What Gradelut is for

"Why does the teal-orange look actually work?", "what does lift/gamma/gain mean?", "what look fits a horror scene?" — a color-grading reference that explains the craft and the reasoning, not just the vocabulary.

What it does

term_definition explains one grading term with a concrete example — white balance, HSL, lift/gamma/gain, log footage, Rec. 709, waveform monitor, vectorscope, 1D/3D LUT, node-based grading, primary/secondary correction, power windows, printer points, color temperature, complementary colors, clipping, grain emulation (list_terms browses all 18). look_info explains one of 11 common creative looks — teal-orange, filmic, vintage/faded, bleach bypass, high-contrast noir, pastel/dreamy, cyberpunk neon, natural/true-to-life, sickly-green horror, warm nostalgic, cool clinical — what it looks like, why it works as color theory, and how to approximate it (list_looks browses them all). recommend_look suggests 2-3 fitting looks for a stated mood or genre. lut_explainer explains how a specific LUT type actually works under the hood and when to reach for it (list_lut_types lists them all). color_temperature_reference gives the standard Kelvin value for a named light source — the physical basis of white balance and color casts. grading_workflow_steps gives the standard node-based grading order, from balancing exposure through finishing touches. search_reference keyword-searches every term and look at once.

What it is not

Not tied to any specific grading software's exact sliders or panel layout — the terminology and technique here apply across node-based color tools generally. "How to approximate" notes are craft guidance, not exact numbers: the right settings always depend on your source footage, camera, and creative intent. Every look and term description is original synthesis based on standard, widely taught color-grading practice.