Do not use those online converters. They are horrible in general. Use Illustrator. It supports proper color management and converts correctly. Do not use Pantone/spot colours unless you will actually be printing with them (or have talked with the printer that it is ok for them to do spot color simulation for the color(s) in question.) First step is to ask the printer what color profile to use. CMYK values on their own don’t tell us much without the color profile (the profile defines what the values actually should look like). Assign the profile to your document. Reset your Illustrator color settings to one of the general purpose presets, in case you have messed with it. Converting from RGB (“hex” is just regular RGB values shown as hexadecimal instead of decimal) to CMYK is straight forward. Just use RGB values in Illustrator, and it will convert to CMYK automatically as needed (using your color profiles). If the color is within the color gamut (range of colors) of the chosen CMYK profile, the color will look unchanged after conversion. If it was outside the gamut it will shift to the nearest reproducible color. Calibrate your display to ensure you are seeing colours correctly Talk to the printer about what specs they want for the PDF. (Especially what settings to use under Output). Be aware that how a print looks on paper is fundamentally different than how it looks on a monitor. The color of the print can change drastically depending on your lighting conditions. Answer from chain83 on reddit.com
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › colors › colors_cmyk.asp
Colors CMYK
While waiting for CSS4, you can include W3Schools' Color library, and use CMYK as an HTML attribute like this: <div data-w3-color="cmyk(100%, 0%, 0%, 0%)"> <p>London is the capital city of England. It is the most populous city in the United Kingdom, with a metropolitan area of over 13 million inhabitants.</p> </div> <script src="/lib/w3color.js"></script> Try It Yourself »
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/adobeillustrator › how on earth do i figure out the correct cmyk values?
r/AdobeIllustrator on Reddit: How on earth do I figure out the correct CMYK values?
November 1, 2023 -

Hey y'all! I've been trying to find answers online but no dice - hope this isn't a silly question but I'm so lost and going around in circles.

I'm working with print/CMYK for the first time in a WHILE, especially where the brand colors are so important to get accurate. The last time we printed menus with this printer, the colors came out darker/yellower than expected despite me designing in CMYK, so the printer said to send them exact CMYK values to match.

I clicked into the color picker of the goal color - Hex #DD566D. The CYMK value says 0,87,42,0. I double checked it in a CMYK to Hex converter thing and that CMYK value showed up as SUPER hot pink - definitely not the goal. So I did the opposite: I took the Hex color into a Hex to CMYK converter, and the color on the screen looked correct, but the CMYK values it gave me were 0,53,44,13 and that's super muddy orange??? I've attached examples of all of this.

I feel like I'm going insane lol and I have to get these to print asap. I know Hex to CMYK conversions aren't 1:1, but I have no idea what to send the printer. Unfortunately I don't have any kind of physical swatches to use, and this isn't the first time Illustrator in CYMK mode has been pretty off from screen to PDF to print. In fact, the switch from RGB to CMYK doesn't show a visible difference and I have no clue how to fix it. FWIW, the PDF looks accurate enough when saved out.

Any tips on how to get Illustrator to show a more accurate color, and any tips on how on earth to get the color I'm looking to achieve? Thanks in advance!!

Edit: Unfortunately I don't have access to a Pantone book. I've been looking online to find the closest Pantone color to the one I need, in hopes the printers can at least use that as a jumping off point. I found a nearly perfect one, but the CMYK values given for that Pantone swatch still look DRASTICALLY different in my illustrator file - it's super orange comparatively. Is this an issue with my Illustrator or am I missing something lol

This is my goal color

This is also my goal color, and this is the CYMK value this website gave me.

This is the CMYK Illustrator gave me???

This orange is the CMYK that website gave me.
Top answer
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Do not use those online converters. They are horrible in general. Use Illustrator. It supports proper color management and converts correctly. Do not use Pantone/spot colours unless you will actually be printing with them (or have talked with the printer that it is ok for them to do spot color simulation for the color(s) in question.) First step is to ask the printer what color profile to use. CMYK values on their own don’t tell us much without the color profile (the profile defines what the values actually should look like). Assign the profile to your document. Reset your Illustrator color settings to one of the general purpose presets, in case you have messed with it. Converting from RGB (“hex” is just regular RGB values shown as hexadecimal instead of decimal) to CMYK is straight forward. Just use RGB values in Illustrator, and it will convert to CMYK automatically as needed (using your color profiles). If the color is within the color gamut (range of colors) of the chosen CMYK profile, the color will look unchanged after conversion. If it was outside the gamut it will shift to the nearest reproducible color. Calibrate your display to ensure you are seeing colours correctly Talk to the printer about what specs they want for the PDF. (Especially what settings to use under Output). Be aware that how a print looks on paper is fundamentally different than how it looks on a monitor. The color of the print can change drastically depending on your lighting conditions.
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Spot colors. You want Pantone colors. That way any print shop in the world can look at the art and when it says PMS123C they know the exact golden yellow to use.
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Figma
figma.com › resource-library › what-is-cmyk
What is CMYK & How to Use CMYK in Design | Figma
This “rich black” is used for large areas of solid black in printing, with a typical combination of C = 60, M = 60, Y = 60, K = 100. While CMYK is for printed materials, the RGB color model is for screens and digital content. RGB colors (red, green, and blue) add light to create color.
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Print Handbook
resources.printhandbook.com › pages › free-cmyk-chart-printable-pdf-download.php
Free CMYK Chart Printable PDF Download - Design Resources
Here's a clear, simple and free to download PDF CMYK Chart. Each color/colour has a value for cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) so you can pick the perfect CMYK color/colour for your project. The CMYK PDF chart is available in A4 and US Letter sizes.
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Mixam
mixam.com › support › cmykchart
CMYK Color Charts and Values | Mixam
Please note your monitor settings ... instructions on setting up your print files, explore our Book Printing Guide and Print-on-Demand Guide. We make Standard Black (the K in CMYK) from shades of grey....
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Unix Station
johndecember.com › html › spec › colorcmyk.html
CMYK Selected Color Codes
This page lists the CMYK (Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-blacK) representation of color of the form cmyk(C%, M%, Y%, K%), where C, M, Y, and K are the percent values for the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black values of the color. The CMYK color system is used in printing inks for paper.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › CMYK_color_model
CMYK color model - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - The K in CMYK represents the keyline, or black, plate, also sometimes called the key plate. Text is typically printed in black and includes fine detail (such as serifs). To avoid even slight blurring when reproducing text (or other finely detailed ...
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Toutes les Couleurs
toutes-les-couleurs.com › en › CMYK-color-code.php
COLOR CODE CMYK
CMYK color code is used in printing, can choose a color based rendering that gives printing. it comes in the form of 4 codes each representing the percentage of the color used ... List of colors with their CMYK codes ...
Find elsewhere
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Cardstock Warehouse
cardstock-warehouse.com › pages › cardstock-paper-101-cmyk-color-codes
CMYK Color Codes – Cardstock Warehouse
Because every printer is different, there is no one-color-fits-all guaranteed CMYK code for each paper. These are meant to provide you with a jumping off point and may require a bit of tweaking to match your printer exactly.
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Convert a Color
convertacolor.com
Convert a Color – HEX, RGB, HSL, CMYK
Convert colors between formats HEX, RGB, HSL and CMYK. Simple, beautiful and fast.
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RapidTables
rapidtables.com › convert › color › rgb-to-cmyk.html
RGB to CMYK conversion | color conversion
M = (1-G'-K) / (1-K) The yellow color (Y) is calculated from the blue (B') and black (K) colors: Y = (1-B'-K) / (1-K) CMYK to RGB conversion ► · CMYK to RGB converter · RGB to hex converter · RGB color codes · CMYK to RGB · Hex to RGB · HSL to RGB · HSV to RGB ·
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Openprint
openprint.com › en › what-are-cmyk-colors
What is CMYK and what is this color palette for?
June 30, 2021 - The CMYK code is formed by the letters of the acronym CMYK to which a number is added that defines the amount of the primary color that that printing will use to create the desired color.
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Unix Station
johndecember.com › html › spec › cmykshades.html
Color Shades: Colors and Lighter CMYK Codes and Swatches
johndecember.com / html | Tutor · Demo · Specs · Techs · Books | Search · Market · Hotels · This chart shows a list of colors and, for each color, three other colors based on the original color but with higher light values. You can use this chart to set up color schemes. This chart lists the colors from the color codes chart that have some saturation.
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Print Safari
printsafari.com › home › help center › printwiki › cmyk color model for printing
CMYK Color Palette for Print: A Complete Guide
Below is a reference chart with common CMYK color codes: To select and apply CMYK colors correctly, follow these best practices: Use a CMYK color chart: Print a printers color chart to preview colors before finalizing your design. Convert RGB to CMYK: If your design is in RGB, use a CMYK color generator to ensure accurate color conversion. Avoid pure black: Instead of 100% K, use rich black (e.g., 40% C, 40% M, 40% Y, 100% K) for a deeper tone.
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SchemeColor
schemecolor.com › simple-cmyk-color-combination.php
Simple CMYK Color Scheme - Palettes - SchemeColor.com
The Simple CMYK Color Scheme has 4 colors, which are Rich Electric Blue (#0093D3), Royal Red (#CC016B), Yellow Rose (#FFF10D) and Black (#000000). The RGB and CMYK values of the colors are in the table below along with the closest RAL and PANTONE® ...
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Banners.com
banners.com › resources › cmyk colors
Basic CMYK Colors for Printing Banners | Banners.com
April 30, 2023 - Learn about basic CMYK colors for banner printing. Get expert insights at Banners.com's blog. Explore now!
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RapidTables
rapidtables.com › convert › color › cmyk-to-rgb.html
CMYK to RGB conversion | color conversion
G = 255 × (1-M) × (1-K) The blue color (B) is calculated from the yellow (Y) and black (K) colors: B = 255 × (1-Y) × (1-K) RGB to CMYK conversion ► · RGB to CMYK converter · RGB color codes · CMYK to RGB · Hex to RGB · HSL to RGB · HSV to RGB · RGB to CMYK ·
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Gflesch
gflesch.com › blog › cmyk-printing
CMYK Printing vs. RGB: How to Print the Right Colors
Instead of recognizing red, green and blue (RGB) values often used on computer screens, high-end digital printers use a CMYK color wheel consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black).
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Pinterest
in.pinterest.com › artandfashioncreation › cmyk-color-codes
48 CMYK COLOR CODES ideas
Pastel Color Rgb Code · Rgb Color Model Chart · Color Knowledge · Pantone Hibiscus · Pantone Wild Strawberry · Pantone Honeysuckle · Pantone Color 2000 · Honeysuckle Color Background · Pantone Swatches · Pantone Palette · Pantone Colour Palettes · Ink Color Mixing Chart ·
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DNS Checker
dnschecker.org › convert-cmyk-to-pantone-pms.php
CMYK to Pantone Color Converter
Perform the following steps to convert CMYK to PMS color code. Open the CMYK to Pantone online color converter. Please enter the Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K) values in their provided sections.