How to Use the RGB, CMYK, HSL Color Converter
Whether you're working on web design, print materials, or a UI, you'll often need to express the same color in RGB, CMYK, and HSL formats. Enter R, G, and B values (0-255) and this converter instantly calculates the HEX code, the print-ready CMYK value, and the HSL value commonly used in web design.
RGB is an additive color model that mixes red, green, and blue light, used on monitors, TVs, and phone screens. CMYK, on the other hand, is a subtractive model that mixes cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink, used for printers and printed materials — which is why colors that look vivid on screen can appear duller once printed. HSL expresses color as Hue, Saturation, and Lightness, which is especially useful in CSS when you want to keep a color's hue but adjust only its brightness or intensity.
Use this tool to check CMYK values before sending a design to print, convert a web color code into HSL to build a theme palette, or put together a brand color guide. All three of R, G, and B need to be filled in for the conversion to run.
Frequently Asked Questions
RGB is an additive color model made of light (used for screens), while CMYK is a subtractive model made of ink (used for printing). The two color spaces have different gamuts, so conversions are approximations — bright, saturated colors may look duller when printed.
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is popular in web design and CSS because it lets you adjust colors intuitively. Changing just the Hue value shifts to a different color while keeping the same saturation and lightness.