| name | post-production-guide |
| description | Color grading direction, retouching guidelines, and export specifications per brand DNA and channel target. Bridges the gap between RAW upload and DNA-scored final. Use when preparing post-production briefs for editors/retouchers. |
| metadata | {"author":"iPix","version":"1.0","category":"post-production","requires":"brand-dna-data, channel-specs"} |
Post-Production Guide
When to Use This Skill
Use when you need to:
- Create color grading direction matched to brand DNA
- Define retouching standards per shot type
- Specify export settings per channel (Shopify, Amazon, Instagram, etc.)
- Brief a retoucher or editor with consistent, reproducible instructions
- Ensure final assets pass DNA compliance after post-production
Core Principle
Post-production is where brand DNA becomes visible. The gap between a RAW file and a final asset is the retoucher's domain. Without clear direction, every editor interprets differently. Specify it once, apply it to every shot.
Post-Production Workflow
RAW SELECTS → COLOR CORRECTION → COLOR GRADING → RETOUCHING → EXPORT → DNA REVIEW
1. COLOR CORRECTION (Technical — get it accurate)
- White balance to target Kelvin
- Exposure normalization
- Shadow/highlight recovery
- Lens distortion correction
- Chromatic aberration removal
2. COLOR GRADING (Creative — match brand DNA)
- Apply brand color profile/LUT
- Tone curve adjustment
- Color channel shifts (warmth, tint)
- Saturation/vibrance targets
- Consistency across all shots in setup
3. RETOUCHING (Cleanup — brand-appropriate level)
- Skin retouching (if models)
- Product cleanup (dust, scratches, threads)
- Background cleanup
- Garment fixes (wrinkles, folds)
- Compositing (if needed)
4. EXPORT (Technical — match channel specs)
- Resolution per channel
- Color space (sRGB, Adobe RGB, P3)
- File format (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP)
- Naming convention
- Metadata embedding
Brand DNA → Color Grade Translation
Warm / Luxury
COLOR PROFILE: Warm Luxury
Target Kelvin: 4800-5200K (slightly warm of neutral)
Tone Curve: Lifted shadows (+10), soft highlights (-5)
Highlights: Warm shift (+5 yellow, +3 magenta)
Shadows: Neutral to slightly warm
Saturation: -10 global, +15 skin tones, +10 warm tones
Vibrance: +5 (subtle richness)
Contrast: Medium-low (flat shadows, soft rolloff)
Black Point: Lifted slightly (no true blacks — matte feel)
REFERENCE: Think Bottega Veneta, Loro Piana, The Row
Cool / Modern
COLOR PROFILE: Cool Modern
Target Kelvin: 5800-6200K (slightly cool)
Tone Curve: Standard S-curve, punchy
Highlights: Cool shift (+3 blue)
Shadows: Cool shift (+5 blue, +2 cyan)
Saturation: +5 global, desaturate warm tones (-10)
Vibrance: +10 (crisp, clean)
Contrast: Medium-high (defined edges)
Black Point: Full black (no lift — clean modern)
REFERENCE: Think Balenciaga, Acne Studios, COS
Neutral / Clean
COLOR PROFILE: Neutral Clean
Target Kelvin: 5500K (daylight neutral)
Tone Curve: Minimal — near-linear
Highlights: No shift
Shadows: No shift
Saturation: 0 global (true to life)
Vibrance: +5 (prevent flatness)
Contrast: Low-medium (accurate representation)
Black Point: True black but not crushed
REFERENCE: Think product photography standard, ecommerce baseline
Dramatic / Editorial
COLOR PROFILE: Dramatic Editorial
Target Kelvin: 5500K base, creative shifts per shot
Tone Curve: Strong S-curve, deep shadows
Highlights: Per creative direction
Shadows: Crushed or color-shifted per mood
Saturation: Selective — pop hero colors, desaturate background
Vibrance: Variable
Contrast: High (strong directional light emphasized)
Black Point: Deep (dramatic mood)
REFERENCE: Think Versace, Alexander McQueen, editorial magazines
Natural / Organic
COLOR PROFILE: Natural Organic
Target Kelvin: Match ambient (golden hour 3500K, overcast 6500K)
Tone Curve: Gentle, preserve natural light feel
Highlights: Warm if golden hour, neutral if overcast
Shadows: Open, natural
Saturation: -5 to -15 (muted, earthy)
Vibrance: +5 (greens and earth tones)
Contrast: Low (airy, light)
Black Point: Lifted (dreamy, soft)
REFERENCE: Think Patagonia, Everlane, Reformation
Retouching Standards by Shot Type
Product — Clean / White Background
RETOUCHING LEVEL: High precision
Skin: N/A
Product: Remove ALL dust, threads, scratches, fingerprints
Straighten seams, align patterns
Ensure color accuracy to physical sample
Background: Pure white (255, 255, 255) or per brand spec
No shadows unless specified in brief
Garment: Remove all wrinkles except natural drape
Pin marks removed
Tags hidden/removed
Compositing: Drop shadow or reflection if specified
Time target: 15-20 min per shot
Lifestyle
RETOUCHING LEVEL: Light — maintain authenticity
Skin: Light frequency separation (remove blemishes only)
NO skin smoothing, NO reshaping
Maintain natural skin texture and color
Product: Light cleanup (visible dust/threads only)
Maintain garment as it naturally falls
Background: Minimal — remove only truly distracting elements
Do NOT sanitize the environment
Garment: Minor wrinkle reduction only if unnatural
Keep natural movement and drape
Color: Maintain ambient light character
Time target: 10-15 min per shot
Editorial / Beauty
RETOUCHING LEVEL: Medium-high — polished but real
Skin: Frequency separation for blemishes
Dodge and burn for shape/dimension
Even skin tone (remove redness, blotchiness)
Maintain pores and texture (NO plastic look)
Eye enhancement: slight brighten, sharpen
Product: Full cleanup — every detail matters
Color accuracy critical
Background: Clean seamless — remove any marks, seams
Garment: Smooth major wrinkles, maintain structure
Pattern alignment if visible
Hair: Remove flyaways that break silhouette
Maintain natural volume and movement
Time target: 25-40 min per shot
Detail / Macro
RETOUCHING LEVEL: Minimal — accuracy over aesthetics
Skin: N/A
Product: Remove ONLY non-product elements (dust on lens, etc.)
Do NOT remove real product characteristics
Stitching, texture, grain = keep as-is
Background: Depth-of-field blur is natural — don't alter
Sharpening: Apply capture sharpening to subject area only
Do NOT over-sharpen (haloing = reject)
Color: True-to-life, match physical sample
Time target: 5-10 min per shot
Export Specifications by Channel
Shopify / Direct Ecommerce
PRIMARY PRODUCT IMAGES:
Format: JPEG (quality 85-90) or WebP
Resolution: 2048 x 2048px (square) — Shopify auto-resizes
Color space: sRGB
Background: Pure white (#FFFFFF) or brand-specified
DPI: 72
Max size: 20MB (Shopify limit) — target <2MB for speed
Naming: {sku}_{view}_{sequence}.jpg
e.g., ME-SS26-001_front_01.jpg
VARIANT IMAGES:
Same specs, naming includes variant:
{sku}_{color}_{view}_{sequence}.jpg
Amazon
MAIN IMAGE:
Format: JPEG or PNG
Resolution: 2000 x 2000px minimum (for zoom)
Color space: sRGB
Background: Pure white (RGB 255,255,255)
DPI: 72
Product: Must fill 85%+ of frame
Naming: {asin}_MAIN.jpg
ADDITIONAL IMAGES:
Up to 8 additional images
Infographics, lifestyle, detail allowed
Text overlays permitted on non-main images
Naming: {asin}_PT01.jpg through {asin}_PT08.jpg
Instagram
FEED POSTS:
Format: JPEG (quality 90+)
Resolution: 1080 x 1350px (4:5 portrait — max feed real estate)
1080 x 1080px (square — alternative)
Color space: sRGB
Naming: {brand}_{campaign}_{sequence}.jpg
STORIES / REELS:
Format: JPEG or MP4
Resolution: 1080 x 1920px (9:16)
Video: H.264, AAC audio, <4GB
Naming: {brand}_{campaign}_story_{sequence}
CAROUSEL:
All images same dimensions within carousel
Max 10 slides
TikTok
VIDEO:
Format: MP4 (H.264)
Resolution: 1080 x 1920px (9:16)
Duration: 15s / 30s / 60s (platform optimized)
FPS: 30 or 60
Audio: AAC, stereo
Max size: 287MB
Print (Lookbook / Catalog)
Format: TIFF (uncompressed) or PSD (layered)
Resolution: 300 DPI at final print size
Color space: Adobe RGB (for wider gamut)
Convert to CMYK at print stage
Bleed: 3mm on all sides
Naming: {brand}_{season}_{page}_{position}.tiff
Consistency Checklist
BATCH CONSISTENCY — Apply to ALL shots in a setup group:
- [ ] White balance identical across setup (±50K tolerance)
- [ ] Exposure within 1/3 stop across setup
- [ ] Shadow density consistent
- [ ] Highlight rolloff consistent
- [ ] Skin tone consistent across all model shots
- [ ] Product color matches physical sample
- [ ] Background tone/density consistent
- [ ] Sharpening settings identical within setup
- [ ] Export settings identical within channel batch
CROSS-SETUP CONSISTENCY:
- [ ] Brand color grade applied to all setups
- [ ] Skin tone bridge between studio and location
- [ ] Product color matches across different lighting setups
Validation
