Color Grading is the creative process of manipulating the colours, tones, and overall visual mood of a video or image after colour correction has established a technically accurate baseline. Where colour correction fixes problems, colour grading makes deliberate artistic choices, shaping the emotional register of the image and contributing to the distinctive visual identity of a project.

Grading decisions include choices about the temperature and hue of highlights, midtones, and shadows; the overall contrast curve; the saturation of specific colour ranges; and the use of colour to reinforce narrative or emotional themes. The teal-and-orange look common in blockbuster films is a grading choice, as is the desaturated bleach bypass associated with war films, the warm golden tones of period dramas, or the cold clinical palette of science fiction thrillers. Professional colourists work in dedicated software such as DaVinci Resolve, applying grades that are both technically precise and creatively intentional.

In AI image and video generation, colour grading language is one of the most effective tools in a prompt for steering the visual mood of an output. Referencing specific looks, cinematic palettes, or named aesthetic styles gives models meaningful guidance that shapes not just the colours but the overall emotional tone of the generated content. Understanding the difference between correction and grading also helps creators communicate more precisely when directing collaborators or describing the visual treatment they are working toward.