What’s the best way to control midtones and highlights using tone curves?

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What’s the best way to control midtones and highlights using tone curves?

Asked on Nov 08, 2025

Answer

Controlling midtones and highlights using tone curves is a fundamental technique in color grading that enhances image depth and contrast. By manipulating the curve in color grading tools like Lumetri in Premiere Pro or the Color page in DaVinci Resolve, you can precisely adjust the brightness levels of specific tonal ranges.

Example Concept: Tone curves allow you to adjust the luminance of an image by manipulating a diagonal line on a graph. The bottom-left of the curve represents shadows, the middle section represents midtones, and the top-right represents highlights. By creating control points on the curve, you can drag these points to increase or decrease the brightness of the midtones and highlights. For instance, pulling the midtone point upwards brightens the midtones, while adjusting the highlight point can either increase or decrease the brightness of the highlights, giving you control over the image's contrast and detail.

Additional Comment:

Use the tone curve to create an "S" shape for increased contrast by lifting highlights and deepening shadows.
Be cautious not to over-adjust, as it can lead to loss of detail or unnatural looks.
Use the RGB channels separately for color grading effects, such as warming or cooling the image.
Always compare before and after to ensure the adjustments enhance the image as intended.

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