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CMYKColor[c,m,y,k]

represents a color in the CMYK color space with cyan, magenta, yellow and black components.

CMYKColor[c,m,y,k,a]

specifies opacity a.

CMYKColor["string"]

returns a color from an HTML color name etc.

CMYKColor[color]

returns the CMYK representation of color.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Colors in 3D  
Color Operations  
Generalizations & Extensions  
Properties & Relations  
Possible Issues  
Neat Examples  
See Also
Related Guides
History
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CMYKColor

CMYKColor[c,m,y,k]

represents a color in the CMYK color space with cyan, magenta, yellow and black components.

CMYKColor[c,m,y,k,a]

specifies opacity a.

CMYKColor["string"]

returns a color from an HTML color name etc.

CMYKColor[color]

returns the CMYK representation of color.

Details

  • CMYKColor is a subtractive color model, typically used in printing. CMYK refers to the cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks used in printing.
  • For any positive value of , the same color can be produced by subtracting from other color components. This is commonly used to save on color ink consumption by using more black ink.
  • Color and opacity levels outside the range 0 to 1 will be clipped. »
  • If no black component is specified, CMYKColor[c,m,y] is equivalent to CMYKColor[c,m,y,0].
  • CMYKColor specifications are automatically converted to RGBColor when simulated lighting calculations are done. »
  • If no opacity has been specified, CMYKColor[c,m,y,k] is equivalent to CMYKColor[c,m,y,k,1].
  • CMYKColor[c,m,y,k,a] is equivalent to {CMYKColor[c,m,y,k],Opacity[a]}.
  • The alternative forms CMYKColor[{c,m,y,k}] and CMYKColor[{c,m,y,k,a}] can also be used.
  • ColorConvert can be used to convert CMYKColor to other color spaces.
  • The following wrappers can be used around colors:
  • ColorsNear[color,…]specifies a region around color
    Directive[…,color,…]specifies a color in combination with other directives »
    Glow[color]specifies color independent of lighting »
    Opacity[a,color]specifies a color with an opacity a
    Style[expr,color]displays expr with the specified color »
  • For 3D surfaces, explicit CMYKColor directives define surface colors; the final shading depends on lighting and contributions from specularity and glow. »

Examples

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Basic Examples  (4)

Specify the color of graphics primitives:

Specify the color with opacity:

Specify the output color of expressions:

Specify the color of plots:

Scope  (3)

Colors in 3D  (1)

Use diffuse surface color:

Use diffuse and specular surface color:

Use glow color, setting the diffuse surface color to black:

Color Operations  (2)

Use Blend to mix two or more colors:

Use Lighter and Darker to mix with white and black, respectively:

Generalizations & Extensions  (2)

CMYKColor[{c,y,m,k}] is equivalent to CMYKColor[c,y,m,k]:

Use Opacity with CMYKColor:

Use the opacity argument in CMYKColor directly:

Properties & Relations  (3)

CMYKColor is related to RGBColor in the following way:

For economy of printing, black is usually separated out:

By using the same parameters in CMYKColor and RGBColor, you get complementary colors:

CMY values are complementary to RGB values:

Possible Issues  (1)

Values outside of the 0, 1 range will be clipped:

In plot functions, use ColorFunctionScaling to control global scaling of variables:

Neat Examples  (2)

Visualizing the CMY color space:

CMYK noise with opacity:

Wolfram Research (1991), CMYKColor, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CMYKColor.html (updated 2021).

Text

Wolfram Research (1991), CMYKColor, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CMYKColor.html (updated 2021).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1991. "CMYKColor." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2021. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CMYKColor.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1991). CMYKColor. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CMYKColor.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_cmykcolor, author="Wolfram Research", title="{CMYKColor}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CMYKColor.html}", note=[Accessed: 31-October-2025]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_cmykcolor, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={CMYKColor}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/CMYKColor.html}, note=[Accessed: 31-October-2025]}