Our free RGB to CMYK converter is online and print-ready. Use built-in settings or upload custom ICC profiles. This professional RGB to CMYK converter provides real-time preview to ensure perfect color conversion.
Drag and drop your image here, or click to select
Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP (Max 50 MB)
Source color space of your input image
Recommended: Relative for most images
Recommended for photographic images to reduce banding
TIFF format provides the best printing results
ICC profiles ensure accurate color reproduction across different printing devices and paper types.
Our RGB to CMYK converter provides professional conversion results. Compare conversion results with different Source RGB Profiles and CMYK ICC Profiles using our free RGB to CMYK converter. Drag the sliders to see before and after effects.
Source RGB Profile comparison example 1
Source RGB Profile comparison example 2
CMYK ICC Profile comparison example 1
CMYK ICC Profile comparison example 2
Using professional RGB to CMYK converter is essential for professional printing because RGB and CMYK are fundamentally different color models designed for different purposes：
Our RGB to CMYK converter ensures accurate color conversion for your print projects.
Core Principle: Additive color model - light is added to create colors
Base Colors: Red, Green, Blue
Primary Use: Digital displays, monitors, TVs, phones, cameras
Color Representation: 0-255 numeric values (0 = off, 255 = maximum)
Color Gamut: Wider range, includes more vibrant colors
Example: (255, 0, 0) = Pure Red | (255, 255, 255) = White
Core Principle: Subtractive color model - ink absorbs light to create colors
Base Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black)
Primary Use: Four-color printing (magazines, brochures, packaging, books)
Color Representation: 0-100% percentages (0% = no ink, 100% = full ink)
Color Gamut: Narrower range, cannot reproduce all screen colors
Example: (100%, 0%, 0%, 0%) = Pure Cyan | (0%, 0%, 0%, 100%) = Black
Theoretically, mixing 100% Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow should produce black. However, in reality, this creates a muddy dark brown. Using a dedicated black ink (Key plate) is more economical, produces cleaner blacks, and prevents registration issues in printing.
| Feature | RGB (Screen) | CMYK (Print) |
|---|---|---|
| Core Principle | Additive - Light addition | Subtractive - Light absorption |
| Base Colors | Red, Green, Blue | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black |
| Starting State | Black (no light) | White (paper) |
| Mixing Effect | Colors get brighter, white at maximum | Colors get darker, black at maximum |
| Primary Use | Digital displays, web, video | Four-color printing, physical media |
| Color Gamut | Wider, more vibrant colors | Narrower, cannot reproduce all screen colors |
A Source RGB Profile (also called Source Color Space) is like a "color dictionary" that defines the color range used when editing images. It precisely defines what each RGB value represents in terms of actual visible colors.
Key Point: The same RGB value (e.g., 255, 0, 0) represents different actual colors in different Source Profiles (sRGB vs Adobe RGB vs ProPhoto RGB).
Learn more about Source RGB ProfilesA CMYK ICC Profile acts as both a "translator" and a "navigation map" in the color conversion process. It precisely describes the color range (gamut) that can be reproduced under specific printing conditions (ink type, paper type, printing press).
Without ICC Profiles: Colors become dull, results are unpredictable, and you lose control over the conversion process.
Learn more about CMYK ICC ProfilesThe conversion process requires both Source RGB Profile and Destination CMYK Profile:RGB Values → (Source RGB Profile) → PCS → (CMYK ICC Profile) → CMYK Values
Electronic screens (RGB) can display a much wider range of colors than printed materials (CMYK). This is a fundamental limitation of the physical printing process.
Key Point: No printing press can reproduce all the vibrant colors you see on an RGB display. The conversion process is essentially a "compromise" - mapping RGB colors that cannot be printed into the CMYK color gamut.
Colors that fall outside the CMYK gamut must be handled through rendering intents and optimization techniques like Black Point Compensation and Dithering.
Rendering intents answer the question: "When a very vibrant color on your screen cannot be printed, what should we do?"
Core Idea: Maintains visual relationships between all colors. Compresses the entire RGB gamut into CMYK gamut proportionally.
Best for: Photographic images, continuous tones, images with many out-of-gamut colors
Core Idea: Accurately reproduces all colors within the target gamut. Clips out-of-gamut colors to the closest reproducible color.
Best for: Logos, graphics, brand colors, charts
Core Idea: Prioritizes color vividness over accuracy. Maps source saturation to target saturation.
Best for: Business charts, presentations (NOT recommended for photos)
Core Idea: Similar to Relative Colorimetric but simulates the target medium's white point (e.g., paper color).
Best for: Soft proofing only (NOT for final output)
Black Point Compensation intelligently remaps the darkest pixels when converting from RGB to CMYK. It maps the source black point (RGB 0,0,0) to the deepest, richest black that the target CMYK space can reproduce, rather than simple numeric mapping.
Why we enable it by default: BPC is recommended in the vast majority of cases. We've built it directly into our conversion engine algorithm, so it's always enabled. This ensures rich blacks, better shadow detail, and improved overall contrast in all conversions.
Dithering is a color conversion technique that prevents color banding by placing different colored micro-dots in adjacent pixels to simulate colors that don't exist in the target color palette. This creates smoother gradients visually.
Without Dithering:
Visible color bands in smooth gradients
With Dithering:
Smooth, natural-looking transitions
Recommendation: Enable for photographic images and continuous gradients. Can be disabled for logos and graphics with large solid color areas.
Learn more about DitheringSource image with RGB pixel values
RGB values interpreted through Source RGB Profile
CIE XYZ or Lab color space
CMYK ICC Profile conversion
Final CMYK values ready for printing
Our free RGB to CMYK converter offers professional-grade color conversion with industry-standard technology. This RGB to CMYK converter is designed for designers, photographers, and print professionals who need accurate color conversion. Try our RGB to CMYK converter today and see the difference.
We use industry-standard color conversion engines and ICC Color Management Engine, the same technology used by Photoshop, GIMP, and Ghostscript. Our conversion results match professional software.
Built-in mainstream Source RGB Profiles and CMYK ICC Profiles. Upload custom ICC profiles from your print provider for precise conversions.
Support for Perceptual, Relative Colorimetric, Saturation, and Absolute Colorimetric rendering intents with results matching professional software.
Black Point Compensation built-in by default. Optional Dithering for smooth gradients. All optimizations applied automatically.
Export as TIFF (recommended for printing), JPEG, or PNG. Professional-grade TIFF files ready for print production.
Preview CMYK files in browser with before/after comparison. Save expensive print proofs. Browser preview matches downloaded file appearance.
All features are free and will remain free. Fast conversions with no delays. No registration or account required.
Your uploaded images are only accessible by you. Files are automatically deleted within 10 minutes or immediately when you download or go back.
We use industry-standard color management algorithms. Our conversion results match professional software like Photoshop, GIMP, and Ghostscript. This is our biggest advantage! Our underlying algorithms are identical to professional software.
Most Source RGB Profiles are available for free download online. We've compiled a collection of free Source RGB Profiles.
Download Source RGB ProfilesYou can visit official websites: ECI, FOGRA, IDEAlliance, and ICC. We've also compiled a detailed collection.
Download CMYK ICC ProfilesBPC is enabled in the vast majority of cases, so we've built it directly into our color conversion engine algorithm. It's enabled by default and cannot be disabled, ensuring optimal results for all users.
All features are currently free and will remain free in the future. We prioritize conversion speed - you won't wait a second longer than necessary. All features are fast and seamless. No registration or account required.
We take user privacy very seriously. All uploaded images can only be downloaded by you. When you click [Download] or [Back to Start], your uploaded and converted files are immediately deleted from the server. If you take no action, all files are automatically and permanently deleted within 10 minutes. No one can access your uploaded or converted files.
An RGB to CMYK converter is a tool that transforms colors from RGB color space (used for digital displays) to CMYK color space (used for printing). Our RGB to CMYK converter uses professional color management technology to ensure accurate color conversion for print production.
Our RGB to CMYK converter uses industry-standard ICC profiles and color management algorithms. Simply upload your RGB image, select your preferred CMYK ICC profile/Source RGB Profile/Rendering Intent/Dithering, and our RGB to CMYK converter will process the conversion with professional accuracy.
Discover more features and guides about using our RGB to CMYK converter. Our RGB to CMYK converter supports various ICC profiles and rendering intents for professional color conversion.
Translate RGB colors to CMYK for professional printing with accurate color translation
Understanding the fundamental differences between RGB and CMYK color models
Complete professional color management workflow from capture to print
Complete professional guide on converting RGB to CMYK for accurate print preparation