = 1 - max(R/255, G/255, B/255), C = (1 - R/255 - K) / (1 - K), M = (1 - G/255 - K) / (1 - K), Y = (1 - B/255 - K) / (1 - K); pure black gives K = 1 and zero for the rest.
Example
Inputs: Hue (H) = 200 °, Saturation (S) = 50 %, Lightness (L) = 40 %. Result: CMYK code: cmyk(66.7%, 22.2%, 0%, 40%); Cyan (C): 66.7 %; Magenta (M): 22.2 %.
Limits and caveats
- CMYK uses the naive device-independent formula with no ICC profile, so it will not match a specific press, paper or ink.
- Values in the code are rounded to one decimal, so converting back can shift an RGB channel by 1.
- All values are treated as sRGB, the default web color space, not Display P3 or Adobe RGB.
Questions about this tool
Does HSL to CMYK go through RGB?
Yes. HSL becomes unrounded RGB first and then CMYK, so rounding errors do not pile up.
What does 50% lightness mean in HSL?
At 50% the color is at its most vivid for its saturation; moving toward 0% blends it into black and toward 100% into white.
Will these CMYK values match my print shop?
Not necessarily. This is a plain formula that knows nothing about paper or ink; for accurate print, convert in your design app with the ICC profile your printer gives you.