Resolve 11 – Introduction To Lab Mode Grading

In this Insight, we take a look at a brand new way of grading that may be familiar to some photographers. We normally grade in RGB mode which is Red, Green, and Blue. We manipulate each pixel on screen but the end result is always an RGB adjustment.

This is where LAB mode comes in. It splits our image up into Lightness and then two color channels called A and B. A contains the Magenta and Green channels and B contains the Yellow and Blue channels. This allows us to make some very fun adjustments and also have much tighter control of our image. LAB is not better or worse than RGB grading it’s just different!

Check out my video insight below to see me introducing how to build a LAB mode node tree and also don’t forget to save this set up in your Power Grades so you can instantly call this up at a later date from your colorist toolbox!

Additional Resources

If you’re like me and LAB is a brand new concept to you it may be worth checking out this book that is the bible of LAB grading in photoshop. I for one have ordered a copy and will be setting my brain to sponge mode and try and soak up all the LAB mode goodness.

– Dan