Color wheels

The Color Wheels section of the Color tab gives you a three-way grade: one wheel each for the Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights of a clip. Drag a wheel toward a color to push that tint into only that tonal range — for example, cooling the shadows while warming the highlights.

Note: You need Editor access to change a clip. See Roles and permissions.

Open the color wheels#

1. In Sequence, select a clip on the timeline.
2. Open the Color tab in the Inspector.
3. Expand the Color Wheels section.

The section shows a single wheel with three mode buttons above it — Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights — and a row of sliders below. The wheel dims until you point at it. For opening the Color tab itself, see Adjust clip color.

Push color into a tonal range#

1. Click Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights to choose the range you want to grade.
2. Drag from the center of the wheel toward the color you want to add. Sequence tints that tonal range as you drag — farther from center is a stronger push.
3. Switch to another mode button and repeat to balance the other ranges.

The clip updates in the viewer as you drag. The three wheels are independent, so a warm push in Highlights doesn't move your Shadows grade.

Tip: For finer control, hold Option (Windows: Alt) while dragging the wheel — the pointer moves at a fraction of the normal speed so you can dial in a subtle cast.

Fine-tune each range with the sliders#

Below the wheel, each mode has three sliders that shape the range you're grading:

• Range — How wide a band of tones this wheel affects. Narrow the range to target only the deepest shadows or brightest highlights; widen it to blend into the midtones.
• Saturation — Boosts or mutes color intensity within the range. The default is 0; drag left toward -100 to desaturate, right toward 100 to intensify.
• Brightness — Lightens or darkens the range. The default is 0; drag left to darken, right to lighten.

For the full list of light and color controls that sit alongside the wheels, see Light, color, and creative adjustments.

Reset the wheels#

To clear your grade and start over, click Reset in the Color Wheels section header. This returns all three wheels and their sliders to their default, neutral values in a single step.

Note: Sequence doesn't have a per-clip color match or auto-balance tool. To judge your grade objectively while you work, open the video scopes.

Every wheel and slider can be keyframed to animate over time — click the arm icon next to a control before you change it. See Keyframe animation.