color-grading-fundamentals

name	color-grading-fundamentals
description	Use when grading video color. Color grading shapes mood + style. Goes beyond white balance.

Color Grading Fundamentals

Color grading = stylistic color choices. Separate from color correction (fixing color). Brand-aligned look across all videos.

Color correction vs grading

Correction (fix problems):

1. Match white balance
2. Match exposure across shots
3. Match skin tones
4. Remove color cast

Grading (stylistic):

1. Add warm/cool tint
2. Lift shadows or deepen blacks
3. Color story (orange + blue, etc.)
4. Vintage / modern look

Common grades

1. Natural — realistic, accurate skin tones
2. Warm cinematic — orange highlights, teal shadows
3. Cool/clinical — slight blue cast, neutral skin
4. Vintage film — yellowed, low contrast
5. High-contrast modern — punchy, saturated
6. Bleach bypass — desaturated, high contrast
7. Black & white — full conversion

Grading tools

1. DaVinci Resolve (free or Studio) — industry-standard
2. Final Cut Pro Color Board (Apple)
3. Adobe Premiere Lumetri (Adobe ecosystem)
4. LUTs (Lookup Tables) — pre-made grades, apply with one click
5. Custom grades — manual color wheels, curves

Where this fits in the X3 empire

Color grading approach for CardPrepAI brand video aesthetic.