# What is colour grading?

> Colour grading gives a video its look, such as warm, cool or high contrast. See how it differs from correction, a worked example and tools for ads.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-07
- **Category**: Video editing
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/color-grading

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Colour grading gives a video its look, such as warm, cool or high contrast. You do it after [colour correction](/glossary/color-correction), which makes the footage look natural.

## Correction or grading

| | Colour correction | Colour grading |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Natural, matching footage | A chosen look or mood |
| Comes | First | Second |
| Example | Fix a shot that looks too green | Add warm skin tones to the whole ad |

## A worked example

Say your ad has 8 clips shot in 3 places.

1. Correct all 8 clips to the same neutral colour.
2. Pick one look, such as warm highlights and a little more contrast.
3. Apply that one look to all 8 clips.

Now you have 1 look across 8 clips, not 8 different ones. The ad feels like one piece. A [LUT](/glossary/lut) can store the look so you can reuse it.

## What you adjust

- **Colour wheels:** shift the shadows, midtones and highlights towards a colour.
- **Curves:** reshape contrast and colour with a line.
- **Looks and LUTs:** apply a saved look in one click.

## Where to grade

Premiere Pro (now called Adobe Premiere) grades in its Lumetri tools. Adobe says the Lumetri Color panel retires in Premiere 27.0. Lumetri stays as an effect in the Properties panel (checked 3 Nov 2026).

DaVinci Resolve combines editing and colour work in one app. Its free edition handles 8-bit video up to Ultra HD.

Marxx's [AI video editor](/features/ai-video-editor) has colour wheels, curves, colour looks and LUTs. It can also match a clip's colour to a reference. We make Marxx.

## FAQ

### Is colour grading the same as a filter?

A filter applies one preset look. Grading lets you shape the look by hand, and a filter is a quick start.

### Do I need to grade every ad?

No. Correct the colour so clips match. Grade when you want a clear mood across the ad.

### Which should I do first?

Correction, then grading. A look applied to uneven footage will look uneven too.

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- [More Video editing articles](https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/category/video-editing)
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