Cyan review
A focused desktop converter for RGB, CMYK, grayscale, and ICC profile workflows.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Cyan is an open-source desktop image viewer and converter for prepress and print workflows. It is designed for specialists who need to convert between RGB, CMYK, and grayscale modes while managing ICC/ICM color profiles. The application runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, accepts PNG, JPEG, TIFF, XCF, and PSD input, and supports TIFF, JPEG, and PSD output. Its focus is color-managed desktop work rather than general-purpose browser conversion.
Color control is Cyan's standout area. The published feature set includes ICC/ICM v2 and v4 profile support, profile extraction, profile addition, tag editing, and image bit-depth changes. It also supports image layers in TIFF, XCF, and PSD files, which fits workflows where preserving structured image content matters. GIMP import and export integration adds a direct connection to an established image-editing workflow without changing Cyan's specialized desktop focus.
Cyan is distributed as free, open-source software, with no paid tiers described. Its platform coverage is broad across Windows, macOS, and Linux, but it is not presented as a web application. The supported output formats—TIFF, JPEG, and PSD—are more limited than the input list, so users should check that their delivery format fits the application. Choose Cyan for desktop prepress tasks involving color modes, profiles, bit depth, or layered files. A browser-first user or someone seeking a broader conversion service should consider an alternative.
Cyan pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Supports RGB, CMYK, grayscale, and ICC/ICM v2 and v4 profiles
- Handles layered TIFF, XCF, and PSD images
- Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with GIMP integration
- Where it doesn't
- No web app for browser-based conversion
- Output formats are narrower than its supported input formats
- Its workflow is focused on prepress and print image handling
Cyan fact sheet, pricing and score →
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