Predefined vectors
You start from seven practical colour ranges instead of drawing a curve or building a key from zero.
Color encyclopedia · ColorSlice
ColorSlice in DaVinci Resolve
ColorSlice is a vector-based grading palette for shaping colour density, saturation and hue by seven predefined ranges. It is especially useful when you want rich, film-like colour without building a hard secondary key for every hue.
The page is built around the real Resolve 21 panel, so you can compare the explanation directly with the controls in your own project.
RedSkinYellowGreenCyanBlueMagenta
What makes it different
ColorSlice is not another Curves page
Curves describe relationships, Color Warper reshapes colour geometry, and Qualifier isolates a key. ColorSlice takes a different path: it gives you predefined overlapping colour vectors and lets you deepen, desaturate or steer them with a smoother blended mapping.
Blended mapping
The ranges blend more naturally than a hard secondary isolation, which is useful for broad colour shaping.
Density + saturation
You can deepen colour and change its intensity separately instead of trying to fake both with one saturation slider.
Fast film-like colour
ColorSlice is designed for rich colour that feels dense rather than simply louder.
Seven vectors
Red, Skin, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue and Magenta
The six conventional vectors are joined by a dedicated Skin range. Each slice has its own Center, Hue, Density and Saturation controls.
Red
ColorSliceThe Red slice is useful for warm details, wardrobe, neon, signage and subjects that should stay rich without turning into an aggressive oversaturated patch.
Red lights, wardrobe, product details
Skin
ColorSliceThe dedicated Skin vector is one of the most practical reasons to open ColorSlice. It lets you shape skin density and saturation without relying on a hard HSL isolation.
Skin, portraits, interviews
Yellow
ColorSliceThe Yellow slice often touches warm practicals, interiors, wood and part of the skin range, so it is worth making gentle moves and checking faces after every change.
Warm light, wood, interiors
Green
ColorSliceGreen is a fast way to control foliage, LED lighting and green surfaces, especially when greens feel too digital and need more depth and restraint.
Foliage, green LEDs, backgrounds
Cyan
ColorSliceCyan separates turquoise and cool blue-green tones from pure blue, making it useful for neon, displays, water and cool shadow accents.
Neon, water, cool shadows
Blue
ColorSliceBlue is one of the most visible ranges in modern imagery: skies, monitors and tech lighting. Density can make it feel deeper without the obvious look of simply pushing Saturation.
Skies, monitors, blue lighting
Magenta
ColorSliceMagenta helps control purple neon, wardrobe and complex RGB lighting, especially when red and blue combine into an overly aggressive violet range.
RGB light, purple neon, wardrobe
Global controls
The top row changes the behaviour of the whole palette
These controls are useful after the individual ranges are already roughly shaped. They let you steer density, saturation depth and overall hue without rebuilding every slice.
Density
Changes the density of saturated colours through luminance. This is the control that creates a deeper subtractive feel instead of simply increasing saturation.
Den.Depth
Controls how much Density affects brighter areas. Useful when you want deeper colour without making the bright parts of the image feel heavy.
Saturation
Adjusts saturation using a subtractive model. Unlike a basic global Saturation control, the goal is to avoid making already-saturated colours unnaturally bright.
Sat.Balance
Adjusts luminance balance in medium-saturation colours. It is a fine control for balancing colour density when a simple Saturation move is not enough.
Sat.Depth
Controls how Saturation affects brighter areas. It helps keep highlights from becoming too colour-heavy and preserves a more natural top end.
Hue
Shifts the hue of the whole ColorSlice correction. It is rarely the first control to touch, but it can help steer the overall colour direction after the individual slices are shaped.
Inside every slice
Center chooses the colour range; Hue, Density and Saturation shape it
The small wheel visualises the slice. Center moves the selected range, Highlight shows what will be affected, Hue rotates the colour, Density deepens it and Saturation changes its intensity with a subtractive behaviour.
Highlight
Shows which parts of the image the active slice will affect.
Center
Moves the vector range so the slice better matches the actual colour in the shot.
Hue
Rotates the colour inside the selected vector without changing the whole image.
Density
Deepens the colour by affecting the luminance of more saturated colours.
Saturation
Changes the intensity of the colours in the slice using subtractive behaviour.
Practical order
A simple ColorSlice workflow that stays controlled
1. Find the range
Enable Highlight and check whether the slice actually covers the colour you want to change.
2. Refine Center
If the default vector misses the target slightly, move Center instead of forcing a stronger correction.
3. Shape Density and Saturation
Use small moves. Density creates depth; Saturation changes colour intensity without chasing brightness with another tool.
4. Finish with global controls
After the individual slices work together, use the top row only for the final overall balance.
FAQ
Common ColorSlice questions
What is ColorSlice used for in DaVinci Resolve?
It is used for shaping colour density, saturation and hue by predefined vectors. It is especially useful for deeper film-like colour and selective colour refinement without building a hard HSL key.
How is ColorSlice different from Hue vs Sat?
Hue vs Sat is a curve relationship. ColorSlice uses fixed vector ranges and gives each range controls for Center, Hue, Density and Saturation, with subtractive behaviour designed to keep saturated colours from becoming unnaturally bright.
Is ColorSlice a replacement for Qualifier?
No. ColorSlice is excellent for smooth colour-range shaping, while Qualifier is the better choice when you need a precise key, masks, tracking or stronger isolation.
What does Density do in ColorSlice?
Density changes the luminance of more saturated colours to create a deeper subtractive colour response. Increasing it can make a colour feel richer and darker instead of simply brighter and more saturated.
Why does ColorSlice have a separate Skin range?
Skin sits between the standard vectors and is important enough in real grading to deserve its own range. It makes subtle skin-density and saturation adjustments much faster.
Related Color tools
Use ColorSlice where it is strongest — and move to another tool when needed
Curves & Color Warper
Use these when the correction needs a custom relationship or more precise colour geometry.
Open section
Qualifier / Windows
Use them when a smooth vector range is not enough and you need a precise key, mask or tracked isolation.
Open section
Scopes
Check that deeper colour has not turned into clipping, channel imbalance or uncontrolled saturation.
Open section
Vector-based colour shaping
ColorSlice — seven fixed vectorspaces with subtractive saturation logic
ColorSlice arrived in Resolve 19 as a fixed vector grading tool: the six conventional Vectorscope directions — Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue and Magenta — plus a dedicated Skin Tone vector. Unlike a Qualifier it does not build an arbitrary key; it works through predefined colour slices. Density and Saturation are designed around a more subtractive response so saturated colours can become denser instead of merely brighter and more neon. That makes ColorSlice excellent for broad colour shaping, but not a replacement for precise isolation.
Slices
6 vectorscope colours + dedicated Skin Tone
Center
moves the selected slice's qualifying centre
Density
densifies saturated colours by changing luminance
Saturation
uses a subtractive model that avoids unnatural brightness gain
Technical reference
What ColorSlice actually controls
| Control | Scope | What it does | How to judge it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red / Skin / Yellow / Green / Cyan / Blue / Magenta | individual vectorspace | defines a fixed region of the colour wheel | Highlight view + Vectorscope |
| Center | slice | moves the slice triangle around hue to refine which colours are affected | Highlight view; do not force the slice to cover an entire object at any cost |
| Hue | slice / global | shifts the hue of affected colours | Vectorscope, skin-tone line and neutral references |
| Density | slice / global | changes luminance of more saturated colours for print-like/subtractive density | Waveform + Viewer: make sure colour does not collapse into muddy values |
| Density Depth | global | controls how density changes affect brighter image areas | inspect highlights and saturated highlights separately |
| Saturation | slice / global | changes saturation with subtractive brightness behaviour | Vectorscope + perceived brightness |
| Sat Balance / Sat Depth | global | shape luminance balance and saturation behaviour in brighter regions | compare skin, neon and saturated highlights |
Working sequence
1. Balance exposure and colour first
ColorSlice should not repair basic white balance or exposure. Put the shot into a sensible technical state first, then use slices for colour character.
2. Find the target vector with Highlight
Choose the closest slice and enable Highlight. Use Center for small refinements rather than trying to turn a fixed slice into a complex Qualifier.
3. Use Density before simply adding Saturation
If the goal is deeper reds, greens or blues, try Density and judge the luminance response. Simple Saturation often makes colour look louder rather than denser.
4. Use Qualifier/Window for precise exclusions
If ColorSlice changes skin, set dressing and lighting of the same hue, do not push Center to extremes. Restrict the node with a Window/Key or switch to a Qualifier/Warper.
Diagnostics
Colour becomes dark and muddy after Density
Likely cause
too much luminance reduction inside the saturated slice
What to check
Density, Density Depth and waveform on the affected subject
The Skin slice also affects set dressing
Likely cause
similar hues fall inside the same fixed vectorspace
What to check
Highlight view; restrict the node with a Window/Qualifier rather than over-pushing Center
Saturated highlights look unnatural after Saturation
Likely cause
excessive global/local saturation or unsuitable Sat Depth
What to check
Sat Depth, Vectorscope, waveform and the brightest coloured areas
A very narrow hue cannot be isolated
Likely cause
ColorSlice is a fixed-vector tool, not an arbitrary HSL key
What to check
switch to Qualifier, Hue-vs-Hue/Sat or Color Warper