# Color grading

Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/color-grading
Last updated: 2026-10-08

> Definition: Color grading is the process of adjusting a video's colour, contrast and brightness to create a particular look or mood, usually after color correction has fixed exposure and white balance so shots match.

Color grading is where footage gets its mood. The same shot can feel warm and nostalgic, cool and clinical, or punchy and modern depending on how colour and contrast are pushed. In a professional workflow it's the last creative pass on the picture, done after the edit is locked.

## Color correction vs color grading: what's the difference?

Color correction makes footage accurate, and color grading makes it expressive.

| | Color correction | Color grading |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Natural, consistent picture | A mood or style |
| Typical changes | Exposure, white balance, contrast, matching shots | Colour shifts, contrast style, saturation, film looks |
| Order | First | After correction |
| Example | Fixing a too-blue window shot | Teal shadows and warm skin for a cinematic feel |

Correction should always come first. A creative look on top of a badly exposed or off-white-balance shot amplifies the problem. A [LUT](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/lut) is one common way to apply a grade.

## How is color grading used in YouTube, short-form and product videos?

In creator and product video, grading is mostly about consistency and skin. YouTube creators often keep a signature look so every video, and every thumbnail, feels like the same channel. Short-form videos lean toward bright, clean, slightly saturated images that stand out in a feed. Product demos benefit from neutral, accurate colour so the interface looks like the real thing, with grading limited to the speaker footage.

## What's an example of a simple grade?

A founder recorded by a window looks blue and a bit dark. Correction first: raise exposure slightly, warm the temperature until the white wall reads white, lift the shadows. Then a light grade: a touch more contrast, slightly lower saturation in the background, warmer skin. The shot now matches the rest of the video and feels calm and premium.

## How do you color grade in Vidiyo?

Vidiyo's colour tools are basic but cover correction and simple looks. Each video or image clip has a Colour section with exposure, contrast, shadows, highlights, saturation, vibrance, temperature and tint, plus one-click looks (warm daylight, clean studio, soft skin, muted editorial, teal and orange, film fade and more) that fill those sliders and stay editable. You can also ask in chat: "this looks too blue, match it to the other shots". The assistant reads measured brightness, clipped highlights, saturation and warmth from rendered frames before adjusting. There are no curves, colour wheels or LUT imports. The one exception to whole-frame grading is a person matte: the assistant can cut the speaker out and grade or blur the room behind them separately.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between color correction and color grading?

Color correction fixes problems so footage looks natural and shots match: exposure, white balance, contrast. Color grading comes after and is creative: it sets a mood or a signature look.

### Do I need to color grade talking-head videos?

Usually only lightly. Most talking-head footage needs correction (brightness, white balance, natural skin) more than a strong grade. A subtle, consistent look across videos helps the channel feel cohesive.

### Can Vidiyo color grade?

At a basic level. Each clip has exposure, contrast, shadows, highlights, saturation, vibrance, temperature and tint sliders, plus one-click looks. There are no curves, colour wheels or LUT support.

## Related terms

- [LUT](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/lut)
- [Talking-head video](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/talking-head-video)
- [B-roll](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/b-roll)

## Where Vidiyo does this

- [Edit video by chatting](https://getvidiyo.app/features/chat-video-editing)