Adobe Premiere Pro adds Auto Tone for the Lumetri Color Panel

Software Update

by Dave KratzOctober 7^th, 2021

The latest update to Premiere Pro introduces a new technology for fast, intelligent color grading called Auto Tone. Replacing the Auto button in the Lumetri Color panel, Auto Tone builds on Adobe’s color science expertise to help editors to develop their own cinematic style.

The auto button has always been somewhat of a joke for professionals. Regardless of the application, the wild and unpleasant results that auto color provides often make a bad situation worse. Adobe is looking to change that.

Auto Tone adjustments occur in the basic correction sliders at the top of the Lumetri panel. This provides a more nuanced result than previously available. An advanced algorithm analyzes the temperature, tint, exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, and saturation of the images to produce the best-looking results possible with a single click.

The previous Auto button only made adjustments to the exposure of the images. It didn’t take into account the temperature or saturation. This prior method was just a shot in the dark for inexperienced editors.

The intention of Auto Tone is to familiarize new content creators with the adjustments available. It can also be a starting point for experienced editors who need to hit the ground running.

Lumetri Color was added to Adobe Premiere Pro following the end of Adobe Speedgrade, Adobe’s standalone color grading application. Lumetri Color provides editors with approachable and fast tools to breathe life into their stories by adding color.

Adobe’s commitment to continue making color grading easier is admirable. They see Auto Tone as a quick fix tool that can evolve into much more. Users can expect a more nuanced, automatic color grading experience as they refine the algorithm with each new update.

Adobe beta applications

Adobe makes beta versions of their software available for Creative Cloud Subscribers to try before their official release. 

Simply launch the Creative Cloud application, navigate to Categories, and select Beta apps. Installing these apps will not overwrite the official version of the software. However, they are in beta so use them at your own risk.

The current implementation of Auto Tone analyzes unaltered source images and should be applied before adding any other color effects. It is also not currently compatible with log-encoded video or log-to-Rec709 LUTs.

Download the latest version of Adobe Premiere Pro Beta to start using Auto Tone right now.

Cover Photo by Format from Pexels | Edited by CineD

What do you think about the new Adobe Premiere Pro Auto Tone feature? Is it a passing fad? Or, will all color grading eventually be done by an algorithm? Let us know in the comments below.