Colorspace

The Colorspace node converts images from one colorspace to another, for example from Nuke’s native colorspace to other color spaces more appropriate to a given process or intended display device. This node supports RGB, HSV, YUV, CIE, and CMS formats (and various subformats). It can adjust for different primaries, white point, and different encodings.

If you wish to reverse your colorspace conversion later in the script:

Copy the Colorspace node and insert it at the appropriate point in your script.

Set the output controls to sRGB, D55, and RGB.

Set the input controls to match the values you entered in the first Colorspace node.

If you wish to write out the input clip in the new colorspace, set the output transform dropdown menu to linear in the Write node controls. This halts the automatic conversion and lets the one you created have priority.

Inputs and Controls

Connection Type	Connection Name	Function
Input	unnamed	The image sequence to receive the colorspace conversion.
mask	An optional image to use as a mask. By default, the colorspace conversion is limited to the non-black areas of the mask. At first, the mask input appears as triangle on the right side of the node, but when you drag it, it turns into an arrow labeled mask. If you cannot see the mask input, ensure that the mask control is disabled or set to none.

Connection Type

Connection Name

Function

Input

unnamed

The image sequence to receive the colorspace conversion.

mask

An optional image to use as a mask. By default, the colorspace conversion is limited to the non-black areas of the mask.

At first, the mask input appears as triangle on the right side of the node, but when you drag it, it turns into an arrow labeled mask. If you cannot see the mask input, ensure that the mask control is disabled or set to none.

Control (UI)	Knob (Scripting)	Default Value	Function
Colorspace Tab
channels	channels	rgb	The colorspace correction is applied only to these channels. You can use the checkboxes on the right to select individual channels
input	colorspace_in	linear	Sets the input colorspace. This node converts the input image from this colorspace to the output colorspace. Note: The control label has been updated, but the knob name currently remains the same. The knob name will also change in a future release.
	illuninant_in	D65	Sets the input illuminant to simulate colors under different lighting. For example, the default D65 simulates illumination roughly equivalent to mid-day sun in Western or Northern Europe.
	primary_in	sRGB	Sets the input primaries (the exact "shade" of red, green, and blue).
output	colorspace_out	linear	Sets the required output colorspace. This node converts the input image from the input colorspace to this colorspace. Note: The control label has been updated, but the knob name currently remains the same. The knob name will also change in a future release.
	illuninant_out	D65	Sets the output illuminant to simulate colors under different lighting. For example, A simulates illumination from a household tungsten filament light bulb.
	primary_out	sRGB	Sets the input primaries (the exact "shade" of red, green, and blue).
swap input/output	swap	n/a	Swaps the selected input and output colorspace knobs. This can be useful if you're doing certain comp tasks that work better in certain colorspaces, such as grading. For example, you might go from ACEScc (input) to scene_linear (output) in a Colorspace node, perform a Grade node adjustment, copy the first Colorspace node after the Grade node, and click the swap input/output button to go back to ACEScc.
Bradford matrix	bradford_matrix	disabled	If the illuminant_in and illuminant_out values are not the same, you can enable this to apply an illuminant adaptation transform. This alters colors so they appear the same. When disabled, the input and output colors have the same CIE colorspace XYZ values.
color matrix output	colormatrix	N/A	If a matrix is used in the color transform chosen above, the output appears here. Changing the matrix values has no effect, but you can copy them into a ColorMatrix node to apply them to an image. Ctrl/Cmd + drag the Animation menu to copy the whole matrix at once. See ColorMatrix for more information. Note: A colorspace conversion may be doing far more than just a single 3x3 matrix operation!
mask	N/A	disabled	Enables the associated mask channel to the right. Disabling this checkbox is the same as setting the channel to none.
mask	maskChannelInput	none	The channel to use as a mask. By default, the colorspace conversion is limited to the non-black areas of this channel.
inject	inject	disabled	Copies the mask input to the predefined mask.a channel. Injecting the mask allows you to use the same mask further downstream.
invert	invert_mask	disabled	Inverts the use of the mask channel so that the colorspace conversion is limited to the non-white areas of the mask.
fringe	fringe	disabled	When enabled, only apply the effect to the edge of the mask. When disabled, the effect is applied to the entire mask.
(un)premult by	N/A	disabled	Enables the associated channel to the right. Disabling this checkbox is the same as setting the channel to none.
(un)premult by	unpremult	none	The image is divided by this channel before being processed, and multiplied again afterwards. If you are using premultiplied input images, you may want to check (un)premult by and select rgba.alpha here. This will simulate doing the color conversion before the premultiplication was done. It is the same as adding an Unpremult node before this node and a Premult node after, but allows you to work faster if you’re only using one color correct node. If you are using unpremultiplied input images, you should leave this set to none.
invert	invert_unpremult	disabled	Inverts the use of the (un)premultiply channel.
mix	mix	1	Dissolves between the original image at 0 and the full colorspace conversion at 1.

Step-by-Step Guides

Making Other Colorspace Conversions