What is the CIE XYZ color space?

CIE XYZ (1931) is a device-independent color space defined by the International Commission on Illumination. It describes all visible colors using three tristimulus values X, Y, and Z. Y represents luminance; X and Z carry chromaticity information. It is the foundation for most modern color management systems.

Why does this tool use the D65 reference white?

D65 (6500 K daylight) is the standard reference white used in the sRGB color space and most consumer display profiles. The sRGB-to-XYZ matrix baked into this converter assumes D65, making it consistent with digital display workflows.

Why are XYZ values sometimes above 1?

In this tool XYZ values are normalized so that the D65 white point has Y = 1 (scale 0–1). Colors near white may approach 1 for all three channels. Colors with high saturation can have X or Z exceed 1 depending on their chromaticity.

How accurate is the CMYK-to-XYZ conversion?

The conversion is mathematically exact for the sRGB model. Real-world print accuracy depends on the specific ink set and paper. CMYK describes pigment mixing while XYZ is based on screen phosphors, so a spectrophotometer measurement of actual print output may differ.

What does K = 100 produce in XYZ?

K = 100 (pure black) with any C, M, Y values produces X = 0, Y = 0, Z = 0 — absolute black. All channels at 0 produce X ≈ 0.9505, Y = 1.0000, Z ≈ 1.0890 (D65 white).

Does this tool send any data to a server?

No. All color math runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server at any time.

CMYK to XYZ Converter

Name: CMYK to XYZ Converter
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter CMYK percentages and instantly get CIE XYZ values (D65) with a live color swatch and hex equivalent.

CMYK Input

Cyan (C) 0%

Magenta (M) 45%

Yellow (Y) 100%

Key / Black (K) 0%

#FF8C00

CIE XYZ Output (D65)

Conversion Steps

1 CMYK → RGB: R=255, G=140, B=0
2 RGB → Linear sRGB: R=1.0000, G=0.2582, B=0.0000
3 Linear sRGB → XYZ (D65): X=0.4874, Y=0.3820, Z=0.0450

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Summary

Enter CMYK percentages and instantly get CIE XYZ values (D65) with a live color swatch and hex equivalent.

How it works

Enter Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black) percentages (0–100) in the input fields or drag the sliders.
CMYK is converted to 8-bit RGB: R = 255 × (1 − C/100) × (1 − K/100), and similarly for G and B.
Each RGB channel is linearized (sRGB gamma removal): values ≤ 0.04045 divide by 12.92; values above use the power curve ((v + 0.055) / 1.055) ^ 2.4.
The linear RGB triplet is multiplied by the standard sRGB-to-XYZ matrix (D65 reference white) to yield X, Y, and Z.
X, Y, and Z are displayed rounded to 4 decimal places. The hex color and a live swatch update in real time.
Click any Copy button to copy the value to your clipboard.

Use cases

Convert print-spec CMYK colors into device-independent CIE XYZ for color management pipelines.
Feed XYZ values into further color space conversions such as Lab, LCH, or OKLab.
Validate that a CMYK ink mix produces the expected luminance (Y channel).
Cross-reference brand color specifications between print and colorimetry tools.
Build ICC profile inputs from CMYK source data.
Compare CMYK-derived XYZ values against physical measurement data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Reviewed by Nham Vu