Gain
Sets the gain of the effect.
← Fusion node reference
Color & ChannelsBeginner
Brightness / Contrast
Fast tonal adjustment
Provides quick luminance, contrast, saturation and channel adjustments for a Fusion branch.
Brightness / Contrast
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
Brightness / Contrast is a lightweight correction node for simple tonal changes and utility tasks.
Overview
What Brightness / Contrast does
Brightness / Contrast is useful when a branch only needs a fast tonal adjustment rather than a full color-correction workflow.
It is especially convenient for masks, textures, utility maps, glow sources and graphics where you need to push separation or reduce intensity before another node.
Because it is simple, it is easy to overuse. If you need controlled tonal ranges or complex matching, Color Corrector or Color Curves may be a better choice.
Mental model
Use it like a quick exposure-and-contrast stage for one image branch.
Common uses
Darken a graphic
Increase separation in a utility map
Boost a light source before Glow
Reduce saturation quickly
Prepare a matte
Fine-tune a texture
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Input
Source image for the operation.
Effect Mask
Optionally limits the correction.
Brightness / Contrast
Fusion node
Output
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Lift
Adjusts the black level and darker tonal values.
Gamma
Adjusts the midtone response without moving the black and white points equally.
Contrast
Expands or compresses tonal separation.
Higher contrast separates dark and bright areas more strongly.
Pivot
Defines the tonal point around which contrast changes.
Useful when a contrast adjustment shifts the image too bright or dark.
Brightness
Raises or lowers overall image brightness.
Best for small, fast adjustments.
Alpha Gain
Scales the alpha channel.
Low / High
Sets one boundary of the active range.
Clamp
Clamps values to the allowed range instead of letting them continue beyond it.
Blend
Sets how strongly the processed result is mixed into the image.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Add the node to the branch that needs a quick tonal change.
- 2
Adjust Brightness and Contrast conservatively.
- 3
Use Pivot if contrast changes the overall level too much.
- 4
Adjust Saturation only if needed.
- 5
Mask the correction when it should be local.
Typical node chain
MediaIn→
Brightness / Contrast→
Merge→
MediaOut
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Stronger glow source
Increase contrast before Glow so the light source is better defined.
GraphicBrightness / ContrastGlow
Utility matte
Boost separation in a monochrome map.
SourceBrightness / ContrastBitmap
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Pushing contrast until highlights or shadows clip.
Using the node for complex color matching that needs finer controls.
Changing every channel accidentally when only luminance needed adjustment.
Production notes
Practical tips
Use simple nodes for simple jobs.
If you keep adding workarounds, switch to Color Corrector or Curves.
For mattes, clear black/white separation is often more important than visual beauty.
Related nodes