CMYK QR Code

The CMYK color model is a subtractive color model used in color printing. The abbreviation CMYK refers to the four ink plates used: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black).

A CMYK QR Code is made out of colors only from the CMYK color space and is used for print production.

If you want to print a QR Code with offset printing or your want to embed your QR Code in an image using the CMYK color model you need the QR Code in CMYK colors. You can either convert your QR Code from RGB to CMYK after downloading the QR Code or you build your QR Code with CMYK colors from scratch. By just converting RGB to CMYK the colors might look different after printing, depending on the ICC profile you are using. So it is wise to work with the CMYK color space from the beginning to avoid undesirable side effects.

Log into your account.

Click on the Create QR Code from your Dashboard. Choose the type of the QR Code and enter the data. Click on the button Create QR Code to finalize the generation.

After creating a QR Code the QR Code will be listed in the QR Code section. To enter the QR Code Editor click on the QR Code.

Now you see the QR Code Editor with a list of design features. 

Now click on the Color fan icon of the appropriate input field to open the CMYK color picker. Here you have the option of entering the colors in the CMYK color space without affecting the RGB values.

In the popup enter the CMYK values you want to use. Then confirm your entry with the OK button.

You can set CMYK color values for foreground, background, the colors of the eyes, frame color, text color and gradients.

When you are done with the creative process of modifying your QR Code with our Design QR Code Editor you are ready to export the QR Code as a PDF with CMYK values. First click on the Download button below the QR Code.

A pop up window appears and you can choose between PDF in RGB color space or PDF in CMYK color space. Please click on the PDF Vector CMYK print button to start the download.

You can view a QR Code in CMYK colors in Adobe Acrobat Reader or any PDF viewer software.

Images with CMYK colors may look different when printed. Usually, colors will not appear as bright on paper as they are on screen. 

You can edit the PDF QR Codes with the CMYK color profile using Adobe Illustrator.

Open the file that you have downloaded from your account in PDF format with CMYK colors. 

Select CMYK color mode and click on OK.

Now you can process, edit and print your QR Code in CMYK color space.

To ensure that the CMYK colors have been exported from the QR Code Designer, select any graphic element and check the color assignment. To do this, select the direct selection from the toolbar in Illustrator, then click on an element and double-click on the color in the menu to open the color picker. In the color picker you can see at the bottom right whether the CMYK values have been adopted.

Photoshop is a raster format design software. It will allow you to import the PDF file, resize it as large as you need it, set a resolution and keep the CMYK color mode, however the output will always be rasterized.

When you import the PDF file select from the Mode-Dropdown field the CMYK Color option and click on OK.

In the Designer QR Code Editor, switch to the Logo tab. There you upload your logo as an SVG file by clicking on the Upload button.

When you have uploaded your SVG logo, it will appear in a preview on the left. Below your logo, click the Assign CMYK colors button. All colors detected in the SVG logo now appear in a list with the RGB values and approximate CMYK values. You can now overwrite the CMYK values of each color with the desired color values. When you're done, click OK. Now download the QR code in PDF CMYK format to get the desired result.