Presets
Provides starting looks such as subtle, low-contrast, warm or teal variants.
← Fusion node reference
Color & Image ProcessingAdvanced
ColorToneDiffuser
Soft tonal diffusion and cinematic color shaping
Softens tonal transitions and redistributes color with controlled diffusion, highlight/shadow clipping, falloff and final image adjustments.
ColorToneDiffuser
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
ColorToneDiffuser is a specialized look-development tool that creates soft color diffusion without behaving like a simple Blur. It includes color-space overrides, tonal protection, falloff controls and finishing adjustments.
Overview
What ColorToneDiffuser does
ColorToneDiffuser is a specialized look-development tool that creates soft color diffusion without behaving like a simple Blur. It includes color-space overrides, tonal protection, falloff controls and finishing adjustments.
Mental model
Imagine a diffusion filter that understands tonal regions: soften the color relationship, then protect shadows/highlights and decide where the softness should fall off.
Common uses
Create soft cinematic color diffusion
Smooth harsh tonal transitions
Build warm or teal look foundations
Protect blacks/highlights while softening mids
Add controlled atmospheric softness
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Input
Source image for the operation.
ColorToneDiffuser
Fusion node
Output
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
3D LUT Compatible
Constrains behavior for workflows that need LUT compatibility where possible.
Input Color Space
Defines the color space of the incoming image.
Choose the color space that actually describes the incoming image. A wrong choice changes the meaning of every color value before the effect is evaluated.
Input Gamma
Defines the gamma or log curve of the input.
Select the transfer curve that matches the source. Log, linear and display-referred material need different interpretations.
Resolution
Controls internal diffusion processing resolution.
Diffusion
Turns the main diffusion pass on or off.
Amount
Sets the amount of the effect.
Radius
Sets the radius.
Shadow Clip
Protects darker tones from receiving the full diffusion treatment.
Shadow Threshold
Sets the threshold at which this part of the effect begins to respond.
Shadow Softness
Controls shadow-edge softness.
Highlight Clip
Protects bright tones from being excessively diffused.
Highlight Threshold
Sets the threshold at which this part of the effect begins to respond.
Highlight Softness
Sets the softness of Highlight Softness.
Tone Light Intensity
Sets the intensity of the light-toned diffusion component.
Bias Red / Green / Blue
Sets the RGB bias used to tint the diffusion response.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Apply Falloff Mask
Uses the generated falloff as a mask for the diffusion effect.
Preview Falloff Mask
Shows Preview Falloff Mask as a diagnostic preview.
Falloff Size
Sets the size of the falloff region used to mask the diffusion.
Falloff Softness
Sets the softness of Falloff Softness.
Falloff Amount
Sets how strongly the falloff mask attenuates the diffusion.
Enable Adjustments
Enables the post-diffusion exposure, contrast and saturation adjustments.
Show Advanced Clipping Options
Shows Advanced Clipping Options in the Viewer for setup or diagnostics.
Viewer guides do not normally change the rendered image unless the control explicitly says otherwise.
Exposure
Applies a final exposure adjustment after the diffusion pass.
Contrast
Adjusts image contrast.
Saturation
Adjusts color saturation.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Choose a restrained preset or start neutral.
- 2
Confirm input color space/gamma.
- 3
Enable Diffusion and tune Amount/Radius.
- 4
Protect shadows and highlights with clipping controls.
- 5
Use falloff and final adjustments only after the base diffusion looks right.
Typical node chain
Input→
ColorToneDiffuser→
Output
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Subtle beauty diffusion
Softly blend tonal transitions without losing the whole image to blur.
PlateColorToneDiffuserGrade
Warm diner look
Start from a warm preset and reduce diffusion to taste.
PlateColorToneDiffuserOutput
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Treating it like a normal blur
Ignoring input color-space assumptions
Using strong diffusion plus strong glow and losing detail
Production notes
Practical tips
Keep Amount conservative and evaluate at final resolution.
Use highlight/shadow protection before reducing the entire effect.
Related nodes