HSB to CMYK Converter
HSB (HSV) in, CMYK out — with the working shown.
To convert HSB to CMYK, normalise the input, convert HSB back to RGB, find the key plate, solve the other three plates, then check the gamut. For example, hsb(215.4 81% 96.9%) in HSB is cmyk(81% 47.8% 0% 3.1%) in CMYK.
This is a free HSB to CMYK converter. Type or paste any hue, saturation and brightness into the field above and the CMYK value updates as you type, along with every other notation the web understands. CMYK is four subtractive ink percentages used for print.
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 HSB to CMYK
- Normalise the input. Read the HSB value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects.
- Convert HSB back to RGB. HSB is not the display's native model, so the first move is always back to red, green and blue.
- Find the key plate. K is 1 minus the largest of the three channels — the amount of black ink doing the heavy lifting.
- Solve the other three plates. Each of C, M and Y is (1 − channel − K) / (1 − K), then multiplied by 100 for a percentage.
- 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: hsb(215.4 81% 96.9%) converts to cmyk(81% 47.8% 0% 3.1%). That color is Dodger Blue, and the tool above shows each intermediate step for whatever value you enter.
Common HSB to CMYK values
The twenty colors people look up most often, converted from HSB to CMYK. Every row is computed by the same engine as the tool above.
| Color | HSB | CMYK |
|---|---|---|
| White | hsb(0 0% 100%) | cmyk(0% 0% 0% 0%) |
| Black | hsb(0 0% 0%) | cmyk(0% 0% 0% 100%) |
| Red | hsb(0 100% 100%) | cmyk(0% 100% 100% 0%) |
| Lime | hsb(120 100% 100%) | cmyk(100% 0% 100% 0%) |
| Blue | hsb(240 100% 100%) | cmyk(100% 100% 0% 0%) |
| Yellow | hsb(60 100% 100%) | cmyk(0% 0% 100% 0%) |
| Cyan | hsb(180 100% 100%) | cmyk(100% 0% 0% 0%) |
| Magenta | hsb(300 100% 100%) | cmyk(0% 100% 0% 0%) |
| Silver | hsb(0 0% 75.3%) | cmyk(0% 0% 0% 24.7%) |
| Gray | hsb(0 0% 50.2%) | cmyk(0% 0% 0% 49.8%) |
| Maroon | hsb(0 100% 50.2%) | cmyk(0% 100% 100% 49.8%) |
| Olive | hsb(60 100% 50.2%) | cmyk(0% 0% 100% 49.8%) |
| Green | hsb(120 100% 50.2%) | cmyk(100% 0% 100% 49.8%) |
| Purple | hsb(300 100% 50.2%) | cmyk(0% 100% 0% 49.8%) |
| Teal | hsb(180 100% 50.2%) | cmyk(100% 0% 0% 49.8%) |
| Navy | hsb(240 100% 50.2%) | cmyk(100% 100% 0% 49.8%) |
| Orange | hsb(38.8 100% 100%) | cmyk(0% 35.3% 100% 0%) |
| Pink | hsb(349.5 24.7% 100%) | cmyk(0% 24.7% 20.4% 0%) |
| Gold | hsb(50.6 100% 100%) | cmyk(0% 15.7% 100% 0%) |
| Crimson | hsb(348 90.9% 86.3%) | cmyk(0% 90.9% 72.7% 13.7%) |
HSB and CMYK, briefly
HSB is hue, saturation and brightness — the model most native color pickers use internally, also written HSV. Valid range: H 0–360°, S and B 0–100%.
CMYK is four subtractive ink percentages used for print. Valid range: 0–100% per plate.
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 HSB to CMYK?
1. Read the HSB value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects. 2. HSB is not the display's native model, so the first move is always back to red, green and blue. 3. K is 1 minus the largest of the three channels — the amount of black ink doing the heavy lifting. 4. Each of C, M and Y is (1 − channel − K) / (1 − K), then multiplied by 100 for a percentage. 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 hsb(0 100% 100%) in CMYK?
Pure red, hsb(0 100% 100%), is cmyk(0% 100% 100% 0%) in CMYK. There is a table of twenty common colors converted to CMYK further up this page.
What is hsb(215.4 81% 96.9%) in CMYK?
hsb(215.4 81% 96.9%) converts to cmyk(81% 47.8% 0% 3.1%). 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 HSB to CMYK 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 CMYK directly in CSS?
Not directly — CSS has no CMYK function. Convert to HEX, RGB or OKLCH for the stylesheet and keep the CMYK value for your print spec.
Does this HSB to CMYK 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.