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NickiDoane
Participating Frequently
February 2, 2022
Question

Why Do My Premiere Pro Exports Look Washed Out? [QT Gamma Compensation LUT]

  • February 2, 2022
  • 7 replies
  • 303521 views

Hi There, 

Months ago I found a download here I think for the QT Gamma Compensation LUT ... I just updated my mac and now the file is a .cube and I don't know how to change it to a usable file again. Help? Does anyone know where I can find the file again to download & use?

 

[Moderator edited subject line. This issue relates to how a video exported from Premiere Pro might look different from how it appeared inside Premiere Pro. After export, the video may appear "too light" or "washed out". ]

    7 replies

    Fergus H
    Community Manager
    Fergus HCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    April 1, 2025

    Hi all, 

     

    Premiere Pro exports appearing washed out is a commonly reported issue. It is caused by differences in gamma between devices like televisions, Windows and macOS computers, and viewers in different applications. 

     

    We have written an article that explains the cause of this issue and provides guidance on how to handle it: 
    https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/why-do-my-premiere-pro-exports-look-washed-out.html

     

    Regards,

    Fergus

     

     

      T
      team_4346
      Participant
      February 4, 2025

      proper colour no shown

      R Neil Haugen
      R Neil Haugen
      Legend
      February 4, 2025

      With such a minimalist post, I can't even guess at your problem. Or a fix. Details matter ... complete details. 

       

      And as this is a long-running older post that started in a completely different and now outdated color management system, START A NEW THREAD. Please.

      Everyone's mileage always varies ...
      M
      MikeB555
      Participant
      October 19, 2023

      OK I've tried this for a few hours now and read all the replies. But my issue seems to be different... 

       

      The exposure seems much higher... the colors seem more bright and vibrant not washed out. 

       

      When I use the gamma compensation it makes it "more normal" but still unusably bright. Does anyone have any ideas?

      M
      MikeB555
      Participant
      October 19, 2023

      I don't know if this is very good but this seemed to solve the issue... https://youtu.be/cN8CHBhvyJs?si=Rz-oONMa1PuRMPG7

      M
      MikeB555
      Participant
      October 19, 2023

      Ok so this didn't work either... it now makes lines across the video like old school box TV's used to do. 

      F
      Fredrik29834637r1ag
      Participant
      May 12, 2023

      Hi, 

      Hi, is there any new solution to this on a mac? After exporting with "The Gamma QT Lut", the movie becomes darker and more saturated as mentioned earlier." Very grateful for tips.

      F
      Fredrik29834637r1ag
      Participant
      May 12, 2023

      I reply myself here 🙂After reading Neal's earlier post, I will be running without "The Gamma Lut". When checking the reference in VLC, the films look good. Thanks Neil.

        A
        as73
        Inspiring
        September 21, 2023

        Oh, this is such a joy. Sheesh.

         

        The display standards for grading and evaluation of Rec.709 media has been in use for over a decade, for all broadcast/streaming/web use: sRGB color primaries, D65 white point, 100 nits max brightness, gamma 2.4 (semi-darkened room) with 2.2 allowed for "bright room" or web use.

         

        Premiere has always followed those standards.

         

        But for some unknown reason, when Apple started with their Retina monitors, they made the settings used by their OS level color management utility ColorSync to use the specified Rec.709 camera transform gamma of 1.96, rather than the specified display gamma of 2.4.

         

        So any application that allows ColorSync to control Rec.709 media during playback will be using the 1.96 gamma setting. This includes QuickTime player, Chrome and Safari browsers, most other apps.

         

        And yes, if you watch any broadcast or streamed media through those applications, you are getting that with the display gamma of 1.96.

         

        But VLC most often does not allow ColorSync control, and uses gamma 2.4.

         

        Another fun thing ... some newer Macs have an option called "HDTV" ... and if you have it and use it, that will use gamma 2.4 across all the apps mentioned above.

         

        So if you use VLC, or can select HDTV, then you get the same content but with gamma 2.4.

         

        So, let's say you make a file that looks good when displayed with gamma 1.96, which lifts the shadows a lot and mids a bit ... meaning you have to drop the shadows/mids in the grading ... and yea, it looks fine on a Mac in a ColorSync managed application.

         

        But in VLC, or on a Mac running under HDTV, or on nearly every other device out there from TVs to most PCs ... those darkened low values are going to be real dark, maybe more crushed blacks than you'd like.

         

        As I've often noted, the many colorists I'm around all the time are mostly Mac folk. Naturally, right? And they're mad as all get out about this mess. Because there's no way to display the same image when using two widely separate gamma settings.

         

        In the public beta, which is now a 24.x series build ... they have included an option in the color management to use Apple 1.96 within Premiere. Which will make many Mac users quite happy, as on their machine, it's going to seem all unified.

         

        Of course ... outside the Macosphere of 1.96, well ... that same media ain't gonna look so good.

         

        But then, that's a choice we all have to make ... whatcha gonna do? Some simply do 2.4, let it go. Others try say 2.2 or so. Or do something like, after grading, grab the Color Wheels mids control, pull it down just a bit.

         

        Trying to get in-between. Maybe a bit dark on a proper broadcast system, a bit light on a Mac ... something like that.


        Neil,

        Thanks for this detailed response.

        Fascinating! What a bizarre situation Apple have created...and impossible to "accurately" correct for.

        Duh!
        Thanks again,

        Alan.

        T
        Tom28342070zxad
        Participant
        February 9, 2023

        I downloaded the LUT (which appears to be a load of text, but it works) from the link below then set export to h.264 (high-resolution 1920x1080) went to effects in the export window, selected the LUT from where I had saved it, and it worked perfectly.  Thank you for the advice!!!

          J
          JJRiley
          Known Participant
          February 28, 2023

          Hi - how did you get Media Encoder to recognize the LUT? I placed the cube files in a location and selected them, but it says there is a low level exception (see screen shot). I tried saving the cube file on my desktop as well as our video server, but it won't apply. I used the vimeo preset first and then tried the match source high bitrate preset, but it still shows as none. Thanks for the help.

          R Neil Haugen
          R Neil Haugen
          Legend
          February 28, 2023

          They have a bug where that line says "none" even though the LUT is applied ... so if you complete the export, is it applied?

           

          And of course ... if that LUT does get applied, understand the file will be very dark when viewed on a non-Mac display. Due to the underlying nature of the problem.

           

          Neil

          Everyone's mileage always varies ...
            chrisw44157881
            chrisw44157881
            Inspiring
            February 2, 2022

            i am not aware that the lut doesn't work with mac. premiere reads the file so it should still work.

            download lut here:

            https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/quot-why-does-my-footage-look-darker-in-premiere-quot-color-q-amp-a/td-p/4788414

             

            just place it in location here:

            https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-discussions/faq-premiere-pro-lumetri-color-custom-lut-directory-and-location/td-p/4785911

             

            and render out with lut.

              Z
              zensei24321378vihf
              Participant
              July 18, 2022

              Is this still a thing that needs to be done in July 2022 with latest Adobe?

                R Neil Haugen
                R Neil Haugen
                Legend
                July 19, 2022

                That of course, depends.

                 

                As the need ... or use of that LUT ... is caused by the Mac OS color management utility ColorSync applying a non-standard gamma to Rec.709 video files.ColorSync, for some reason, uses a 1.96 gamma.

                 

                So Rec.709/SDR video files are displayed with lighter shadows and mids on a Mac, than they would be if displayed with the "normal" Rec.709 gamma of 2.4.

                 

                Premiere always attempts to operate by the Rec.709 standards, including it's internal monitors which are not 'controlled' by ColorSync. So the image typically is darker within Premiere than outside on the same Mac computer.

                 

                That LUT will essentially push the midtones and shadows a bit darker in the exported file, so that when viewed on a Mac, outside of Premiere, the file will look more like it did while viewed in Premiere.

                 

                But of course, then outside of the Mac-sphere, on a non-Mac system, that file will now be a lot darker than it appeared on the Mac within Premiere. Because on non-Mac gear, the Rec.709 video file will probably be displayed with a correct 2.4 gamma.

                 

                So ... the choice is between two imperfect things:

                 

                • A bit light on a Mac, but "normal" outside of Mac displays without the LUT.
                • "Normal" viewed outside Premiere on a Mac, but too dark outside of the Macs.

                 

                That dilemma can't be "solved" by a version change with an outside app like Premiere or Resolve. The need/use of the LUT could only be changed by a change of the standard used by ColorSync.

                 

                Neil

                Everyone's mileage always varies ...
                  N
                  NickiDoaneAuthor
                  Participating Frequently
                  February 2, 2022

                  Nevermind having a moment - it's fine.

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