Color Code Converter
Convert any color between HEX, RGB, HSL, and CMYK with a live picker and preview swatch.
#4f46e5
rgb(79, 70, 229)
hsl(243, 75%, 59%)
cmyk(-13%, 0%, -227%, 73%)
About This Tool & Technical Logic
The same color can be expressed four ways depending on context: HEX and RGB for screens, HSL for human-friendly adjustment, and CMYK for print. This converter parses any of the four and produces all the others live.
RGB names intensities of red, green, and blue light (0–255 each). HSL describes the same color as hue (0–360°), saturation, and lightness — far easier for design tweaks. CMYK models ink coverage for print; the conversion shown is the standard naive mapping, adequate for reference though professional print uses device profiles.
HEX↔RGB is direct; RGB→HSL uses the canonical min/max normalization; CMYK = 1−max(R′,G′,B′) ink fractions.
How to Use — Step by Step
- 1
Pick or paste a color
Use the swatch picker, or paste any format: #4f46e5, rgb(79,70,229), hsl(244,75%,59%), or cmyk values.
- 2
Read all formats at once
Every card updates live — copy the exact string your target platform expects.
- 3
Match print expectations
Treat CMYK values as a starting estimate; final ink mixes depend on the printer's ICC profile and paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Screens emit light (RGB); print reflects it (CMYK). The convertible gamuts differ — vivid RGB greens and blues often can't be reproduced in ink without profile-aware correction.