Understanding the Colour Wheels: Lift, Gamma, Gain & Offset in DaVinci Resolve
Understanding the Color Wheels in DaVinci Resolve: Lift, Gamma, Gain & Offset
Master the colourgrading basics in DaVinci Resolve by learning how Lift, Gamma, Gain, and Offset work. An essential guide for filmmakers and editors learning to colourgrade.
Introduction: Why the Color Wheels Matter in Colourgrading
If you're diving into the world of colourgrading, one of the first tools you’ll encounter in DaVinci Resolve is the Color Wheels panel—specifically, Lift, Gamma, Gain, and Offset.
These four wheels form the foundation of every professional colourgrade, offering precise control over the look and feel of your footage.
In this post, we’ll break down:
What each wheel does
When to use them
How they interact to shape your grade
Whether you're working on a short film, music video, or commercial, learning these tools will elevate your colourgrading workflow.
COLOURGRADING WHEELS IN DAVINCI RESOLVE
What Are the Color Wheels in DaVinci Resolve?
The Color Wheels in DaVinci Resolve let you adjust the:
Shadows (Lift)
Midtones (Gamma)
Highlights (Gain)
Entire image (Offset)
Each wheel adjusts both colour balance and luminance in its range. These wheels are essential tools for:
Balancing contrast
Fixing white balance issues
Creating mood through colour
Matching shots in a scene
Lift – Controlling the Shadows
Lift targets the darkest parts of your image—your shadows and blacks.
Brightness: Raise or lower shadow luminance
Colour: Add or remove colour tint in shadows
When to use Lift:
To crush blacks for contrast
To cool down shadows for a moody look
To remove unwanted colour casts in the low end
Pro tip: Watch your scopes (Waveform or Parade) to avoid crushing too much detail during your colourgrade.
Gamma – Shaping the Midtones
Gamma adjusts the midrange tones, which includes most skin tones and details.
Ideal for face and exposure balancing
Helps shape warmth or coolness without affecting shadows or highlights
When to use Gamma:
To brighten skin tones
To add warmth to daylight scenes
To soften harsh mids
Pro tip: Use the Vectorscope to keep skin tones accurate when colourgrading interviews or narrative content.
Gain – Lifting the Highlights
Gain controls the brightest parts of your image—like skies, reflections, and backlights.
Increase Gain to add pop and clarity to highlights
Add colour tint to stylise your lighting (e.g. sunset warmth or winter blue)
When to use Gain:
To create cinematic contrast
To apply stylised bloom
To prevent highlights from feeling flat
Pro tip: Go light with Gain. Avoid clipping highlights and preserve texture in whites.
Offset – Global Image Control
Offset shifts the entire image—shadows, mids, and highlights—together in brightness and colour.
Acts as a master exposure control
Useful for setting the overall tone of a grade
When to use Offset:
At the start of your colourgrade to create a neutral base
At the end to make global adjustments to mood and tone
Pro tip: Use Offset for large creative moves, then refine using the other wheels.
How to Use the Wheels Together
Think of the four wheels as a team:
Lift is the bass, grounding your shadows
Gamma is the melody, defining midtone structure
Gain is the sparkle, brightening the top end
Offset is the overall mix, tying it all together
For a clean and professional colourgrade:
Start with Offset to level your exposure
Use Lift to dial in the shadows
Use Gamma to shape mids and skin
Finish with Gain to polish highlights
Always check your scopes to keep the grade balanced.
Conclusion: Mastering the Wheels in Your Colourgrading Workflow
Understanding how to use Lift, Gamma, Gain, and Offset is essential for any filmmaker or colourist using DaVinci Resolve. These four wheels form the backbone of any successful colourgrade—providing balance, emotion, and visual impact.
With regular practice, they become intuitive tools that empower your storytelling.
Next Steps
This article is part of an ongoing series about colourgrading in DaVinci Resolve. Check out the next post
