PhotoRiyaHow to convert an image from RGB to CMYK
Add your picture
Drag a JPG, PNG, WebP, TIFF, GIF or BMP onto the box above, or tap Choose a picture. Transparent areas become white, because CMYK printing has no transparent ink.
Check the preview
Switch between CMYK preview and Original (RGB) to see what changes. The note under the picture says how many pixels moved noticeably, so you know before you print.
Download the CMYK file
Press Download CMYK TIFF for print, or the JPG if a program asks for it. The colour profile is embedded in the file so other software reads the colours correctly.
Why CMYK colours look different from RGB
A screen makes colour with light: red, green and blue lights add up toward white. A printing press makes colour with ink: cyan, magenta, yellow and black absorb light from white paper. The two systems cover different ranges of colour, called gamuts. RGB reaches much brighter greens, blues and oranges than ink can, and CMYK reaches a few deep cyans that some screens can't show.
Converting from RGB to CMYK maps every colour into what the ink can print. Colours inside the CMYK gamut change very little. Colours outside it are moved to the nearest printable colour, which is why saturated neon tones look flatter. This tool shows you the result as a preview so there's no surprise on the printed page.
| RGB | CMYK | |
|---|---|---|
| Made with | Red, green and blue light | Cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink |
| Used for | Screens, web, video | Print: brochures, packaging, posters |
| Colour range | Larger for bright, vivid colours | Smaller, but fixed by the press and paper |
| File formats | JPG, PNG, WebP | TIFF, JPG, PDF |
Profiles, rendering intent and black point
A CMYK number is only meaningful with a profile that describes the press and paper it's for. The same cyan, magenta, yellow and black values print differently on coated and uncoated stock. By default the converter uses a generic coated-paper profile. If your printer gives you a profile, such as FOGRA39, choose it under Print settings and the converter uses it instead and embeds it in the file.
- Relative colorimetric keeps in-gamut colours exactly and clips the rest. It's the usual choice for photographs and graphics.
- Perceptual squeezes the whole range slightly so that the relationships between colours are kept, which can look smoother for very saturated images.
- Black point compensation maps the darkest RGB black to the darkest black the ink can print, so shadows keep their detail instead of clumping.
What this converter doesn't do
It converts the colour of a picture. It doesn't make a print-ready PDF, add bleed or crop marks, handle spot colours, or limit total ink for a specific press beyond what the profile defines. For those, work with your printer's specification or open the file in PhotoRiya. For the opposite direction, there's a CMYK to RGB converter, and a CMYK PSD can be exported with the PSD converter.
Questions people ask
How do I convert RGB to CMYK for free?
Drop your JPG, PNG or WebP onto the converter above. It separates the picture into cyan, magenta, yellow and black with an ICC profile, shows you how it will look printed, and gives you a CMYK TIFF or JPG to download. No software, account or upload is needed.
Why do my colours look duller after converting to CMYK?
Screens mix light, so they can show very bright, saturated colours. Printing mixes ink on paper, which can't reproduce the most vivid greens, blues and oranges. Those colours are outside the CMYK gamut and are pulled to the nearest colour ink can make. The preview shows this before you print, and the note under it says how much of your picture is affected.
Which CMYK profile does the converter use?
By default it uses a built-in generic coated-paper CMYK profile, which is a sensible starting point for glossy and silk stock. For accurate results, ask your printer which profile they work to (for example FOGRA39 in Europe or a SWOP or GRACoL profile in the US) and load that .icc file under Print settings.
Is my picture uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs inside your browser tab, on your own device, and the finished file is handed straight back to you. Nothing is sent anywhere, so it is safe for client work and unreleased designs.
Should I send my printer a CMYK file or the original RGB?
Ask them. Many print shops prefer RGB and convert with their own profile and press settings, which usually gives the best match. If they ask for CMYK, send the file converted with the profile they name, and keep your original RGB file.
What's the difference between a CMYK TIFF and a CMYK JPG?
TIFF is lossless and is what printers and layout software expect, so choose it for print. A CMYK JPG is smaller but lossy, and many browsers and apps display CMYK JPGs wrongly, so use it only when a program specifically asks for JPG.
Does it keep my picture's resolution and size?
Yes. The CMYK file has exactly the same pixel dimensions as your original and is tagged at 300 dpi. Only the colour values change, so a print size still depends on how many pixels you have and how large you print them.
Can I convert a PSD to CMYK?
Export the PSD as a PNG or JPG with the PSD converter and convert that here, or open the PSD in PhotoRiya and switch the document to CMYK with Image › Mode › CMYK Color.