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Resolve FX · Stylize

Vignette

A dedicated edge-framing effect for subtle lens-style falloff, off-centre subject focus and deliberate geometric styling — from four fast Basic controls to full Advanced compositing.

Basic / Advanced6 Border ShapesCenter X/YComposite TypeGlobal Blend

Basic first, Advanced when needed

Do not build a visible black ring. Build controlled attention.

Blackmagic describes Basic as the fast traditional lens-vignette mode, while Advanced adds shape, rotation, centre, transparency and compositing. The key is to separate geometry, edge softness and blend behaviour instead of treating every slider as strength.

Basic · Advanced

Operating Mode

Blackmagic splits Vignette into two modes. Basic keeps the fast controls for a traditional edge vignette, while Advanced exposes geometry, positioning, transparency and compositing. Basic is usually the fastest starting point; move to Advanced when the shape or centre must follow the composition of the shot.

  • Basic: Size, Anamorphism, Softness and Color
  • Advanced adds Border Shape, Rotation, Centre, Transparency and Composite Type
  • Advanced is not higher quality; it simply exposes more precise control
Core vignette geometry

Size · Anamorphism

Size sets the scale of the region left open by the vignette, while Anamorphism stretches the geometry along one axis to better fit wide compositions. Blackmagic's Beginner's Guide explicitly notes that Size can be typed beyond the slider range when a broader, softer falloff is needed.

  • Temporarily lower Softness first so the shape is easier to read
  • Choose Size for the composition, not from a habitual number
  • Anamorphism is useful for 2.39:1, interviews and elongated subject layouts
Appearance

Softness · Color

Softness controls the transition from the central region into the edges. A low value is useful diagnostically, but a visible boundary rarely reads as natural optics. Color lets the vignette move beyond black edge darkening into a coloured creative layer, where saturation and Blend deserve extra restraint.

  • Softness controls edge character, not the overall strength
  • Black + Multiply is a natural starting point for a dark vignette
  • Evaluate coloured vignettes against skin and neutral objects
Advanced geometry

Border Shape · Rotation · Center

Advanced exposes Oval, Triangle, Diamond, Rectangle, Hexagon and Octagon. Centre X/Y moves the optical focus to the actual point of interest, while Rotation turns shapes where orientation matters. This turns Vignette from a simple edge darkener into a controllable graphic frame.

  • Centre lets you guide attention to a face/object without forcing frame-centred symmetry
  • Geometric shapes are stylisation rather than lens-falloff emulation
  • Rotation matters only on shapes whose silhouette actually changes when rotated
How the vignette mixes with the image

Transparency · Composite Type

Transparency attenuates the vignette layer itself, while Composite Type changes the mathematical character of the mix. In the current Resolve 21 UI you can see Normal, Add, Subtract, Difference, Multiply, Screen, Overlay, Hard Light, Softlight, Darken and more. Multiply is the sensible starting point for ordinary darkening; Add/Screen and contrast blend modes are creative-design choices.

  • Do not fix a wrong Composite Type merely by lowering Blend
  • Difference/Subtract are primarily special-effect territory
  • After changing the mode, re-check highlights and coloured edges
Final dry/wet

Global Blend

Global Blend mixes the complete Vignette result with the original image. It is an excellent final A/B control, but not a substitute for Size, Softness, Transparency or a correct Composite Type. Build the geometry and layer behaviour first, then trim Blend until the effect is almost unnoticed.

  • Blend is ideal for the final taste-based trim
  • A strong vignette reads as an effect; a weak one reads as attention guidance
  • Always compare bypass full-screen

Real Resolve 21 panels

Basic, mode switching, border geometry and blend modes

Production workflow

Six passes from intention to an invisible finishing layer

01

First decide why the vignette exists: lens-falloff emulation, subject focus, edge control or overt stylisation.

02

Start in Basic. Temporarily lower Softness so Size and Anamorphism are easy to judge, then restore the feather.

03

If the point of interest is off-centre, switch to Advanced and place Centre X/Y for the composition.

04

Change Border Shape only for deliberate stylisation; Oval remains the safest natural-optics starting point.

05

Set Color, Transparency and Composite Type. For a normal dark vignette, start with black + Multiply.

06

Check full-screen bypass and neighbouring shots. Finally trim Global Blend until the effect stops calling attention to itself.

Common failures

If you notice the vignette first, it is usually too strong or shaped incorrectly

01

Vignette видна как тёмное кольцо

Cause: Softness is too low or Size was chosen by habit rather than for the actual composition.

Fix: Increase Softness, widen Size and re-check full-screen.

02

Лицо оказалось не в центре внимания

Cause: Basic remains centred while the subject is offset in the frame.

Fix: Switch to Advanced and move Centre X/Y toward the point of interest.

03

Края стали грязно цветными

Cause: The Color is too saturated or the Composite Type is too aggressive.

Fix: Return to a neutral colour/Multiply, then add tint gradually while monitoring neutrals and skin.

04

На нескольких шотах эффект ведёт себя неравномерно

Cause: Identical parameters were copied across shots with different framing and subject position.

Fix: Keep the overall look consistent, but adapt Size/Centre/Anamorphism per shot or composition family.

Attention framing, not merely darkening

Vignette: the signal-level model

Vignette is most useful as a dedicated edge layer: geometry defines where the falloff begins, Softness defines how gradually it appears, Color/Transparency/Composite Type define how that layer mixes with the image, and Global Blend controls the final amount. This keeps it from becoming an obvious black ring and turns it into a compositional tool.

The official Resolve FX Reference Manual documents two modes: Basic provides Size, Anamorphism, Softness and Color for traditional lens-style edge darkening; Advanced adds Border Shape, Rotation, Centre, Transparency and Composite Type. Blackmagic's Beginner's Guide also demonstrates a useful workflow: temporarily reduce Softness to read the shape, tune Size/Anamorphism, then move Centre in Advanced when required.
Vignette is not a substitute for a tracked Power Window and it does not automatically correct genuine optical lens shading. If the boundary must follow a subject, use masking/tracking logic. If the task is technical lens-shading correction, solve that technical problem first and keep the creative vignette as a separate layer.

Use it when

  • gently directing attention toward a centred or off-centre subject
  • traditional lens-style edge falloff without building a separate Power Window
  • geometric framing through Triangle/Diamond/Rectangle/Hexagon/Octagon
  • creative coloured edge layers through Color + Composite Type

Choose another tool when

  • the mask must track a face/object — use a Power Window + Tracker
  • you need to correct physical camera/lens shading as a technical defect
  • an obvious edge ring is the only strategy being used to make the shot feel cinematic

Control → signal meaning → verification

LayerWhat it meansHow to verify
Operating ModeBasic is the fast lens-style set; Advanced exposes the extended geometry/composite model.Start in Basic and switch to Advanced only when position/shape/compositing genuinely requires it.
Size + AnamorphismDefine the scale and aspect-like stretch of the vignette region.Temporarily lower Softness to read the silhouette, then restore the feather.
Softness + ColorSoftness defines feather/falloff; Color defines the edge-layer colour.Look for a visible ring, dirty tint and unwanted contamination of neutrals/skin.
Border Shape + Rotation + CentreAdvanced geometry and the optical-focus position within the frame.Centre should match the composition; judge geometric shapes as stylisation, not lens emulation.
Transparency + Composite TypeDefine the vignette layer's transparency and mathematical blend with the image.For a dark vignette start with black/Multiply; after changing mode, inspect highlights, colour edges and contrast.
Global BlendFinal dry/wet for the complete FX.Compare bypass full-screen; Blend is the final trim, not a substitute for correct geometry.

Production workflow

  1. 01Define the intent: lens falloff, subject focus, edge control or graphic styling.
  2. 02Start in Basic, temporarily reduce Softness and set Size/Anamorphism for the actual composition.
  3. 03Restore Softness to a smooth falloff and judge edge visibility full-screen.
  4. 04If the subject is offset, use Advanced → Centre X/Y; change Border Shape/Rotation only deliberately.
  5. 05Set Color/Transparency/Composite Type; for ordinary darkening start with black + Multiply.
  6. 06Check neighbouring shots and finally trim Global Blend until the effect is almost unnoticed.

Diagnostics: symptom → cause → fix

A distinct dark ring is visible

Likely cause: Softness is too low or Size is too small.

Fix: Increase Softness/Size and check full-screen bypass.

The vignette does not guide the eye toward the subject

Likely cause: The effect remains frame-centred while the subject is offset.

Fix: Use Advanced → Centre X/Y and move the optical focus toward the subject.

The edges look dirty or overly contrasty

Likely cause: Color/Composite Type are poorly chosen or Transparency is too low.

Fix: Return to neutral black + Multiply/Normal and introduce creative mixing gradually.

A copied preset falls apart on other shots

Likely cause: Different compositions require different Size/Centre/Anamorphism.

Fix: Keep the overall style but adapt geometry per shot or framing group.

Node placement

For creative framing, a dedicated finishing/look node after the base balance is convenient. If the edge mask must interact with a tracked subject, move the spatial logic into a Power Window/Tracker. Film Look Creator already contains an integrated Vignette module, so add a standalone duplicate only deliberately.

Scopes / validation

Vignette is primarily a viewer judgement because the task is spatial. A waveform can reveal excessive edge luminance loss, but it cannot tell you whether attention is directed correctly. Check full-screen, bypass and several shots; for coloured vignettes also watch the vectorscope and skin/neutrals.

Managed-pipeline warning

Vignette has no explicit colour-space override contract; it operates on the signal at its current node-tree position. The same Color/Composite Type can therefore look different before versus after a CST/DRT. This is not a reason to duplicate Colour Management theory here—keep placement stable and re-check the creative layer if you move it across transforms.

Do not confuse the roles

Vignette versus the neighbouring Color FX

Color Space Transform

explicit conversion between colour-space/gamma descriptions, including tone/gamut mapping

Open guide
ACES Transform

node-level input/output through the standardised ACES transform set

Open guide
Chromatic Adaptation

conversion between white points / illuminants through a CAT model

Open guide
Color Compressor

compressing hue/saturation/luminance variation around a selected Target Color

Open guide
Color Stabilizer

temporal matching of unwanted brightness/white-balance drift around a chosen reference and analysis region

Open guide
Contrast Pop

selective increase or reduction of local contrast at a chosen structure scale and within a controlled tonal range

Open guide
DCTL

programmable host for custom transform code whose maths, UI and signal contract are defined by the selected DCTL/DCTLE

Open guide
Dehaze

depth-weighted reduction of smog/airlight/haze through a simulated depth matte and coupled colour/contrast correction

Open guide
Despill

suppression of reflected red/green/blue screen spill after the subject has already been isolated by key/matte/roto

Open guide
False Color

spatial display of exposure zones through camera-matched or creative false-colour mapping and a legend

Open guide
Gamut Limiter

final hard-clipping of chromaticities to a specified delivery/QC gamut boundary

Open guide
Gamut Mapping

tone/gamut remapping through luminance roll-off, saturation compression/clip and OOTF without a separate input/output colour-space conversion

Open guide
Invert Color

simple independent inversion of Red/Green/Blue/Alpha channels for creative and technical channel/key operations

Open guide
NVIDIA RTX Video HDR

AI-assisted SDR→HDR mapping with an explicit input/output signal contract, Middle Gray, target peak luminance and creative shaping

Open guide
Camera Shake

procedural Pan/Tilt/Rotation/Zoom motion with waveform, randomness, pauses and blanking handling

Open guide
ColorTone Diffuser

creative optical-look effect combining spatial diffusion, coloured Tone Lights, tonal protection, a falloff mask and a LUT-compatible subset

Open guide
Film Damage

procedural texture/look effect combining blur/colour drift, vignette, changing dirt and up to five scratches with motion/flicker

Open guide
Film Grain

procedural film-style texture with gauge presets, grain geometry, composite modes, tonal/RGB weighting and final mix

Open guide
Film Look Creator

integrated scene-referred film-emulation environment combining a baked-in Blackmagic film response, colour shaping, halation/bloom/grain/flicker/gate weave and a LUT-compatible subset

Open guide
Flicker Addition

dedicated temporal exposure modulation with tonal flicker modes, RGB selection, smoothness, randomness, pauses and a deterministic seed

Open guide
Halation

film-style highlight scatter using an isolation matte, chromatic dye-layer reflections, secondary glow and optional grain

Open guide
Split Tone

creative shadow/highlight colour separation through Natural/Strong/Custom modes, Pivot, Hue Angle, neutral protection and colour-space overrides

Open guide
Color Generator

solid-colour generation for Layer Mixer, masks, fills and simple colour washes

Open guide
Power Windows / Tracker

When spatial emphasis must follow a subject instead of remaining frame-relative.

Related chapter
Film Look Creator

Compare standalone Vignette with the integrated Vignette module inside Film Look Creator.

Related chapter
Node pipeline

How placement relative to the grade/CST/DRT changes a creative edge layer.

Related chapter
Scopes

Waveform for edge-luminance loss and vectorscope for coloured vignettes.

Related chapter

Primary references used for this technical layer

Blackmagic Design · DaVinci Resolve 18.5 Reference Manual · Vignette
Official Basic/Advanced model and the Advanced control set.Blackmagic Design · Beginner's Guide to DaVinci Resolve 19
Practical Size/Anamorphism/Softness workflow and an Advanced Centre X example.

Panel names are cross-checked against the Resolve 21 screenshots already shown on each page. Where Blackmagic does not publish proprietary implementation math, the article describes documented signal semantics and observable behaviour rather than inventing an algorithm.

FAQ

Practical Vignette questions

Is Vignette better than a Power Window?

No. Vignette is faster for standard and geometric edge framing. A Power Window is better when you need a complex tracked shape, object isolation or separate inside/outside grading.

Why does Blackmagic suggest temporarily setting Softness to 0?

It makes the actual vignette geometry easy to see while setting Size/Anamorphism. Then Softness is restored to a gentle working value.

Can Vignette brighten the edges?

Yes. Advanced Composite Type and Color allow much more than black Multiply, but that becomes a creative composite rather than a traditional lens vignette.

Where should Vignette sit in the node tree?

For ordinary creative focus, a dedicated finishing/look node after the base grade is convenient. If the vignette participates in tracked or subject-specific logic, placement depends on masks and compositing. Do not use it as a substitute for technical correction of genuine camera exposure falloff when that is the actual task.

Next steps

Keep framing, masks and integrated film effects in separate roles

Previous FX

Split Tone

Return to creative shadow/highlight colour separation.

Power Windows

Use tracked masks when the attention shape must follow a subject rather than the frame.

Film Look Creator

Compare against the integrated Vignette module inside a complete film-look pipeline.

Next FX

Color Generator

Continue to solid-colour generation, eyedropper sampling and Layer Mixer use.

Color Generator