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How to use color curves in DaVinci Resolve for precise color grading

DaVinci Resolve curves offer six types of adjustments: Custom curves, Hue Vs Hue, Hue Vs Sat, Hue Vs Lum, Lum Vs Sat, and Sat Vs Sat. This guide covers each curve type and practical grading applications.

How do you use curves for color grading in DaVinci Resolve?

Curves in DaVinci Resolve let you sculpt color and contrast with finer detail than primary wheels. Access them by clicking the curves icon in the center palette below the viewer. Six curve types are available: Custom curves for RGB and luminance, Hue Vs Hue, Hue Vs Sat, Hue Vs Lum, Lum Vs Sat, and Sat Vs Sat. Each curve adjusts a specific relationship between two image properties.

For more DaVinci Resolve tips, read our guide on DaVinci Resolve AI Tools for Colorists and Editors.

Perfect your color grade with How to use the node editor for color grading in DaVinci Resolve.

How do custom curves work in DaVinci Resolve?

Custom curves adjust red, green, blue, and luminance independently. The default view shows a luminance curve with a live histogram behind it. Add control points by clicking on the curve line, then drag to shape the curve. Steeper sections increase contrast, flatter sections reduce it. An S-curve increases contrast by lifting the highlights and lowering the shadows.

Switch between luminance, red, green, and blue curves using the channel buttons at the top. Adjusting the red curve independently lets you add or remove red from specific tonal ranges. For skin tone work, add a control point in the midtones of the red curve and make subtle adjustments.

How does Hue Vs Hue work in Resolve?

The Hue Vs Hue curve lets you change any hue to any other hue. Click on the curve to add a control point, select a hue in the viewer, and drag to shift that hue to a different color. The curve automatically selects the nearest hue range.

Use Hue Vs Hue to subtly alter colors that are slightly off. A sky that appears too cyan can be shifted toward a richer blue. Green foliage can be warmed toward yellow-green. The transition is smooth — nearby hues are affected less than the targeted hue, preventing abrupt color shifts.

How does Hue Vs Sat work in Resolve?

Hue Vs Sat adjusts the saturation of specific hues. Boost the saturation of colors you want to stand out and reduce saturation of distracting elements.

For a landscape, boost the blue of the sky and the green of the foliage while leaving skin tones untouched. For product footage, boost the saturation of the product color specifically. The curve format provides smooth falloff, so saturation changes feel natural rather than abrupt.

How do Lum Vs Sat and Sat Vs Sat work?

Lum Vs Sat adjusts saturation based on luminance levels. Boost saturation in the midtones while reducing it in the shadows to add depth without creating noisy dark areas.

Sat Vs Sat adjusts a specific range of saturation values. Use it to boost moderately saturated colors while leaving already-vibrant colors unchanged, or to reduce oversaturated areas while preserving natural saturation.

How do you choose which curve type to use?

| Curve type | What it adjusts | Best for |

|---|---|---|

| Custom (Luma) | Luminance contrast | Overall contrast, S-curve, film looks |

| Custom (RGB) | Individual color channels | Color casts, white balance refinement |

| Hue Vs Hue | One hue to another | Fixing off-color elements |

| Hue Vs Sat | Saturation of specific hues | Boosting/desaturating specific colors |

| Hue Vs Lum | Brightness of specific hues | Darkening skies, lightening skin |

| Lum Vs Sat | Saturation by brightness | Depth, noise reduction in shadows |

| Sat Vs Sat | Specific saturation ranges | Selective saturation boost |