Mastering the Light: An In-Depth Guide to Basic HDR Grading Concepts

HDR Grading Basics: From Nits to Tone Mapping (and How to Make It Look Amazing)

“HDR grading” isn’t just “making it brighter.” It’s the craft of sculpting high dynamic range luminance and wide-gamut color so your images feel dimensional, natural, and emotionally charged. In practice, that means working across a much larger brightness range (measured in nits), using a wider color space (like Rec. 2020), and delivering with transfer functions such as PQ (ST 2084) or HLG. If you’ve ever watched highlights sparkle without clipping while shadow detail stays intact—you’ve seen thoughtful HDR grading at work.

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Why HDR Grading Matters Now

More realism: Higher peak brightness lets speculars (sun glints, chrome, neon) feel lifelike, while deep blacks stay nuanced rather than crushed.
Stronger storytelling: Contrast and color volume shape mood—bright, energetic highlights versus velvety shadows for tension and atmosphere.
Fewer compromises: Wider color and higher bit depth reduce banding and let subtle gradients (skies, skin) stay smooth.
Future-proofing: Master once in HDR and confidently derive SDR or different HDR targets via tone mapping.

From my own tests (city night exteriors and backlit interiors), HDR grades let me keep neon signage intensely bright and preserve face texture—something SDR forced me to trade away.

The Core Pillars (What You’re Actually Controlling)

Luminance (Nits): Highlights, Midtones, Shadows

SDR tops out around ~100 nits; HDR workflows commonly target 1,000–4,000 nits on mastering displays. In practice:

Highlights: Push speculars brighter without clipping texture. Use soft highlight roll-off so the energy feels natural, not harsh.
Shadows: Protect low-end detail—aim for depth, not crushed blacks. Viewers should still perceive shape and texture in the dark.
Midtones: Maintain gentle transitions; HDR + higher bit depths keep gradients smooth instead of “steppy.”

Color Fidelity: Wide Gamut & Bit Depth

HDR typically uses Rec. 2020 primaries (much larger than Rec. 709) and 10–12-bit pipelines. You’ll notice you can push saturation and hue with fewer artifacts. For color decisions and scope reading in Premiere Pro, see Adobe’s Lumetri Scopes guide and the newer color management docs (Color Management overview).

Tone Mapping: Fitting Your Grade to Each Display

Tone mapping compresses or expands luminance so your look holds up on different screens—or when you convert HDR to SDR. Modern apps can automate parts of this:

HDR→SDR: Preserve intent by prioritizing important highlights and midtone contrast.
HDR→HDR: Map a 1,000-nit master gracefully onto a 600-nit TV (or brighter) while retaining texture.

For the practical knobs in Premiere Pro, read Adobe’s tone-mapping guide for HDR↔SDR.

Standards & Targets: PQ vs HLG

Two common HDR EOTFs define how code values become light:

PQ (ST 2084): Absolute luminance system used by HDR10/Dolby Vision—great for controlled deliveries.
HLG: Hybrid Log-Gamma, more broadcast-friendly and backward-tolerant.

If you like to read the source, see ITU’s summary of Rec. ITU-R BT.2100 HDR parameters.

Set Up Your HDR Project (Step-by-Step)

Decide the delivery: HDR10 (PQ), Dolby Vision (PQ), or HLG. This choice informs color space, metadata, and monitoring.
Create the color pipeline: Use a managed workflow (e.g., Rec. 2020/PQ) or ACES. In Premiere Pro, configure sequence/output color space and media color management (About Color Management).
Monitor correctly: Use an HDR-capable display for grading. Calibrate; confirm peak nits and black levels.
Use HDR-aware scopes: Watch nits on the waveform, check saturation on vectorscope (Rec. 2020 limits), and verify channel balance on parade.
Grade in layers: Correct first (white balance, exposure, contrast), then style (hue shifts, curves, selective saturation). Keep highlight texture intact.
Tone-map for alternates: Duplicate the sequence and derive SDR or different HDR targets using the app’s tone-mapping tools.
QC across devices: Test on a bright consumer HDR TV and on a mid-range set; check a calibrated SDR monitor for the down-map.

Field note: I tested a night city sequence in PQ/Rec. 2020 at 1,000-nit target; when deriving SDR, I preserved neon highlight texture by easing the roll-off and giving midtones a little extra contrast so the image didn’t feel flat.

Presets vs Manual Editing (Use Both Wisely)

Presets/LUTs: Great for speed and consistency. Choose LUTs that expect your project’s color space (e.g., Rec. 2020/PQ) or apply a color space transform first. Try curated looks in Cinematic LUTs Pack and Drone LUTs, then fine-tune.
Manual grading: Essential for shot matching and storytelling polish—skin tone refinement, selective color, and highlight roll-off finesse.

Pro move: use a technical node for color management (e.g., transform into the working space), then stack creative nodes for looks. Manage where LUTs live in that chain so they behave predictably.

Creative Decisions That Make HDR Sing

Be deliberate with brightness: Let a few elements hit high nits; keep most of the frame in comfortable ranges so the eye has a place to rest.
Protect skin tones: Use vectorscope to keep hue in check; subtle saturation goes further in HDR.
Control highlight speculars: Curves and highlight recovery can add shimmer without plastic glare.
Shape with local adjustments: Masking and power windows add depth. See Adobe’s scopes guide to validate your moves.

For stills/HDR photography pipelines, Adobe Camera Raw now includes HDR output options—handy for end-to-end consistency (HDR in Adobe Camera Raw).

Common Pitfalls (and Quick Fixes)

Over-brightening everything: Fatiguing to watch. Keep a few “hero” highlights and anchor midtones.
Crushed blacks: If your scope bottoms out too often, lift shadows slightly and add micro-contrast for shape.
Banding in skies/gradients: Work in 10–12-bit; reduce aggressive sharpening; add very light dithering/noise if needed.
Wrong color space for LUTs: If a creative LUT expects 709 and you’re grading in 2020/PQ, insert a color space transform node so it behaves correctly.
Skipping tone-map checks: Always preview your HDR→SDR derivation and adjust mapping priorities.

Try This Mini-Workflow Today

Start a PQ/Rec. 2020 sequence; enable color management per Adobe’s sequence settings.
Correct exposure/white balance. Match shots.
Apply a cinematic LUT as a starting point (e.g., Cinematic LUTs Pack), then refine with curves and selective color.
Check highlights on waveform (nits) and skin tone line on vectorscope.
Duplicate sequence; derive SDR via tone mapping; adjust midtone contrast and highlight priority.
QC on an HDR TV and an SDR monitor; tweak roll-off or saturation as needed.

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FAQ

What peak nit level should I grade for?

Common targets are 1,000 nits for mastering displays, but map based on delivery and audience devices. Use tone mapping to make versions for 600-nit consumer TVs or brighter panels.

Do I need a new monitor to grade HDR?

For final HDR decisions, yes—use a true HDR-capable display. You can prep in SDR, but always validate the look on an HDR monitor before delivery.

Should I pick PQ or HLG?

For controlled streaming/OTT packages, PQ (HDR10/Dolby Vision) is typical. For broadcast/live with wider compatibility, HLG is often preferred.

How do I get clean SDR from my HDR grade?

Duplicate your HDR timeline and apply an HDR→SDR tone-map. Prioritize important highlights, protect midtones, and re-check skin tones and contrast on SDR scopes.

Can I use my existing 709 LUTs?

Yes, but insert a color space transform so the LUT “sees” the expected gamut/gamma, or pick LUTs designed for HDR pipelines to avoid surprise shifts.

Ready to try it on your footage? Start with a look you love and then fine-tune: explore Cinematic LUTs Pack and keep building your library in the LUTs for Video collection. Try these presets today—Buy 3, Get 9 FREE.

Written by Asanka — creator of AAAPresets (10,000+ customers).