If you want to convert RAL to RGB and RAL to CMYK online, simply type a RAL number and see its RGB and CMYK values instantly. Prefer to work backwards? Enter an RGB or CMYK value and the converter finds the closest RAL colors. It covers RAL Classic, RAL Effect, and RAL Design colors.
You get a result in three quick steps. No account, no download, no waiting.
Type a code such as 9005 or 3020 into the RAL field. Matching colors appear right below the form.
Already have a screen or print value? Fill in the RGB or CMYK fields instead and the tool shows the nearest RAL colors.
Each card shows a live color preview with its RAL, CMYK and RGB values. Copy the numbers into your design file or order form.
All three describe color, but they solve different problems. Knowing which one fits your job saves you from expensive surprises later.
RGB mixes red, green and blue light. Websites, apps, TVs and phone displays all use it.
RAL is a standard palette of ready-made colors for paint, powder coating, varnish and plastics.
CMYK layers cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink on paper, fabric or vinyl.
RAL is a color matching system. Every color has its own number, so a painter in Poland and a manufacturer in Spain can talk about the exact same shade without sending samples back and forth. The system started in Germany in 1927 and the RAL institute still maintains it today.
Most people know the RAL Classic range. It sorts colors into nine families, and the first digit of the code tells you which family a color belongs to. For example, every code that starts with 3 is a red, and every code that starts with 6 is a green.
You will find RAL colors in construction, architecture, road safety, industrial equipment and furniture. Specifications often name a RAL code because it removes any guesswork.
Good to know: RAL colors are physical standards, so no screen can show them perfectly. The values in this converter are close approximations. Always confirm the final shade on a real RAL sample before you order paint or powder.
RGB stands for red, green and blue. It is an additive color model, which means a screen starts black and adds light to create color. Switch all three channels to full brightness and you get white. Turn them all off and you get black.
Each channel uses a number from 0 to 255. Pure red, for example, is 255, 0, 0. A screen combines millions of these tiny pixels to draw your photos, websites and videos.
Keep one thing in mind, though. Every monitor has its own brightness and color profile, so the same RGB value can look slightly different from one device to the next.
CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black). It is a subtractive model. Printing starts with white paper, and every layer of ink absorbs some of the light that would otherwise bounce back to your eyes.
Designers and print shops use CMYK because it matches how presses actually work. However, the CMYK range is smaller than the RGB range. Very bright blues, greens and oranges often look a bit softer on paper than they do on screen.
RAL tells a coating shop exactly what to apply. Your website, brochure or 3D render needs a different language. A converter bridges that gap, so everything you design looks like the finished product.
RAL colors cover a huge range of jobs. Powder coaters rely on them for metal parts, and painters use them for walls, doors and kitchen cabinets. Fence builders, window makers and furniture manufacturers use them too.
Facades, roofing, windows, doors, railings and cabinets. RAL 7016, 9010 and 9005 are especially common here.
Trucks, machinery, road signs and safety equipment. Signal colors such as RAL 3020 and 1023 keep things visible.
The RAL color chart is the official overview of all standardized shades. Painters, architects and manufacturers use it to pick a color and to describe it clearly to everyone else.
The original collection with 216 solid colors. It is the best known range and covers most everyday coating and painting jobs.
A collection of 490 shades with metallic and pearlescent looks. Choose it when you want a finish with more depth.
This converter supports both ranges. You can scroll to the full list of codes further down the page if you want to browse.
A few simple habits make a big difference when you move between RAL, RGB and CMYK.
Type the RAL number into the RAL field of the converter, for example 9005 or 3020. The RGB values appear on the color card right away. Each value runs from 0 to 255, so you can paste the numbers straight into design software, a CSS rule or a screen mockup.
Use the same RAL field. The converter shows the CMYK percentages (0 to 100) next to the RGB values on the card. Use them as a starting point for print files such as brochures, labels, vehicle wraps and signage.
No conversion between RAL and RGB or CMYK can be 100% exact. RAL is a physical standard based on real coating samples. RGB and CMYK depend on your screen, printer, ink and paper. Our values are close approximations. For any final decision, check the color against a physical RAL fan deck or sample panel.
Yes. Enter your RGB or CMYK values into the matching fields and the converter shows the closest RAL colors. This helps when a client sends you a brand color and you need a coating that comes near to it.
RAL Classic is the original collection of solid colors. It holds 216 shades and covers most everyday coating jobs. RAL Effect is a newer collection of 490 shades with metallic and pearlescent looks. This converter supports both.
Screens mix light (RGB) while printers mix ink (CMYK), and each device renders color a little differently. A bright, saturated RAL color can also fall outside the CMYK range, so the printed result looks duller. Monitor brightness, color profiles and paper type add further differences.
RAL 9005 (Jet black), RAL 9010 (Pure white), RAL 9016 (Traffic white), RAL 7016 (Anthracite grey) and RAL 7035 (Light grey) show up in windows, doors, fences and furniture all the time. RAL 3020 (Traffic red), RAL 5015 (Sky blue) and RAL 6005 (Moss green) are common too.
Yes. The converter is free, runs in your browser and needs no sign-up. Open the page, type a RAL code and read the result.
Need offline access to the full database of supported RAL colors, RGB screen values, and CMYK printing formulas? Download our free comprehensive color chart reference guide (PDF).
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