CMYK vs RGB Detector
CMYK vs RGB Detector helps you check whether a supported image file is CMYK, RGB, RGB-derived, grayscale, Lab, or unknown without uploading it.
Check if an image is CMYK or RGB before printing, publishing, uploading, or handing off artwork, and review the exact file-header evidence behind the result.
Supported image types
CMYK/RGB detection uses image headers and container metadata. JPEG and TIFF can expose CMYK directly; PNG, WebP, and GIF are RGB-oriented.
Choose an image
JPG, JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, TIFF, and TIF files up to 100 MB.
CMYK/RGB result
Color family, channels/components, and header evidence.
CMYK and RGB Image Mode Guide
What CMYK vs RGB detection means
RGB images are built for screens, web publishing, apps, and most camera or phone workflows. CMYK images are built around print separations: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink channels. A quick detector helps reveal whether an image file is already CMYK, RGB, grayscale, Lab, or an RGB-derived encoding such as JPEG YCbCr.
This tool reads file headers and container metadata, not the visible pixels after color conversion. JPEG files are classified from frame components and Adobe APP14 transform data when present. TIFF files are classified from PhotometricInterpretation and SamplesPerPixel. PNG, WebP, and GIF are RGB-oriented formats, so the tool reports their palette, truecolor, or RGB-like mode rather than claiming CMYK support.
- JPEG: detects grayscale, RGB/YCbCr, CMYK, and YCCK from component count and Adobe transform evidence.
- TIFF: detects RGB, CMYK/separated, grayscale, palette, YCbCr, and Lab-style photometric modes.
- PNG: detects grayscale, truecolor RGB, indexed RGB palette, and alpha variants from IHDR color type.
- WebP and GIF: reported as RGB-oriented or palette-based formats because their pixel data is not CMYK.
When to check image color mode
Check color mode before sending artwork to a printer, uploading product images, preparing ads, exporting web assets, or troubleshooting colors that changed after conversion. A print workflow may request CMYK, while web and app workflows nearly always expect RGB. Knowing the file mode before handoff avoids accidental dull colors, rejected uploads, or unnecessary conversion work.
Color mode is different from an ICC profile. An RGB image can use sRGB, Display P3, Adobe RGB, or another RGB profile, and a CMYK image can use different press profiles. Use this detector for the broad mode, then use the ICC Profile Viewer when profile identity matters.
- Use CMYK detection before print or prepress handoff.
- Use RGB detection before web, marketplace, email, and app uploads.
- Check grayscale and Lab results before assuming a file is RGB or CMYK.
- Review the evidence rows when a JPEG says YCbCr or YCCK, because those are encoded forms used around RGB and CMYK workflows.
Limits of browser color-mode detection
Browser-local color-mode detection is a fast metadata/header check. It does not convert images, soft-proof print output, inspect every proprietary RAW format, validate press readiness, or guarantee how a design tool will interpret a malformed file. Some JPEG files are ambiguous without Adobe transform metadata, so the tool reports confidence and evidence instead of pretending every case is exact.
For production print, use this detector as an early check and then verify the final file in the same design, RIP, prepress, or proofing workflow that will receive it. Color mode, ICC profile, total ink, resolution, bleed, and export settings all matter for final delivery.
- A CMYK result does not prove the file uses the correct print ICC profile.
- An RGB result does not mean the image is unsuitable for print; conversion may simply happen later.
- YCCK and YCbCr are encoded JPEG forms, not user-facing design modes.
- Unsupported or unusual files should be checked in dedicated desktop prepress software.