How to Color Grade in Premiere Pro (5 Simple Steps)

Trying to make your footage look more polished or cinematic? Whether you're aiming for moody drama or just fixing a washed-out shot, color grading is where the magic happens.

The good news? You don’t need a Hollywood setup. Adobe Premiere Pro has everything you need built right in, and once you get the hang of it, it’s actually kind of fun.

Here’s how to color grade in Premiere Pro in five easy steps.

1. Open the Lumetri Color workspace

1. Go to the top menu and click Window
2. Then select Workspaces > Color

This opens up the Lumetri Color panel on the right side of your screen and gives you a better layout for grading. If it doesn’t show up right away, make sure Lumetri Color is checked under Window > Lumetri Color.

2. Select the clip you want to grade

1. Click on the clip in your timeline that needs grading
2. Make sure it’s highlighted so any changes apply only to that clip

If you're working with multiple clips from the same scene, it's helpful to color grade one first, then copy those settings over later.

3. Make basic corrections

Inside the Lumetri Color panel, go to the Basic Correction section:

• Adjust White Balance using Temperature and Tint
• Fix brightness with Exposure, Highlights, and Shadows
• Add depth with Contrast
• Boost or tone down colors with Saturation

Tip: You can hit Auto as a starting point and tweak from there.

4. Add creative looks or styles

In the Creative section of Lumetri:

• Apply built-in LUTs (Look-Up Tables) for instant styles
• Adjust Vibrance, add a faded film effect, or sharpen details
• Tint highlights or shadows for moodier tones

You can hover over LUTs before applying them to preview different looks quickly. Hover over the dropdown menu and scroll up or down.

5. Fine-tune with curves and color wheels

For more control:

• Use Curves to adjust specific tonal ranges (like lifting shadows)
• Use Color Wheels & Match to tweak shadows, midtones, and highlights separately
• Add a subtle vignette under the Vignette section if needed

These tools help dial in your final look once you've got your base correction done.

Once you're happy with one clip:

1. Right-click it in the timeline
2. Choose Copy
3. Right-click another clip
4. Choose Paste Attributes...
5. Make sure Lumetri Color is checked, and hit OK

Copy & Paste shortcuts :

• Windows: Ctrl + Alt + C / Ctrl + Alt + V
• Mac: Cmd + Option + C / Cmd + Option + V

That pastes all your color settings onto another clip instantly.

Wrapping Up

Color grading might seem intimidating at first, but once you understand how each tool works inside Lumetri Color, it becomes way more approachable. Start simple. Fix exposure and white balance, then build from there with creative tweaks and fine-tuning tools like curves or wheels.

The more you practice, the faster you'll get at spotting what a shot needs just by looking at it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Lumetri on an adjustment layer?

Yes, you can apply Lumetri Color to an adjustment layer. Just drag an adjustment layer above your clips, select it, then open the Lumetri Color panel and make your changes there. This lets you apply the same grade across multiple clips at once without editing each one individually.

How do you color grade in Premiere Pro?

1. Open the Color workspace
2. Select your clip
3. Use Basic Correction for exposure and white balance
4. Apply creative looks under Creative tab
5. Fine-tune using Curves or Color Wheels

Start simple before adding advanced tweaks like LUTs or vignettes.

Which panel is used for color grading in Premiere Pro?

The main panel used for color grading is called Lumetri Color. You’ll find it under Window > Lumetri Color or by switching to the “Color” workspace at the top of Premiere Pro.

How do you do the color effect in Premiere Pro?

To create a stylized color effect:

1. Select your clip
2. Open Lumetri Color panel
3. Go to Creative tab
4. Choose a Look (LUT) or adjust Vibrance/Tint/Saturation manually

You can also use Curves for more dramatic changes like split toning or stylized contrast shifts.