HEX to CMYK Converter for QR Printing
Convert a brand colour between HEX, RGB and CMYK, with the ink coverage a press will see and a verdict on whether the colour is dark enough to build a QR code from.
- Free, no sign-up
- Runs in your browser
Result
What this tool does
The conversion here does one thing differently from a generic converter, and it is the thing that matters for a QR: every neutral becomes pure black ink rather than a four-colour build. A grey mixed from cyan, magenta and yellow needs three plates in register, and any drift softens every module edge.
At a glance
| Converts | HEX or RGB to CMYK, and reports the total ink coverage |
|---|---|
| Warns above | 280% total area coverage, under the 300% ceiling coated stock is usually specified to |
| Neutrals | Greys and blacks are forced to the black plate alone, which is what keeps a QR edge crisp |
| Cost | Free, no limits on how many you make |
| Sign-up | None. No account, no email address |
How it works
Enter the colour
Type a HEX value or pick one, and optionally set the background it will sit on.
Take the values
HEX, RGB and CMYK, plus total ink coverage — the number a printer asks about when a job comes back tacky.
Check it against the background
The contrast ratio against your chosen background is graded, and inverted combinations are called out.
Good to know
- This is DeviceCMYK with no ICC profile and no output intent, which is what a print shop expects to receive for a two- or three-colour asset and will re-profile to their own press.
- It is not a colorimetric conversion. Do not use these numbers to match a photograph or a Pantone reference; use them to specify flat brand ink.
- Total ink coverage above about 300% stops a coated sheet drying properly and offsets onto the next one. The number is reported rather than clamped, because the fix is a different colour.
- Neutrals convert to K only, by design. That single rule is most of why a CMYK QR export is worth having at all.
Need an editable, trackable QR?
A dynamic Qrindo code keeps the same printed image but lets you re-point it any time and tracks every scan, geo, device, and live.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my grey convert to K only and not CMY?
Because a CMY grey needs three plates to land in perfect register to stay neutral, and any misregistration both shifts the colour and blurs every module edge. Black ink alone cannot misregister against itself.
Will these CMYK numbers match my Pantone colour?
Not exactly, and no formula can. A spot colour is an ink, not a mixture, and matching it needs a press profile and usually a proof. Send your printer the Pantone reference and use these values only as the process-colour fallback.
What ink coverage is too much for a QR code?
Anything near 300% is a drying problem on coated stock, and heavy coverage also spreads under pressure, which closes the gaps between modules. For a QR specifically, a high-K low-CMY build is better than a rich four-colour dark.
Why does my brand colour look different in print?
Screens emit light and mix red, green and blue; paper reflects it and mixes four inks. Bright saturated colours — vivid teals, oranges and greens especially — sit outside what CMYK can reach, so the press prints the nearest achievable colour instead.
What is total ink coverage and why does it matter?
It is the four plates added together, so it can exceed 100%. Push it too high and the sheet cannot dry: the ink offsets onto the next sheet and fine edges smear — which on a QR code means modules bleeding into each other. This tool warns above 280%.
Should I send my printer this CMYK value?
Send it as a starting point, not as a final specification. A real press converts through an ICC profile for its own paper and ink, with grey component replacement your browser knows nothing about. Treat this as a sanity check on coverage and contrast.
Still not sure about something? Read the full FAQ →
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