OKLCH to CMYK Converter

OKLCH in, CMYK out — with the working shown.

To convert OKLCH to CMYK, normalise the input, convert OKLCH back to RGB, find the key plate, solve the other three plates, then check the gamut. For example, oklch(61.82% 0.1935 258.33) in OKLCH is cmyk(81% 47.8% 0% 3.1%) in CMYK.

This is a free OKLCH to CMYK converter. Type or paste any OKLCH 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 OKLCH to CMYK

  1. Normalise the input. Read the OKLCH value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects.
  2. Convert OKLCH back to RGB. OKLCH is not the display's native model, so the first move is always back to red, green and blue.
  3. Find the key plate. K is 1 minus the largest of the three channels — the amount of black ink doing the heavy lifting.
  4. Solve the other three plates. Each of C, M and Y is (1 − channel − K) / (1 − K), then multiplied by 100 for a percentage.
  5. 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: oklch(61.82% 0.1935 258.33) 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 OKLCH to CMYK values

The twenty colors people look up most often, converted from OKLCH to CMYK. Every row is computed by the same engine as the tool above.

ColorOKLCHCMYK
Whiteoklch(100% 0 0)cmyk(0% 0% 0% 0%)
Blackoklch(0% 0 0)cmyk(0% 0% 0% 100%)
Redoklch(62.8% 0.2577 29.23)cmyk(0% 100% 100% 0%)
Limeoklch(86.64% 0.2948 142.5)cmyk(100% 0% 100% 0%)
Blueoklch(45.2% 0.3132 264.05)cmyk(100% 100% 0% 0%)
Yellowoklch(96.8% 0.211 109.77)cmyk(0% 0% 100% 0%)
Cyanoklch(90.54% 0.1546 194.77)cmyk(100% 0% 0% 0%)
Magentaoklch(70.17% 0.3225 328.36)cmyk(0% 100% 0% 0%)
Silveroklch(80.78% 0 0)cmyk(0% 0% 0% 24.7%)
Grayoklch(59.99% 0 0)cmyk(0% 0% 0% 49.8%)
Maroonoklch(37.67% 0.1546 29.23)cmyk(0% 100% 100% 49.8%)
Oliveoklch(58.07% 0.1266 109.77)cmyk(0% 0% 100% 49.8%)
Greenoklch(51.98% 0.1769 142.5)cmyk(100% 0% 100% 49.8%)
Purpleoklch(42.09% 0.1935 328.36)cmyk(0% 100% 0% 49.8%)
Tealoklch(54.31% 0.0927 194.77)cmyk(100% 0% 0% 49.8%)
Navyoklch(27.11% 0.1879 264.05)cmyk(100% 100% 0% 49.8%)
Orangeoklch(79.27% 0.171 70.67)cmyk(0% 35.3% 100% 0%)
Pinkoklch(86.77% 0.0735 7.09)cmyk(0% 24.7% 20.4% 0%)
Goldoklch(88.68% 0.1822 95.33)cmyk(0% 15.7% 100% 0%)
Crimsonoklch(57.12% 0.2219 20.09)cmyk(0% 90.9% 72.7% 13.7%)

OKLCH and CMYK, briefly

OKLCH is OKLab in polar form — perceptual lightness, absolute chroma and a hue angle. Valid range: L 0–100%, C 0–0.37 in sRGB, H 0–360°.

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 OKLCH to CMYK?

1. Read the OKLCH value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects. 2. OKLCH 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 oklch(62.8% 0.2577 29.23) in CMYK?

Pure red, oklch(62.8% 0.2577 29.23), 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 oklch(61.82% 0.1935 258.33) in CMYK?

oklch(61.82% 0.1935 258.33) 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 OKLCH 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 OKLCH 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.