CMYK to HSL Converter
CMYK in, HSL out — with the working shown.
To convert CMYK to HSL, normalise the input, convert CMYK back to RGB, find max, min and delta, compute the components, then check the gamut. For example, cmyk(81% 47.8% 0% 3.1%) in CMYK is hsl(215.4 92.6% 57.6%) in HSL.
This is a free CMYK to HSL converter. Type or paste any cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black) ink percentages into the field above and the HSL value updates as you type, along with every other notation the web understands. HSL is a cylindrical remapping of RGB into hue (0–360°), saturation (0–100%) and lightness (0–100%).
Conversions run entirely in your browser using the same color engine as the rest of the site: values round-trip through linear sRGB and CIE XYZ rather than through an approximation, so what you copy is accurate to the last digit the format can carry.
How to convert CMYK to HSL
- Normalise the input. Read the CMYK value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects.
- Convert CMYK back to RGB. CMYK is not the display's native model, so the first move is always back to red, green and blue.
- Find max, min and delta. Take the largest and smallest of the three channels. Their difference drives saturation; which one is largest determines the hue sector.
- Compute the components. Lightness is (max + min) / 2, saturation is delta scaled by how close lightness is to the middle, and hue comes from the dominant channel.
- Check the gamut. Clamp anything that falls outside what an sRGB display can show, so the value you copy is the value you get.
Worked example: cmyk(81% 47.8% 0% 3.1%) converts to hsl(215.4 92.6% 57.6%). That color is Dodger Blue, and the tool above shows each intermediate step for whatever value you enter.
Common CMYK to HSL values
The twenty colors people look up most often, converted from CMYK to HSL. Every row is computed by the same engine as the tool above.
| Color | CMYK | HSL |
|---|---|---|
| White | cmyk(0% 0% 0% 0%) | hsl(0 0% 100%) |
| Black | cmyk(0% 0% 0% 100%) | hsl(0 0% 0%) |
| Red | cmyk(0% 100% 100% 0%) | hsl(0 100% 50%) |
| Lime | cmyk(100% 0% 100% 0%) | hsl(120 100% 50%) |
| Blue | cmyk(100% 100% 0% 0%) | hsl(240 100% 50%) |
| Yellow | cmyk(0% 0% 100% 0%) | hsl(60 100% 50%) |
| Cyan | cmyk(100% 0% 0% 0%) | hsl(180 100% 50%) |
| Magenta | cmyk(0% 100% 0% 0%) | hsl(300 100% 50%) |
| Silver | cmyk(0% 0% 0% 24.7%) | hsl(0 0% 75.3%) |
| Gray | cmyk(0% 0% 0% 49.8%) | hsl(0 0% 50.2%) |
| Maroon | cmyk(0% 100% 100% 49.8%) | hsl(0 100% 25.1%) |
| Olive | cmyk(0% 0% 100% 49.8%) | hsl(60 100% 25.1%) |
| Green | cmyk(100% 0% 100% 49.8%) | hsl(120 100% 25.1%) |
| Purple | cmyk(0% 100% 0% 49.8%) | hsl(300 100% 25.1%) |
| Teal | cmyk(100% 0% 0% 49.8%) | hsl(180 100% 25.1%) |
| Navy | cmyk(100% 100% 0% 49.8%) | hsl(240 100% 25.1%) |
| Orange | cmyk(0% 35.3% 100% 0%) | hsl(38.8 100% 50%) |
| Pink | cmyk(0% 24.7% 20.4% 0%) | hsl(349.5 100% 87.6%) |
| Gold | cmyk(0% 15.7% 100% 0%) | hsl(50.6 100% 50%) |
| Crimson | cmyk(0% 90.9% 72.7% 13.7%) | hsl(348 83.3% 47.1%) |
CMYK and HSL, briefly
CMYK is four subtractive ink percentages used for print. Valid range: 0–100% per plate.
HSL is a cylindrical remapping of RGB into hue (0–360°), saturation (0–100%) and lightness (0–100%). Valid range: H 0–360°, S and L 0–100%.
A note on CMYK: these values come from the standard naive formula with no ICC profile attached. They are indicative and useful for a mockup. For anything going on a press, get a printed proof on the actual stock — no formula substitutes for that.
Frequently asked questions
How do you convert CMYK to HSL?
1. Read the CMYK value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects. 2. CMYK is not the display's native model, so the first move is always back to red, green and blue. 3. Take the largest and smallest of the three channels. Their difference drives saturation; which one is largest determines the hue sector. 4. Lightness is (max + min) / 2, saturation is delta scaled by how close lightness is to the middle, and hue comes from the dominant channel. 5. Clamp anything that falls outside what an sRGB display can show, so the value you copy is the value you get. The converter on this page does all of it as you type, and shows the working underneath.
What is cmyk(0% 100% 100% 0%) in HSL?
Pure red, cmyk(0% 100% 100% 0%), is hsl(0 100% 50%) in HSL. There is a table of twenty common colors converted to HSL further up this page.
What is cmyk(81% 47.8% 0% 3.1%) in HSL?
cmyk(81% 47.8% 0% 3.1%) converts to hsl(215.4 92.6% 57.6%). It is a dodger blue, and you can paste any other value into the field at the top of the page to convert it.
Is CMYK to HSL conversion lossless?
No. CMYK describes ink on paper and has no meaning without an ICC profile for a specific press, paper and ink set. The values here use the standard naive formula, which is fine for a mockup and should not be sent to a printer as-is — get a proof instead.
Can I use HSL directly in CSS?
Yes. hsl(215.4 92.6% 57.6%) is valid CSS and works in every current browser.
Does this CMYK to HSL converter support transparency?
Alpha is preserved wherever the target notation can carry it — eight-digit hex, rgb() / a, hsl() / a and the modern CSS spaces all round-trip an alpha channel. CMYK has no alpha, so it is dropped there.
Is my color data sent anywhere?
No. Every conversion on this site runs in your browser with no network request, no account and no analytics. You can disconnect and it keeps working.