How to Color Grade in Davinci Resolve

If you are working in the video editing field, then you have likely heard about DaVinci Resolve. It is one of the most powerful and renowned video editing tools. It is a free tool that is used by professionals for color grading. If you are planning to edit your first short film or YouTube video, understanding the basics of color grading can make your videos look more cinematic, professional, and emotionally engaging.

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll walk you through the fundamentals of color grading in DaVinci Resolve, so you can start enhancing your videos with confidence.

What is Color Grading?

Color grading is the process of altering or enhancing of a video. It is used to create a specific mood or style. Color grading is also used in brands’ videos, which makes the video differentiate from their competitors. Color grading is used in films to make it more visually appealing.

This is totally different from the color correction. Color correction is focused on adjusting footage to look as natural and balanced as possible.

DaVinci Resolve gives you full control over both correction and grading with its powerful Color workspace.

If you want to know more about Davinci Resolve, then you can read this beautiful pdf made by Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Beginner’s Guide

Understanding the Color Interface

When you see the Color workshop, it might look very difficult but trust me if you carefully follow this guide then you will definitely be a master in color grading in DaVinci Resolve.

Here are some important tools in the DaVinci Resolve that you will need to use during the color grading.

• Color Wheels: It is used to adjust shadows, midtones, highlights and overall color.
• Scopes: Scopes used as visual tools that help you to accurately balance and match colors of your video.
• Curves & Qualifiers: There is a more advanced tool in DaVinci Resolve to adjust colors more accurately by adjusting curves.
• Nodes: Think about the nodes in the photoshop. Each node represents a separate step or adjustment in the your videos color grading workflow, such as changing contrast, tweaking color balance, or adding effects. By stacking and organizing nodes, you get full control and flexibility over your final look, allowing non-destructive edits at every stage.

What are the steps of color grading?

Now we will discuss the step by step process of color grading and how to enhance your video quality.

Correct the White Balance

Unnatural color in your video makes its quality poor. So it is very important to make your video colors natural or close to natural. White balance makes your video look natural. If your video looks too blue or too orange then the white balance in your video is probably off.

In the color wheels section, there is temperature and tint sliders, by moving these left or right you can change your video colours.

If you are a complete beginner then you can go for the Auto Balance button — DaVinci will try to fix it for you automatically.

Fix Exposure

After adjusting the white balance in your video, you can further adjust your video colors by using the Lift, Gamma, and Gain wheels.

Lift is used to pull down to darken black areas. Shadows are very important in the video. It enhances your video quality and experience.

Gamma is used to adjust brightness and contrast in mid areas of your video. It makes your video more realistic.

Add Contrast and Saturation

Contrast and saturations are like the salt of your video, too much of it can make your video quality down but it is essential to use in your videos. Increase of contrast slider slightly makes your images pop. And Saturation brings out the colors of your videos.

Create a Cinematic Look

Cinematic looks make your video more good and professional. To make your videos more cinematic look you should use curves to tweak shadows and highlights. You can apply a subtle blue tone to shadows and orange to highlights for a classic cinematic feel in your video.

Use LUTs (Optional)

LUTs stand for Look-Up Tables are pre-made filters that can instantly give your video a certain style or mood. It is like applying a filter on Instagram.

To use one, right-click on a node, go to LUTs, and pick the look you like. LUTs are great for quick results, especially if you’re short on time.

But remember — they’re just a starting point. Always tweak and adjust them to fit your video perfectly.

It is a very good tool for beginners to start. Think of LUTs like instant noodles — quick and tasty, but even better with your own special touch!

Final Thoughts

Color grading can transform your video from raw footage to visually stunning. While DaVinci Resolve may look intimidating at first, its intuitive interface and powerful tools make it perfect for beginners who want to grow into professionals.

Start small, experiment with different looks, and keep learning. With time, your creative eye will sharpen — and your videos will speak volumes.

If you want to know about other best free editing software’s, then you can read Top 5 Free Video Editing Software for Beginners in 2025