Studio 21.1.1
← All 100 how-to guidesGUIDE 057 / 100
COLOR FOUNDATIONS

How to set up color management for log footage

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

Color management separates source interpretation from the working space and display output. It makes mixed cameras easier to handle when each input is identified correctly.

Before you begin

Open Color, select the intended clip, and confirm the project color pipeline.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Color Management project settings
Color Management project settings Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 230. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Open Project Settings > Color Management and choose DaVinci YRGB Color Managed for a managed workflow.
  2. Use a suitable preset or custom settings for the intended input, working, and output pipeline. For an SDR project, explicitly choose the intended SDR output.
  3. Check each camera clip’s input color space. Assign the correct camera gamut and log curve where metadata is missing or wrong.
  4. Remove redundant conversion LUTs or transforms, then balance a representative shot and export a short reference for comparison.

Check your result

Log sources display with sensible contrast and different cameras respond consistently within the chosen pipeline.

If it doesn’t work as expected

“Log” is not one universal color space. Using the wrong camera curve can create subtle errors even when the picture appears approximately correct.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Color pipelines & finishing

Go deeper with the course’s explanations, exercises, and knowledge checks.

Open module 08 →
← PREVIOUS GUIDEInstall and apply a LUTNEXT GUIDE →Copy a grade to another clip

Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.