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How do you add color correction to a layer in Premiere Pro?

By: Author Color With Leo

Color correcting specific layers in your footage can be a powerful technique for achieving the look you want in your video projects. With Adobe Premiere Pro, you have several color correction tools at your disposal to adjust the colors of individual layers.

Use the Lumetri Color Panel

The Lumetri Color panel in Premiere Pro gives you advanced color grading capabilities right within the app. Here are the steps to color correct a specific layer using Lumetri Color:

  1. Select the layer you want to adjust in the Timeline panel.
  2. Open the Lumetri Color panel by going to Window > Lumetri Color.
  3. In the Basic Correction tab, adjust the Temperature and Tint sliders to balance the white point.
  4. Use the Contrast slider to increase or decrease the contrast.
  5. Adjust the Hue, Saturation, and Luminance controls for specific color ranges.
  6. Switch to the Curves tab and fine-tune the RGB channels with custom curves.
  7. Use the Color Wheels to make targeted adjustments to the Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights.
  8. Switch between the before and after views with the Comparison button to preview your adjustments.

The Lumetri Color panel gives you granular control over every aspect of the color and tonality. Using its advanced grading tools on specific layers gives you a surgical precision you can’t get from global color corrections.

Try Color Grading Presets

The Lumetri Color panel includes a large library of premade Color Grading presets you can apply to your layers. Here’s how to use them:

  1. With your layer selected, open Lumetri Color and click the Presets tab.
  2. Browse through the different Color Grading folders based on genres like Cinematic, Urban, Film Looks, and more.
  3. Hover over a preset to preview it on your layer, then click to apply it.
  4. Tweak the preset with the other Lumetri Color controls until you achieve the desired look.

The presets give you an easy starting point or inspiration for color correcting your layer footage. Try combining multiple presets for different creative effects.

Adjust with Color Balance

The Color Balance effect is another fast way to color grade layers in Premiere Pro. Here are the steps:

  1. Go to Effects > Color Correction > Color Balance.
  2. Drag the effect onto the layer you want to change.
  3. Open the Effect Controls panel.
  4. Adjust the color wheels to shift the tones to your preferred values.
  5. Click the Image icon next to Color Balance to reset the effect.

Color Balance provides high-level primary color corrections using an intuitive wheel interface. Give it a try for color matching footage from different cameras or lighting conditions.

Correct with Fast Color Corrector

For quick and easy color adjustments, use the Fast Color Corrector:

  1. Locate Fast Color Corrector under the Color Correction effects.
  2. Add it to the layer you want to adjust.
  3. In the Effect Controls, tweak the Temperature and Tint to balance the white point.
  4. Use the Saturation control to mute or boost color intensity as needed.
  5. Adjust Brightness and Contrast to shape the luminosity and tonality.

The Fast Color Corrector provides essential color tuning capabilities in a streamlined interface. Try it when you need to do simple corrections to get your footage looking its best.

Use Color Correction Presets

Along with color grading presets, Lumetri Color includes a wide array of Color Correction presets tailored for specific issues. Here is how to use them:

  1. With your layer selected, open Lumetri Color and click the Presets tab.
  2. Open the Color Correction folder.
  3. Browse presets like Faded Video, Overexposed Footage, Cool Shadows, and more.
  4. Click a preset to instantly apply the color adjustments to your layer.
  5. Tweak the preset as needed to target the color issues with your footage.

The pre-built Color Correction presets offer quick fixes for common color problems. They provide a starting point for breathing new life into lackluster footage.

Add a Black & White Adjustment Layer

For a stylized black and white look, add an adjustment layer over your target layer:

  1. Create a new adjustment layer by clicking Layer > New > Adjustment Layer.
  2. Place the adjustment layer over your clip in the timeline.
  3. Go to Effects > Color Correction > Black & White.
  4. Drag and drop the effect onto the adjustment layer.
  5. Customize the effect settings like Contrast, Brightness and Mix.

The adjustment layer applies the effect to the layers beneath it. Use this technique when you want to desaturate specific clips while leaving others in color.

Use Blend Modes

Blend modes offer creative ways to blend layers together to create color effects. Here’s how they work:

  1. Select the top layer which you want to blend with the layer below it.
  2. In the Effects Controls panel, choose a Blend Mode like Screen, Overlay or Soft Light.
  3. Adjust the Opacity to fine-tune the intensity of the blend effect.
  4. Experiment with different blend modes and opacity values to create unique looks.

Blend modes like Screen and Overlay boost color vibrance. Soft Light and Hard Light darken or lighten colors. Get creative with blend modes on adjustment layers, footage, graphics and more.

Use Color Pass Effects

For advanced control over color adjustments, try color pass effects like Tint and Tritone. Here’s how they work:

  1. Add the Tint effect to a layer and pick a color to tint the footage.
  2. Use Tritone to map the shadows, midtones, and highlights each to a different color.
  3. Adjust the Color Mapping controls to create stylistic color shifts.
  4. Blend the effect with the original layer color using the Mix slider.

Color pass effects open up creative possibilities like monochromatic looks and split toning. Have fun experimenting with colorizing layers in new ways.

Mask Out Sections

For even more control, you can limit color adjustments to specific regions using masks:

  1. Apply the effect you want to use, like Lumetri Color.
  2. Create a mask layer to conceal part of the layer below.
  3. Draw a mask shape around the area you want to affect with color changes.
  4. Invert the mask if needed so the color adjustments only apply inside the mask.

Masking lets you selectively color grade parts of the frame while protecting others. Use it when you need to isolate adjustment layers or effects.

Animate Color Corrections

Premiere Pro allows you to animate your color adjustments for dynamic grading over time. Here’s how:

  1. Apply a color correction like Lumetri Color to the target layer.
  2. Use the stopwatch to add keyframes for the effect properties you want to animate.
  3. Move the playhead and change the effect values at different points.
  4. Watch the color adjustments smoothly transition between your keyframes.

Animating color properties brings your video to life. Create looks that intensify with the music beat, gradually desaturate over time, or match the colors on screen.

Copy and Paste Effects

Once you have color adjustments dialed in, save time by copying and pasting them between layers:

  1. Right-click the edited layer and select Copy.
  2. Right-click the new layer and choose Paste Attributes.
  3. In thedialog box, check the box for Effects.
  4. Click OK to paste the color correction settings.

Copying and pasting effects is a quick shortcut for applying consistent grading across your sequence. Adjust paste attributes as needed per clip.

Conclusion

Color correcting layers unlocks immense creative possibilities in Premiere Pro. Use Lumetri Color for pro-level grading and adjustments. Try preset effects for quick fixes. Animate corrections over time for dynamic results. With these techniques, you can color grade your multi-layer sequences with surgical precision in Premiere Pro.