User Guide - Working with Images in Color.io

Working with Images

Illustration of preview media and 3D LUT tools like rgb cubes  for creative color grading

The Color.io app enables color grading of one or multiple images simultaneously. Images can be loaded by clicking "Open Images" in an empty scene or clicking on + (plus icon) at the bottom right of the viewport, next to any images you may have already opened. You can also drag and drop images onto the app interface.

Supported formats

Color.io supports almost all image formats from almost all cameras. You can use Color.io to open, edit and convert the following image file formats directly in your browser:
.heic .jpg .tiff .dpx .png .dng .cr2 .cr3 .arw .nef .raf .dc2 .rdc .bay .crw .cap .dcs .dcr .drf .eip .erf .fff .iiq .k25 .kdc .mdc .mef .mos .mrw .nrw .obm .orf .pef .ptx .pxn .raw .rwl .Rw2 .rwz .sr2 .srf .srw .x3f .3fr

RAW Development with VisionLog

Split screen comparison of raw image with film emulation. Shot by Maksim Isotomin

RAW development in Color.io utilizes the VisionLog RAW interpreter which debayers raw  data into an ultra-wide-gamut, high dynamic range base image. This unique logarithmic approach to RAW processing is an ideal choice for capturing all detail in both the highlights and shadows of an image, serving as an exceptional starting point for color grading.

To begin working with RAW images, select your files from disk. Once you have loaded your images, it's time to select your Input Color Space. For RAW files, the recommended input color spaces are VisionLog, ProPhoto, or Adobe RGB. You can select these by navigating to the Input Color Space dropdown in the top bar. Once you've made your choice, you can proceed with further color grading, confident that these color space options will provide a high-fidelity base for your creative color transforms.

Crop & Rotate your images

The Crop and Rotate tool is one of the essential features in Color.io, a professional-grade image editing tool that allows you to manipulate the size and orientation of your image.
This guide will walk you through how to use the Crop and Rotate tool effectively.

Access Crop & Rotation by clicking on Edit next to the image gallery at the bottom of the viewport. This will open your selected image in the Image Editor. Your image will now have a highlighted rectangle with 4 corners that can be adjusted. Drag the corners of this rectangle to define your desired crop area.If you need a specific aspect ratio (like 1:1, 16:9, etc.), click on the Aspect Ratio buttons at the bottom of the workspace. Select your preferred ratio and your crop area will adjust to it.

To adjust the rotation of your image, simply drag the rotation slider to a specific angle. Your image is automatically maintained inside of the crop rectangle to prevent any dead space.

Shortcuts: If you want to cancel your changes, click on the Cancel button at the top of the workspace or press Esc on your keyboard. To confirm your changes click Done or hit Return ↵ on your keyboard. Any changes made using the Crop and Rotate tool are non-destructive. You can always re-open the editor and click Reset and both crop and rotation will be reverted to the original.

Edit multiple images per scene

In Color.io, your workspace is divided into Scenes, which are tabs that allow you to work on multiple color grades in the same window. Each scene can contain one or multiple images. All images loaded into a single scene share the same color grade. This is great for batch editing image sequences or developing 3D LUTs that should work across a variety of footage. You can select multiple images with Shift ⇧ + Click to display them in an automatically laid-out grid and see your live color grade on all images at the same time. You can cycle through all the loaded images in a scene using the left/right keyboard arrow keys, allowing you to preview each image and make necessary adjustments to the color grade. Batch exporting also works by selecting all images you want to export at the same time.

Pro Tip: If you want to create variations of the same color grade for multiple images, simply open these images in separate scenes and copy your color grades between them. Head to to Scenes section of the user guide to learn how to copy settings from scene to another.

Image Privacy

Color.io has been created with your complete privacy in mind. This is why all image processing happens offline and on your local device. Your images are never uploaded to a server and are not visible in analytics tools or bug trackers - pinky swear! (You may also independently verify this by inspecting the network traffic of your browser)

Color.io

With Color.io you can edit images and build 3D LUTs with a powerful online raw developer and analog film look designer for photographers and filmmakers. Craft stunning film color in record time that works for any camera, in any software and on any device, directly in your browser.