CMYK REFERENCE CHART
Printable CMYK Color Chart
PRINT COLOR RESOURCE
CMYK Color Toolkit
Convert HEX and RGB colors to estimated CMYK values, check total ink coverage, compare black builds, and flag common print-production issues.
Enter a color
Estimated print values
CMYK COLOR CHART
Interactive Process Color Chart
Explore systematic CMYK combinations based on the printable chart reference. Hover or tap a swatch to inspect its C/M/Y/K recipe and total ink coverage; click a swatch to load it into the calculator above.
On-screen swatches are RGB simulations of CMYK recipes. For production color, use the ICC profile and proofing method specified by your printer.
BLACK BUILDS
Black & Rich Black Reference
Rich-black recipes vary by printer and printing condition. Confirm the preferred build with your print provider, especially for packaging, coated stocks, large solids, and color-managed workflows.
INK MIX
CMYK Mixing Playground
Adjust each process ink independently and see the estimated composite color, total ink coverage, and relative plate contribution update live.
COLOR LIBRARY
Useful CMYK Swatches
Click any swatch to load it into the main calculator. These are generic process-color examples, useful as starting points rather than color-critical production standards.
PREPRESS CHECK
Quick CMYK Production Checks
Prefer a single black plate where appropriate instead of a four-color black build, which can reveal registration errors.
A printer-approved rich black can look deeper than 100K alone, but excessive TAC should be avoided.
Some saturated RGB colors cannot be reproduced in ordinary CMYK. Expect gamut compression or a visible color shift.
Excess magenta can shift CMYK blues toward purple or violet. For cleaner blues, keep cyan dominant and, as a starting point, keep magenta about 30 percentage points below the cyan level. Use black to deepen the color and yellow sparingly to fine-tune the hue. Convert all RGB colors to CMYK to help avoid unexpected color shifts.
Use the ICC profile specified by your printer whenever color accuracy matters. Generic conversions are estimates only.
Uncoated, coated, recycled, and colored stocks can produce very different results from the same nominal CMYK values.
For brand colors, skin tones, packaging, or large press runs, use an appropriate contract or press proof.
