How to Use ColorSlice in DaVinci Resolve (With Real-World Use Cases & Step-by-Step Workflows)

The ColorSlice tool in DaVinci Resolve lets me refine specific colour ranges using density, saturation, and hue for a more cinematic, film-style grade.

The ColorSlice tool in DaVinci Resolve lets me refine specific colour ranges using density, saturation, and hue for a more cinematic, film-style grade.

Since upgrading to DaVinci Resolve 19 (and now Resolve 20), ColorSlice has become one of the features I use most during colour grading — especially on branded content, interviews, and event films I cut for clients across London.

ColorSlice is a secondary colour-grading tool designed to isolate and adjust specific colour ranges such as skin tones, reds, yellows, greens, cyans, blues, and magentas using simple hue, saturation, and density controls. It offers a faster, more intuitive way to shape colour compared to traditional masking or HSL curves.

It’s not a flashy tool, and it doesn’t shout about what it’s doing.But once you understand how it behaves, it replaces a lot of slow, fiddly secondary work and gets you to a more cinematic, controlled look much faster.

ColorSlice works using a subtractive saturation model, closer to how film stock responds to colour. As colours become more saturated, they naturally grow denser and darker — not brighter and digital-looking.

For real-world client footage, that makes a huge difference.

This is how I actually use ColorSlice on projects — and why it’s now baked into my Resolve workflow.

What ColorSlice Does in DaVinci Resolve

ColorSlice is a secondary colour-grading tool in DaVinci Resolve 19 and 20, designed for refining specific colour ranges once your primary grade is in place.

In practical terms, that means:

• It works after your primaries, not instead of them

• It uses a subtractive saturation model, so colours stay controlled rather than pushed

• It’s built for targeted colour adjustments (skin, foliage, skies, clothing)

• You’ll find it on the Color Page, next to Curves

  
  

  Think of it as a refinement layer — not a fixer, and not a look-creator.

Where ColorSlice Fits in My Workflow

I always use ColorSlice after I’ve finished my primaries.

That means:

• Exposure is set

• White balance is clean

• Contrast and overall look are established

Once the image feels stable, I move into secondaries — and that’s where ColorSlice comes in.

I treat it as a refinement tool, not a fixer.

On commercial and event work, it often replaces:

• Manual HSL qualifiers

• Overuse of curves

• Third-party skin plugins

Step-by-Step: Your First ColorSlice Grade

Here’s the basic sequence I follow when using ColorSlice on a shot:

1. Finish your primaries Set exposure, white balance, contrast and overall look first.

2. Open ColorSlice Go to the Color Page and select the ColorSlice panel (next to Curves).

3. Choose a colour vector Pick the hue range you want to work on (e.g. skin, foliage, sky).

4. Highlight the target colour Use the highlight view to isolate what ColorSlice is affecting.

5. Centre the selection Refine the range so it’s focused and clean.

6. Adjust density Control how strongly the colour is affected.

7. Tweak saturation Subtractive control keeps colours natural and balanced.

8. Fine-tune hue Nudge colour direction without breaking the image.

9. Use global controls Make subtle overall refinements if needed.

This keeps the grade controlled, repeatable, and client-safe.

Why ColorSlice Works So Well for Client Work

Most of the footage I work with is:

• Interviews

• Talking heads

• Events

• Brand films

• Mixed lighting

ColorSlice is particularly good at:

• Dialling in skin quickly

• Adding colour depth without blowing highlights

• Fixing specific colours (skin, foliage, skies, clothing) without breaking the image

Because it’s subtractive, I can push colour further without clients saying “that looks too saturated” — which happens a lot with traditional saturation.

Where to Find ColorSlice in DaVinci Resolve 20

On the Color Page, ColorSlice lives in the central palette bar, right next to Curves.

You get seven vectors:

• Red

• Yellow

• Green

• Cyan

• Blue

• Magenta

Skin (dedicated control)

That Skin vector alone saves me a huge amount of time.

How I Approach ColorSlice (Before Touching Any Sliders)

• Before I adjust anything, I always:

• Pick the closest colour vector

• Turn on Highlight Mode

• Refine the selection using the Center slider

If the selection isn’t clean, I don’t grade it. Simple as that.

Understanding the Three Controls (How I Actually Use Them)

Density (My Starting Point)

Density controls how dark saturated colours appear.

I use it to:

• Add filmic depth

• Soften skin

• Reduce visible texture

  
  

On interviews, density does more for skin than saturation ever will.

Saturation (Used Sparingly)

Saturation in ColorSlice:

• Hits midtones and shadows

• Leaves highlights largely alone

That’s why I can add colour without faces going nuclear.

I always add saturation after density — never before.

Hue (For Subtle Corrections)

Hue is where I fix:

• Slight green or magenta skin

• Cyan water that needs to lean teal

• Foliage that feels radioactive

Small moves only.

Real Scenarios from My London Editing Work

Using the Skin vector in ColorSlice, I can refine natural skin tones quickly without relying on manual qualifiers or complex selections.

1. Fast, Natural Skin Tone Fixes (No Qualifiers)

Typical scenario

Corporate interviews, founders, speakers, panel events — often under mixed lighting.

My process:

1. Select the Skin vector

2. Enable Highlight Mode

3. Adjust the Center slider until face and hands are fully included

4. Slightly reduce Density to even out blotchiness

5. Add a touch of saturation

6. Nudge Hue if skin leans red or green

This gets me 80–90% there in seconds, without keys or tracking.

2. Subtle Beauty Work (Without “Beauty Filter” Vibes)

When a client wants skin to look cleaner but still real:

What I do:

• Skin vector

• Lower Density slightly

• No extra saturation

• No blur, no glow

Lowering density blends tonal transitions, which naturally hides minor imperfections. Clients never notice what I’ve done — just that it looks good.

3. Making Someone Look More Weathered or Characterful

Occasionally useful for documentary or narrative work.

Steps:

• Skin vector

• Increase Density

• Slightly reduce saturation

• Optional cooler hue shift

It adds contrast and weight to the skin without looking artificial.

4. Water, Pools, and Exterior Shots

Very common on lifestyle and hospitality work.

My approach:

• Cyan + Blue vectors

• Highlight and refine

• Increase Density first

• Add controlled saturation

• Slight hue shift toward teal if needed

The water looks deeper and richer — not like bright blue paint.

5. Fixing Foliage Without Neon Greens

Most greenery actually lives in the Yellow range.

What works for me:

• Start with Yellow, not Green

• Increase Density

• Add minimal saturation

• Shift hue slightly toward olive

This helps foliage sit naturally inside a filmic grade.

6. Making Wardrobe or Props Stand Out

If a brand colour matters:

My process:

• Target the clothing colour

• Refine the Center slider carefully

• Increase Density slightly

• Add restrained saturation

It draws attention exactly where I want it.

Global Controls (I Touch These Last)

The global Density Depth and Saturation Balance controls affect the whole frame.

I use them:

• Very lightly

• At the end

• Only if the image needs overall cohesion.

Things I’ve Learned the Hard Way

• Don’t push ColorSlice hard — it’s powerful but subtle

• Compressed footage breaks faster than ProRes or BRAW

• Always fix primaries first

• Density is usually more important than saturation

Why ColorSlice Stays in My Resolve Workflow

ColorSlice doesn’t replace colour theory — but it respects it.

It lets me:

• Work faster on real client timelines

• Keep skin natural

• Push colour without it feeling digital

• Deliver cleaner, calmer grades

If standard saturation feels like turning everything up to eleven, ColorSlice feels like adding weight and intention.

For the kind of work I do, branded films, interviews, events, and commercial edits for clients across London, that matters.

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