What is HWB color format?

HWB stands for Hue, Whiteness, Blackness. It describes colors by picking a pure hue (0–360°) and then mixing in amounts of white and black. It is supported natively in CSS with the hwb() function.

What does CMYK stand for?

CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black). It is a subtractive color model used in color printing. Values are typically expressed as percentages from 0% to 100%.

Why does Whiteness + Blackness get normalized?

If the sum of Whiteness and Blackness exceeds 100%, the HWB spec requires them to be normalized proportionally so they sum to 100%. The tool does this automatically and shows the adjusted values.

How accurate is the CMYK conversion?

The conversion is mathematically accurate for screen-to-print estimation. However, exact printed results also depend on your printer profile, paper type, and ink. Use a color-managed workflow for production-critical work.

Is there a difference between K and Black in CMYK?

No — K and Black mean the same thing. The letter K is used (instead of B) to avoid confusion with Blue in the RGB model. It also stands for "Key" plate in traditional printing.

HWB to CMYK Converter

Enter HWB color values to instantly get the equivalent CMYK values with a live color swatch preview.

HWB Input

Hue (0 – 360°)

Whiteness (0 – 100%)

Blackness (0 – 100%)

CMYK Output

Cyan

Magenta

Yellow

Key (Black)

CSS cmyk() String

cmyk(0%, 0%, 0%, 0%)

Normalized HWB String

hwb(0 100% 0%)

Copied!

Summary

This tool converts HWB (Hue, Whiteness, Blackness) color values into CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) format used in print design. HWB is an intuitive color model where you describe a hue then mix in white and black. CMYK is the standard color model for professional printing. The conversion runs entirely in your browser with no data sent to any server.

How it works

Enter a Hue value between 0 and 360 degrees.
Enter Whiteness and Blackness percentages (0–100 each).
The tool normalizes values if Whiteness + Blackness exceeds 100%.
HWB is first converted to RGB using standard formulas, then RGB is converted to CMYK.
The live color swatch updates instantly so you can visually verify the result.
Copy any individual CMYK value or the full CSS string with one click.

Use cases

Prepare colors for print production workflows that require CMYK values.
Bridge the gap between CSS HWB colors and printer-ready CMYK specifications.
Quickly verify how a web color will translate to print.
Design consistent color palettes across digital and physical media.
Convert brand colors defined in HWB to CMYK for style guides.
Test CMYK output before sending files to a print shop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-05-28 · Reviewed by Nham Vu