AI Color Grading Tool

Apply cinematic teal-orange, film noir, or indie color grading to any photo instantly.

→

Free AI Color Grading Tool

Upload photo to apply cinematic color grading

Free • Results in 30 seconds • No signup

Release to upload

FreeNo signupNo watermark

Popular use cases:

color grading
cinematic color grading
teal and orange
film color grading
movie color grade
LUT alternative
color grade photos
cinematic look
blockbuster color grade
indie film color
mood color grading

Cost: Free No signup required
Time: Instant results in 15-30 seconds
Works on: Any device - browser, phone, tablet, desktop
Powered by: AI-powered photo editing

Scenario	Prompt	Time
		15-30s
		15-30s
		15-30s
		15-30s
		15-30s
		15-30s

How it works

Upload Your Photo

Choose any photo you want to color grade. Works with portraits, landscapes, street photography, product shots, or any image where you want to set a specific mood through color.

Expect: Takes 5-10 seconds to upload.
Describe the Color Grade

Tell the AI what cinematic look you want. Reference movie styles (teal and orange blockbuster, desaturated indie, warm romantic), specific color combinations (push blues to teal, shift yellows to orange), or mood (moody thriller, dreamy romance, gritty urban). Be specific about which colors to emphasize or desaturate.

Tip: Color grading is about color relationships, not individual colors. Instead of 'make it blue', say 'push shadows toward teal while keeping skin tones warm' or 'desaturate everything except reds'. Reference film genres or specific movies for authentic cinematic looks.

Copy one of these to get started:

Apply teal and orange color grade Apply teal and orange color grade - push blues and shadows to teal, shift yellows and highlights to warm orange
Try This →

Create desaturated indie film look with Create desaturated indie film look with slightly lifted blacks and muted colors except skin tones
Try This →

Apply warm golden hour grade with Apply warm golden hour grade with peachy highlights, orange undertones, and rich golden tones
Try This →

Give it cold blue thriller grade Give it cold blue thriller grade - push everything toward blue and teal, desaturated, moody shadows
Try This →

10 more prompts

Apply cinematic blockbuster grade wit... Apply cinematic blockbuster grade with rich contrast, teal shadows, warm skin tones, deep blacks
Try This →

Create vintage film grade - slightly Create vintage film grade - slightly faded colors, warm yellows, cool shadows, lifted blacks
Try This →

Apply moody noir style - high Apply moody noir style - high contrast, crushed blacks, desaturated except for single accent color
Try This →

Give it romantic warm grade - Give it romantic warm grade - soft peachy tones, golden highlights, desaturated blues, dreamy feel
Try This →

Create gritty urban grade - desaturated Create gritty urban grade - desaturated overall, teal and green undertones, lifted blacks, raw feel
Try This →

Apply cyberpunk neon grade - saturated Apply cyberpunk neon grade - saturated magentas and cyans, deep shadows, glowing highlights
Try This →

Create Wes Anderson pastel grade - Create Wes Anderson pastel grade - perfectly balanced pastels, centered composition feel, warm undertones, desaturated primaries
Try This →

Apply dystopian grade - desaturated e... Apply dystopian grade - desaturated except for orange and teal, crushed blacks, sterile feel, high contrast
Try This →

Create golden age Hollywood grade - Create golden age Hollywood grade - rich saturated colors, warm skin tones, deep shadows, classic film look
Try This →

Apply Nordic noir grade - desaturated Apply Nordic noir grade - desaturated blues and grays, cold undertones, muted colors, lifted shadows
Try This →
Review and Refine

Check the color-graded result. If you want to adjust specific color ranges (more teal in shadows, warmer skin tones, deeper blacks, lifted highlights), describe the refinements and regenerate.

Expect: Each generation takes 30-40 seconds.
Download Final Grade

Download your professionally color-graded photo in high resolution with no watermarks. Perfect for portfolio work, social media, or printing.

Try it free ↓

Free AI Color Grading Tool

Upload photo to apply cinematic color grading

Free • Results in 30 seconds • No signup

Release to upload

Free • No signup

"So much better than I expected from a free tool." via App Store

See it in action

Transformed with teal and orange blockbuster grade - shadows...

Transformed with teal and orange blockbuster grade - shadows teal, highlights warm orange

Prompt: Apply teal and orange color grade - push blues and shadows to teal, shift yellows and highlights to warm orange

Try This →

Graded to gritty desaturated indie film look with lifted bla...

Graded to gritty desaturated indie film look with lifted blacks and muted tones

Prompt: Create desaturated indie film look with slightly lifted blacks and muted colors except skin tones

Try This →

Detailed Guides by Scenario

📷

Design Visualization

Preview cinematic color grading changes on your actual photo before committing — make confident design decisions backed by visuals.

Common Scenarios

Simulating cinematic color grading on a room, outfit, or space to evaluate the look
Creating client-ready mockups that visualize cinematic color grading in their specific context
Comparing multiple cinematic color grading options side by side using the same source photo

Best Practices

Upload a clear, well-lit photo from the angle you'd naturally view the subject
Be specific about the cinematic color grading — color, material, size, and placement all matter
Generate 2-3 variations to have meaningful options to compare

📷

Professional Proposals

Win client approval with realistic cinematic color grading previews that show exactly what the finished result will look like.

Common Scenarios

Building a presentation deck with cinematic color grading visualizations for a client pitch
Showing stakeholders cinematic color grading options before ordering materials or starting work
Creating before-and-after comparisons of cinematic color grading for a project proposal

Best Practices

Use the client's own photos for the most persuasive previews
Label each option clearly (Option A, B, C) for easy discussion
Note that cinematic color grading previews are approximations — set expectations about final results

📷

Personal Decision-Making

Try before you buy — preview cinematic color grading on your own photos to make smarter purchasing and lifestyle decisions.

Common Scenarios

Previewing cinematic color grading before making an expensive purchase
Testing how cinematic color grading looks in your actual space or on your actual person
Sharing cinematic color grading previews with family or friends to get opinions before deciding

Best Practices

Upload a photo of the actual space/item/person — generic stock images won't help you decide
Try the most different options first (bold vs. subtle) to narrow down your cinematic color grading preference
Save each preview so you can flip between them when comparing

If something looks off

AI changed the wrong area or something I didn't want changed

Why: The AI couldn't determine exactly which area you meant from description alone.

Try: Tap a marker on the specific area you want to change, then regenerate with the same prompt

Try This →

Tip: Markers tell the AI 'I mean THIS one specifically.' Use them when description alone is ambiguous.

The color grade looks unnatural or skin tones turned weird colors

Why: Applying color grades globally can distort skin tones. Professional color grading protects skin tones while shifting everything else.

Try:

Add skin tone protection: 'Apply [your grade] while keeping skin tones natural and warm' or 'shift all colors except skin tones to [desired look]'.

Try This →

Tip: Skin tones are sacred in color grading. Always mention 'preserve natural skin tones' or 'keep skin warm' when applying aggressive color shifts. This tells the AI to mask skin areas while grading everything else.

The grade is too subtle or barely visible

Why: Without intensity guidance, AI applies conservative grades. Cinematic looks often need bold color shifts to read properly.

Try:

Specify intensity: 'Apply strong [grade name]' or 'heavy teal and orange grade with noticeable color shift'. Words like 'strong', 'heavy', 'pronounced' increase effect.

Try This →

Tip: Cinematic grades are often bolder than you think. If you're referencing a specific film's look, the colors are probably shifted more than they appear. Don't be afraid to ask for 'strong' or 'heavy' grades.

Everything turned the same color instead of creating color contrast

Why: Color grading creates relationships between color ranges. If you only specify one color, AI might apply it uniformly.

Try:

Specify color relationships: 'Push shadows to teal WHILE keeping highlights warm orange' or 'desaturate blues BUT keep reds saturated'. Use 'while', 'but', 'except' to create contrast.

Try This →

Tip: Great color grades are about contrast between color ranges. Always specify at least two color zones: what happens to shadows vs highlights, or cool tones vs warm tones. This creates depth instead of a color wash.

The grade looks muddy or lost detail in shadows or highlights

Why: Aggressive color shifts can compress tonal ranges, losing detail. You need to specify contrast and detail preservation.

Try:

Add: 'Apply [grade] while maintaining detail in shadows and highlights, preserve tonal range'. Or specify: 'lifted blacks so shadow detail remains visible'.

Try This →

Tip: Color grading and tonal range work together. If your grade looks muddy, you might need 'lifted blacks' (not pure black) or 'protected highlights'. Professional grades maintain detail across the tonal range.

It doesn't match the specific movie or TV show look I was going for

Why: Movie color grades combine multiple factors: specific color shifts, contrast ratios, and often film texture. Generic descriptions miss nuances.

Try:

Be very specific about the reference: 'Apply Mad Max Fury Road grade - saturated oranges, teal shadows, high contrast, gritty texture' instead of just 'action movie look'.

Try This →

Tip: When referencing a specific film's look, research the actual color characteristics. For example, Blade Runner 2049 uses heavy orange-teal contrast with crushed blacks, while Moonlight uses saturated blues and magentas with warm skin tones. The more specific you are, the closer you'll get.

Quick answers

What's the difference between color grading and color correction?

Color correction fixes problems (white balance, exposure, etc.) to make photos look natural and accurate. Color grading is a creative choice to set a mood or style by intentionally shifting colors for artistic or cinematic effect. This tool does color grading - transforming the mood through creative color manipulation, not just fixing issues.

Do I need to know about LUTs or color wheels to use this?

No! Traditional color grading requires understanding LUTs (Look-Up Tables), color wheels, curves, and complex software like DaVinci Resolve. This AI tool lets you describe the look you want in plain English. Just say 'teal and orange blockbuster style' or 'desaturated indie film' and the AI handles the technical color manipulation.

Can I apply color grading to any type of photo?

Yes! Color grading works on portraits, landscapes, products, street photography, architecture, food - any photo where you want to set a specific mood through color. Different subjects benefit from different grades (portraits need protected skin tones, landscapes can handle more aggressive shifts).

What's teal and orange color grading and why is it so popular?

Teal and orange (also called orange and teal) is the most common cinematic color grade. It pushes blues/shadows toward teal while keeping skin tones and highlights warm orange. It's popular because teal and orange are complementary colors (opposite on the color wheel), creating natural contrast, and because orange flatters skin tones while teal looks cinematic and modern.

Can I reference specific movies or TV shows for the color grade?

Absolutely! Referencing specific films is the best way to communicate the look you want. Say 'Blade Runner 2049 orange and teal grade', 'Wes Anderson pastel aesthetic', 'Mad Max Fury Road warm gritty look', or 'Euphoria saturated purple and cyan'. The AI understands these iconic color palettes.

Will color grading work on photos that are already edited?

Yes, but starting with a relatively neutral photo gives best results. If your photo is already heavily filtered or color-shifted, the new grade will layer on top, which can look muddy. For maximum control, start with a well-exposed photo with natural colors.

Is EditThisPic's AI cinematic color grading applyer really free?

Yes — you get 1 free edit per week, no account needed. For unlimited edits, plans start at $3.99/month.

Can I apply cinematic color grading on my phone?

Yes. EditThisPic works in any mobile browser — iPhone, Android, tablet. No app download needed.

Ready to apply cinematic color grading?

Free to try. No signup required.

AI Color Grading Tool

How it works

Upload Your Photo

Describe the Color Grade

Review and Refine

Download Final Grade

See it in action

Transformed with teal and orange blockbuster grade - shadows...

Graded to gritty desaturated indie film look with lifted bla...

Detailed Guides by Scenario

Design Visualization

Common Scenarios

Best Practices

Professional Proposals

Common Scenarios

Best Practices

Personal Decision-Making

Common Scenarios

Best Practices

If something looks off

Quick answers

Related Tools

Explore More Creative Effects

Ready to apply cinematic color grading?