diff --git a/crates/doc/src/cmyk.rs b/crates/doc/src/cmyk.rs
index a293e9f1..fd85c120 100644
--- a/crates/doc/src/cmyk.rs
+++ b/crates/doc/src/cmyk.rs
@@ -136,10 +136,65 @@ fn tiff_inks(bytes: &[u8]) -> Option<Inks> {
     Inks::new(w, h, data)
 }
 
+/// A CMYK TIFF with an alpha channel (5 samples) as RGBA pixels, each colour converted by `rgb`
+/// (ink amounts 0..1 → sRGB 0..1) and associated (premultiplied) alpha divided back out; `None`
+/// for other images, planar ones and ones larger than [`MAX_CMYK_PIXELS`]. The image decoder
+/// doesn't read these at all; the inks can't be kept with the transparency, so they show as RGB.
+pub fn cmyka_tiff_rgba(bytes: &[u8], rgb: impl Fn([f32; 4]) -> [f32; 3]) -> Option<image::RgbaImage> {
+    let (kind, mut d) = tiff(bytes)?;
+    let (w, h) = d.dimensions().ok()?;
+    let planar = d.find_tag_unsigned::<u16>(tiff::tags::Tag::PlanarConfiguration).ok().flatten().is_some_and(|p| p != 1);
+    if !matches!(kind, tiff::ColorType::CMYKA(8 | 16)) || planar {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let n = usize::try_from(pixels(w, h)?).ok()?;
+    // ExtraSamples 1: associated alpha (premultiplied colour); 2 (or none stated): unassociated.
+    let associated = d.find_tag_unsigned_vec::<u16>(tiff::tags::Tag::ExtraSamples).ok().flatten().is_some_and(|v| v.first() == Some(&1));
+    let data: Vec<u8> = match d.read_image().ok()? {
+        tiff::decoder::DecodingResult::U8(v) => v,
+        tiff::decoder::DecodingResult::U16(v) => v.iter().map(|s| (s >> 8) as u8).collect(),
+        _ => return None,
+    };
+    if data.len() != n * 5 {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let mut out = Vec::with_capacity(n * 4);
+    for p in data.as_chunks::<5>().0 {
+        let a = f32::from(p[4]) / 255.0;
+        let ink = |v: u8| {
+            let v = f32::from(v) / 255.0;
+            if associated && a > 0.0 { (v / a).min(1.0) } else { v }
+        };
+        let [r, g, b] = rgb([ink(p[0]), ink(p[1]), ink(p[2]), ink(p[3])]);
+        out.extend([r, g, b].map(|v| (v.clamp(0.0, 1.0) * 255.0).round() as u8));
+        out.push(p[4]);
+    }
+    image::RgbaImage::from_raw(w, h, out)
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn a_cmyk_tiff_with_alpha_reads_as_rgba() {
+        use tiff::encoder::{TiffEncoder, colortype::CMYKA8};
+        // 2 × 1: full cyan opaque, then 100% K at half alpha (premultiplied: K 128, alpha 128).
+        let mut file = Cursor::new(Vec::new());
+        let mut enc = TiffEncoder::new(&mut file).unwrap();
+        let mut img = enc.new_image::<CMYKA8>(2, 1).unwrap();
+        img.encoder().write_tag(tiff::tags::Tag::ExtraSamples, &[1u16][..]).unwrap();
+        img.write_data(&[255, 0, 0, 0, 255, 0, 0, 0, 128, 128]).unwrap();
+        let bytes = file.into_inner();
+        let naive = |[c, m, y, k]: [f32; 4]| [(1.0 - c) * (1.0 - k), (1.0 - m) * (1.0 - k), (1.0 - y) * (1.0 - k)];
+        let px = cmyka_tiff_rgba(&bytes, naive).expect("CMYKA reads");
+        assert_eq!(px.dimensions(), (2, 1));
+        assert_eq!(px.get_pixel(0, 0).0, [0, 255, 255, 255], "cyan, opaque");
+        assert_eq!(px.get_pixel(1, 0).0, [0, 0, 0, 128], "the premultiplied K divided back out: black at half alpha");
+        // Not CMYKA: not this reader's.
+        assert!(cmyka_tiff_rgba(&ImageBlob::cmyk_tiff(&inks()).unwrap().bytes, naive).is_none());
+    }
+
     fn inks() -> Inks {
         Inks::new(3, 2, vec![0, 40, 100, 0, 255, 0, 0, 0, 0, 255, 0, 0, 0, 0, 255, 0, 0, 0, 0, 255, 12, 34, 56, 78]).unwrap()
     }
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/fileio/load.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/fileio/load.rs
index 1a457e0d..8cbf1bc9 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/fileio/load.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/fileio/load.rs
@@ -282,10 +282,18 @@ pub(super) fn new_from_template(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     open_template(s, src.name, &src.bytes, src.path)
 }
 
+/// The most memory decoding one image may take: a 60 in print sheet at 300 ppi (18000 × 6600 px)
+/// is ~475 MB as RGBA, past the decoder's 512 MB default once it is converted.
+const MAX_RASTER_ALLOC: u64 = 2 << 30;
+
 /// Decode an image's header (and, for formats stored as PNG, its pixels). CMYK TIFFs are kept as
-/// they are, with their ink amounts ([`ImageBlob::cmyk`]).
+/// they are, with their ink amounts ([`ImageBlob::cmyk`]); CMYK TIFFs with an alpha channel, which
+/// the decoder can't read, become RGBA in the active colour settings' CMYK.
 pub fn raster_image(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<RasterImage> {
-    let reader = image::ImageReader::new(Cursor::new(bytes)).with_guessed_format().map_err(err)?;
+    let mut reader = image::ImageReader::new(Cursor::new(bytes)).with_guessed_format().map_err(err)?;
+    let mut limits = image::Limits::default();
+    limits.max_alloc = Some(MAX_RASTER_ALLOC);
+    reader.limits(limits);
     let kind = reader.format().ok_or_else(|| err("not an image VectorCraft reads (see document.formats)"))?;
     let f = image_format(kind).ok_or_else(|| err(format!("{kind:?} images can't be opened (see document.formats)")))?;
     let ppi = super::ppi::resolution(bytes);
@@ -293,7 +301,14 @@ pub fn raster_image(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<RasterImage> {
     let (bytes, mime, (width, height)) = if matches!(f.id, "png" | "jpg" | "gif" | "webp") || (f.id == "tiff" && cmyk()) {
         (bytes.to_vec(), f.mime, reader.into_dimensions().map_err(err)?)
     } else {
-        let img = reader.decode().map_err(err)?.to_rgba8();
+        let cmyka = || {
+            let cms = vectorcraft_color::cms::active();
+            vectorcraft_doc::cmyk::cmyka_tiff_rgba(bytes, |c| cms.cmyk_to_srgb(c, false))
+        };
+        let img = match (f.id == "tiff").then(cmyka).flatten() {
+            Some(img) => img,
+            None => reader.decode().map_err(err)?.to_rgba8(),
+        };
         let size = img.dimensions();
         let mut png = Vec::new();
         img.write_to(&mut Cursor::new(&mut png), image::ImageFormat::Png).map_err(err)?;