COLOR / TOOL GUIDE 04 / 13
Curves.
Shape the relationship. Keep transitions smooth.
Choose a curve by its input and output: from Custom Curves and Hue vs Sat to the separate Color Warper palette.
level → level
hue → hue
hue → saturation/luminance
Color Warper is a separate palette, not another curve. Chroma Warp and the traditional mesh are shown separately; use one Warper type per node.
BEFORE MOVING A CONTROL
Understand what you are changing.
Read the axes before placing a point
Custom Curves map input values horizontally to output values vertically. A point in the graph’s center does not select the center of the image. Hue vs Sat selects hue and changes saturation. Lum vs Sat selects brightness, so equally bright objects of different colors can respond together.
State the relationship first: hue to saturation, brightness to saturation, or level to level. This leads to the right tool faster than forcing every task through one S-curve.
Anchor points constrain a range, not an object
Start with few points and broad, smooth transitions. Neighboring anchors constrain a range, but excessive proximity creates abrupt bends. Skin, sky and gradients can reveal steps, blotches or unnatural hue separation.
Curves operate on signal values. If a red logo and lips share the selected range, separate them spatially with a window on a dedicated node instead of squeezing hue selection into an unstable sliver.
Color Warper is a separate palette
Mesh-based Warper links adjustments across color coordinates. Chroma Warp, introduced in Resolve 20, uses directed changes on a chromaticity diagram. Neither is simply another one-dimensional curve: watch neighboring colors and neutrals, not only the selected point.
The Resolve 20 guide states that the traditional and Chroma Warper cannot be used together on the same node. Separate them when needed. Compare at 100% and in motion afterwards; an attractive still does not rule out unstable range boundaries.
FROM PURPOSE TO CONTROL
Choose deliberately, not by trial and error.
The interface images are collected in the viewer above. Here, focus on what each control changes and when to use it; values in the captures are not universal presets.
Choose the relationship to change
Custom Curves
When you need more than a simple brighter-or-darker move, Custom Curves give finer control over tonal shape. They are ideal for lifting the mids, protecting highlights and building a clean S-curve without a heavy-handed feel.
Hue vs Hue
Use this mode when the color range is correct but the hue needs a selective shift. It is useful for moving cyan toward blue, making greens feel more natural or correcting wardrobe colors without shifting the whole frame.
Hue vs Sat
One of the most practical curve modes. It lets you reduce aggressive colors or add life only to the ranges that need it, which is especially useful for skin, foliage, skies, signage and any objects that feel oversaturated.
Hue vs Lum
When you want to keep the color but change its brightness, Hue vs Lum is a gentle solution. It is great for subtly darkening a blue sky or lifting the brightness of a product color without a broad global correction.
Lum vs Sat
This mode controls saturation by brightness rather than by color. It is useful for removing muddy oversaturation in shadows or preventing highlights from looking plastic while keeping the overall color character intact.
Sat vs Sat
This one helps when the issue is not a particular hue, but the behavior of the least saturated or most saturated areas. Sat vs Sat can tame strong colors without flattening the subtle half-tones that make the image feel natural.
Sat vs Lum
A useful mode for subtle styling and problem solving when more saturated objects need to be darkened or separated by brightness. It helps resolve color-versus-contrast conflicts without a heavy secondary grade.
Color Warper
When ordinary Hue curves are not enough, Color Warper provides a more visual and flexible way to move color groups. It is especially strong when several neighboring colors must be reshaped together while keeping the transitions smooth.
Color Warper · Chroma Warp
Chroma Warp adjusts color ranges using strokes in a chromaticity diagram. It is a different Warper mode, not Hue vs Hue: choose a range and a direction, then inspect neighboring hues and skin. Keep the traditional mesh and Chroma Warp in separate nodes.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE
Custom Curves, hue curves and Color Warper solve different mathematical problems
The tools on the Curves page may all look like ways to 'pull colour', but they operate on different input/output relationships. Custom Curves map level to level, Hue vs Hue maps one hue to another, Hue vs Sat/Lum changes properties of a selected hue, and Color Warper works in two-dimensional colour geometry. Choose the tool based on the relationship you need to change.
How to choose the right curve
| Tool | Input | Output | Typical task |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Curves | tonal level | new tonal level | S-curve, black/white shaping, channel balance |
| Hue vs Hue | selected hue | new hue | shift foliage, neon or wardrobe toward another hue |
| Hue vs Sat | hue | saturation | reduce or increase only a red/green/blue range |
| Hue vs Lum | hue | luminance | darken sky or brighten skin without a separate Power Window |
| Lum vs Sat | luminance | saturation | reduce chroma in shadows or protect highlights |
| Sat vs Sat / Sat vs Lum | source saturation | saturation or luminance | treat already-saturated colours differently from weakly saturated ones |
| Color Warper | colour position on a mesh | neighbouring colour region | move a family of related hues and their chroma/luma coherently |
FROM KNOWLEDGE TO A REPEATABLE RESULT
One exercise. A result you can check.
Use a balanced shot with skin, sky or a colored subject. Save the grade and create a dedicated curve node so bypassing it does not remove the technical transform.
- 01
Build the base first
Before opening Curves, it usually makes sense to stabilize the shot with Color Wheels, white balance and overall contrast. Then Curves solve a precise problem instead of trying to rescue the whole frame.
- 02
Then work selectively by range
If the issue is a particular color, open the Hue curves. If you need to redraw contrast with precision, go to Custom Curves. If the move should be more visual and plastic, step into Color Warper.
- 03
Always check the result against the picture
Curves can look impressive while still producing messy results. After every move, check not only the line itself but also skin, gradients, skies, textures and the overall readability of the scene.
- 04
Do not fight the tool
If a curve turns jagged and chaotic, you may be using the wrong tool for the job. Sometimes the better move is to return to Wheels, use a Qualifier, or solve the problem with two well-placed points instead of ten arbitrary ones.
Self-check in Resolve; the site does not evaluate your work. Progress is not saved after reloading.
An editorial exercise for your own footage, not an automated check of a Resolve project. Work on a copy or separate version and evaluate the complete shot.
WHEN THE RESULT IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT
Find the cause, not a compensating slider.
01A gradient shows a kink or step+
Possible cause. too many control points or an overly narrow range
What to check. remove unnecessary points, widen the influence and check 10-bit source/monitoring
02Hue vs Hue also changed skin+
Possible cause. the target colour overlaps the skin hue range
What to check. narrow/soften the range or add spatial/qualifier isolation
03The S-curve looks punchy but the clip is too harsh+
Possible cause. contrast was added without controlling toe/shoulder and output
What to check. check Waveform, highlight roll-off and black detail; move part of the task to Contrast/Pivot if needed
A SITUATION TO THINK THROUGHHue vs Sat reduced redness in both a sign and skin. Is the curve malfunctioning?Compare your reasoning ↓
It selects hue rather than an object. Check the overlap and constrain the node with a Power Window. More points do not replace spatial separation and can make transitions less stable.
Sources and version notes
Checked against Blackmagic Design’s Color documentation and the relevant new-feature guides. Screenshots are from the site’s own supplied library; controls and layout can differ between versions. Examples are instructional, not universal production settings.