CMYK Colour Model — Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black)

CMYK is the subtractive colour model used in all commercial printing, offset presses and packaging production. Learn how CMYK works, compare it with RGB and use the interactive mixer to preview CMYK values with instant HEX output.

Interactive CMYK Mixer

Adjust the four sliders (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) from 0% to 100%. The live preview shows the approximate on-screen rendering with its HEX equivalent.

C 0%
M 17%
Y 62%
K 21%
#C9A84C
CMYK0%, 17%, 62%, 21%
HEX#C9A84C
RGBrgb(201, 168, 76)

What is the CMYK Colour Model?

CMYK is a subtractive colour model used in colour printing. Unlike the additive RGB model where light is combined, CMYK works by subtracting brightness from white. When Cyan, Magenta and Yellow inks are applied to white paper, each absorbs certain wavelengths of light and reflects the rest. Overlaying all three theoretically produces black, but in practice yields a muddy dark brown — hence a separate black (Key) ink is used for true blacks, sharper text and to reduce ink consumption.

The four-colour printing process (also called "process colour" or "full colour") is the foundation of virtually all commercial printing: offset lithography, digital presses, large-format inkjet printing and packaging production. In India, CMYK printing is the standard for business cards, brochures, magazines, newspapers, labels and packaging across the publishing and manufacturing industries.

CMYK values are expressed as percentages from 0% to 100% for each channel. For example, CMYK(0, 100, 100, 0) is a vivid red, while CMYK(100, 0, 0, 0) is pure cyan. The key insight for designers is that the CMYK colour gamut is narrower than RGB — some vibrant screen colours (particularly bright greens, electric blues and neon shades) cannot be faithfully reproduced in CMYK print. Always preview your designs in CMYK mode before sending to the printer.

RGB vs CMYK Comparison

Understanding when to use each colour model is essential for designers working across screen and print.

RGB (Screen)

  • Additive colour model (light-based)
  • Three channels: Red, Green, Blue
  • Full intensity = White
  • Used for: monitors, phones, TVs, web
  • Wider colour gamut
  • 16.7 million colours (24-bit)

CMYK (Print)

  • Subtractive colour model (ink-based)
  • Four channels: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key
  • Full intensity = Black (near-black)
  • Used for: printing, packaging, publishing
  • Narrower colour gamut
  • Dependent on paper and ink quality

Common CMYK Values

A reference table of 20 standard colours with their CMYK percentages and approximate HEX equivalents.

SwatchNameCMYKHEX
Black 0% 0% 0% 100% #000000
White 0% 0% 0% 0% #FFFFFF
Pure Red 0% 100% 100% 0% #FF0000
Pure Green 100% 0% 100% 0% #00FF00
Pure Blue 100% 100% 0% 0% #0000FF
Pure Yellow 0% 0% 100% 0% #FFFF00
Cyan 100% 0% 0% 0% #00FFFF
Magenta 0% 100% 0% 0% #FF00FF
Orange 0% 35% 100% 0% #FFA500
Navy 100% 100% 0% 50% #000080
Olive 0% 0% 100% 50% #808000
Teal 100% 0% 0% 50% #008080
Maroon 0% 100% 100% 50% #800000
Purple 0% 100% 0% 50% #800080
Silver 0% 0% 0% 25% #C0C0C0
Gray 0% 0% 0% 50% #808080
Coral 0% 50% 69% 0% #FF7F50
Gold 0% 16% 100% 0% #FFD700
Tomato 0% 61% 72% 0% #FF6347
SteelBlue 61% 28% 0% 29% #4682B4

Related Colour References

Explore other colour systems and conversion tools on Color.Codes.in.

RGB Reference HEX Colours Pantone Chart RAL Colours NCS Index

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CMYK colour model?▼
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black). It is a subtractive colour model used in colour printing. Inks absorb (subtract) light from white paper — overlapping C, M and Y at full density theoretically produces black, but in practice a separate black (K) ink is added for richer darks and to save colour ink.
Why is black called Key (K) in CMYK?▼
The K stands for "Key" because the black printing plate is the key plate that carries the most visual detail and to which the other three colour plates are aligned. Using "K" also avoids confusion with "B" for Blue in RGB.
How does CMYK differ from RGB?▼
RGB is additive (light-based) and used for screens — mixing all three at full intensity makes white. CMYK is subtractive (ink-based) and used for printing — mixing all inks absorbs light and produces near-black. The two models have different colour gamuts, meaning some RGB colours cannot be reproduced in CMYK and vice versa.
How do I convert CMYK to HEX?▼
Use the formula: R = 255 x (1-C/100) x (1-K/100), G = 255 x (1-M/100) x (1-K/100), B = 255 x (1-Y/100) x (1-K/100), then convert RGB to HEX. Our interactive slider above performs this conversion instantly.
When should I use CMYK instead of RGB?▼
Use CMYK for anything that will be printed: business cards, brochures, packaging, posters, magazines, books and offset printing. Use RGB for anything displayed on a screen. Always convert your design from RGB to CMYK before sending files to a print shop to avoid unexpected colour shifts.