AfterEffects

Choose a working color space and enable color management

You turn color management on for a project by choosing a working color space (Working Space) in the Project Settings dialog box. You control color management for each footage item with the Interpret Footage dialog box or interpretation rules file. You control color management for each output item in the Output Module Settings dialog box.

If Working Space is set to None in the Project Settings dialog box, color management is off for the project.

Choosing a working color space is an essential step in managing color in a project. Footage items’ colors are converted into the working color space as a common color space for compositing.

For best results, when working with 8-bpc color, match the working color space to the output color space. If you are outputting to more than one output color space, you should set the project color depth to 16 or 32 bpc, at least for rendering for final output. The working color space should match the output color space that has the largest gamut. For example, if you plan to output to Adobe RGB and sRGB, then use Adobe RGB as your working color space, because Adobe RGB has a larger gamut and can therefore represent more saturated colors. To preserve over-range values, work in 32-bpc color for its high dynamic range.

Note: HDTV (Rec. 709) is a good choice for a working color space for film work, with a project color bit depth of 32 bpc. Working in 32-bpc color allows over-range colors, so the color values are not limited to the color boundaries of HDTV (Rec. 709).

Suggestions for color working space choices:

  • SDTV NTSC or SDTV PAL is a good choice if you’re making a movie for standard-definition broadcast television, including standard-definition DVD.

  • HDTV (Rec. 709) is a good choice if you’re making a movie for high-definition television, and it’s also a good choice for motion-picture film work. This color space uses the same primaries as sRGB, but it has a larger gamut, so it makes a good working space for many kinds of work.

  • sRGB IEC61966-2.1 is a good choice if you’re making a movie for the Web, especially cartoons.

The color spaces available in After Effects vary based on the color profiles installed on your computer.

  1. Choose File > Project Settings.
  2. Choose a working color space from the Working Space menu.

Previews sent to an external video monitor are not color managed. The color values sent to the video monitor are from the project’s working color space. To preview video colors, choose a value for Working Space in the Project Settings dialog box that matches the color space of the preview device.

Similarly, colors in a composition sent to Adobe Premiere Pro or Encore using Dynamic Link are in the After Effects project’s working color space. To manage colors in a dynamically linked composition, create a new composition and nest your composition within it; then apply the Color Profile Converter effect to the containing composition, with Input Profile set to Project Working Space.