Photoshop does not have one colour grading panel. It has several tools that can each produce a look, and that is why grading in Photoshop feels harder than in Lightroom. Pick the right one for the job and it is quicker than it looks.
What are the ways to colour grade in Photoshop?
| Method | Where it is | Best for | Editable later? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera Raw Filter, Color Grading | Filter > Camera Raw Filter | Shadow, midtone and highlight tints, like Lightroom | Yes, as a Smart Filter |
| Color Lookup | Adjustment layer | Applying a LUT (.cube, .3dl, .look) | Yes, with opacity |
| Curves | Adjustment layer | Precise contrast and per-channel colour | Yes |
| Gradient Map | Adjustment layer on Soft Light or Color | Strong stylised looks, duotones | Yes |
Selective Color, Color Balance and Hue/Saturation are useful too, for fixing a single colour inside a grade.
How do you colour grade with Camera Raw in Photoshop?
Camera Raw has the same Color Grading panel as Lightroom: wheels for shadows, midtones and highlights, a global wheel, and Blending and Balance sliders.
- Convert the layer to a Smart Object (right-click the layer, Convert to Smart Object), so the filter stays editable.
- Open Filter > Camera Raw Filter.
- Correct white balance and exposure in the Basic panel first.
- In Color Grading, push the shadows and highlights a short distance towards your colours, and use Blending to soften the split.
- Click OK. Double-click the filter in the Layers panel to change it later.
Colour grading in Lightroom goes through the wheels in more detail; they behave the same in Camera Raw.
How do you apply a LUT in Photoshop?
Use a Color Lookup adjustment layer:
- Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Lookup.
- In the Properties panel, open the 3DLUT File menu and choose Load 3D LUT.
- Pick your
.cube,.3dlor.lookfile. - Lower the layer's opacity if the look is too strong. Opacity works as a strength dial.
The LUT applies to every layer below it. What a .cube file is covers the format, and what a LUT is covers the idea.
How do you colour grade with Curves?
Curves is the most precise tool, and the basis of most classic looks:
- RGB curve: a gentle S for contrast. Lift the bottom-left point for faded blacks.
- Blue channel: raise the shadows for cool shadows, lower the highlights for warmer highlights.
- Red channel: small lifts in the midtones warm skin.
Small moves are enough. A Curves layer set to the Color blend mode changes colour without changing contrast.
When is a Gradient Map the right tool?
For strong, stylised looks. A Gradient Map replaces each tone with a colour from a gradient, dark to light. On its own that looks extreme; on the Soft Light blend mode at 10 to 30% opacity it becomes a subtle tint across the tonal range. It is also the fastest way to make a duotone.
What order should a Photoshop grade follow?
- Correct white balance and exposure.
- Add contrast with Curves.
- Add the look: Camera Raw Color Grading, a LUT, or a Gradient Map.
- Fix single colours (skin, sky, greens) with Hue/Saturation or Selective Color.
- Check skin at 100%. Skin tones are the part a grade must not break.
How do you colour grade a whole folder in Photoshop?
Photoshop can repeat a grade, but it takes setup:
- Record an Action while you apply the grade to one photo, including Save As.
- Run it with File > Automate > Batch on a source folder, with a destination folder for the results.
It works, and it applies exactly the same grade to every photo with no per-photo strength. Photoshop batch edit walks through the action and its usual errors.
If the grade is a LUT, BatchTone is a Mac app that applies one .cube to a whole folder of photos and clips, with a live preview and a strength slider on each file. Originals are never modified and nothing is uploaded. It has no layers or masks: keep retouching in Photoshop and use it when one look has to go on hundreds of files. The seven-day trial has everything unlocked; after that it is one in-app purchase.
Download BatchTone free on the Mac App Store
Common questions
Does Photoshop have a colour grading panel?
Not as a separate panel. The Color Grading wheels are inside the Camera Raw Filter, the same ones as in Lightroom.
Can Photoshop open .cube LUTs?
Yes. A Color Lookup adjustment layer loads .cube, .3dl and .look files through Load 3D LUT.
What is the best way to colour grade in Photoshop for beginners?
The Camera Raw Filter on a Smart Object. It has sliders and wheels instead of channels and blend modes, and it stays editable.
Is colour grading in Photoshop better than in Lightroom?
Lightroom is faster for a set of photos. Photoshop is better for one photo that also needs retouching, masks or compositing.
Can I save a Photoshop grade as a LUT?
Yes. With the grade made from adjustment layers, File > Export > Color Lookup Tables saves it as a .cube you can use in other apps. How to create a LUT covers this and the other ways.