Color Finale 2.2.8 — macOS

Version 2.2.8 of Color Finale 2 keeps things focused on what matters: getting colors where they need to be without fuss. It works as a video effect plug-in inside Final Cut Pro 10.7 or newer, and also in Motion. The separate Color Finale application handles the backend, so you adjust footage from within your timeline rather than bouncing out to another program.

• Color wheels — three separate wheels for shadows, midtones, and highlights. Each wheel lets you shift hue and saturation independently, so skin tones stay put while you cool down the background.
• Curves — standard RGB and individual red, green, and blue channels. You can pull up shadows without lifting the whole image, or add a subtle S-curve for contrast without opening another panel.
• Layered adjustments — stack corrections on top of each other. A base correction for exposure, another layer for a LUT, a third for a vignette. You can reorder or toggle each layer.
• LUT Utility — apply, author, and save your own LUTs and presets directly from the plug-in. Good for matching cameras or building a consistent look across a project.
• Preset management — save and recall your own corrections as presets. No need to rebuild the same grade for every clip from the same scene.

The plug-in runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs and installs as a standard Final Cut Pro effect. Once you drag it onto a clip, the controls show up in the inspector, right where you expect them.

Before you start grading with Color Finale 2, a few things are worth getting squared away first. I’ve put together answers to common questions, settings I’d tweak before the first real project, mistakes I see beginners make, and the snags that tend to crop up once you’re working.

Install both the application and the plug-in

Do I need to install both the application and the plug-in?
Yes. Color Finale 2 has two parts: the video effect that sits in Final Cut Pro, and a separate background application. The application handles processing and communication with macOS. Without it running, the plug-in won’t apply corrections. Both get installed from the same disk image.

Will it work with older Final Cut Pro versions?
Color Finale 2 works with Final Cut Pro 10.7 or newer. If you’re running an earlier version, you’ll need to update Final Cut Pro first. The plug-in also works with Motion, so if you do titles or graphics there, you can grade those clips too.

Does it run on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. The current version of Color Finale 2 runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. The 2.2.8 build is a 64-bit x86 binary, so on Apple Silicon it runs under Rosetta 2. For most color work, performance is fine — curves and wheels aren’t heavy operations — but if you’re stacking many layers on 4K or 6K material, give it a test with your typical timeline first.

Can I export LUTs from Color Finale 2 and use them in other software?
Yes. The LUT Utility lets you author and save LUTs. Once saved, you can apply them in other NLEs, cameras, or monitors. It’s a handy way to build a look you can reuse across projects or share with collaborators who don’t have Color Finale.

Set clip color space from Rec. 709 before grading

Before you start grading, take a minute to check these settings. They save you from fighting the default behavior later.

• Check your clip’s color space. Color Finale 2 assumes Rec. 709 by default. If your footage is Log or a flat profile, set the correct input color space in the plug-in’s controls before you start adjusting. Otherwise your wheels and curves won’t behave the way you expect.
• Set a default preset for your project. If you always start with a mild contrast curve or a neutral LUT, save it as a preset. Then you can apply it with one click instead of rebuilding it on every clip.
• Turn off automatic node naming if you don’t need it. When you add a new layer, Color Finale names it “Layer 2,” “Layer 3,” and so on. If you prefer descriptive names, rename them as you go. It makes a difference when you come back to a project a week later.
• Calibrate your monitor. This isn’t a Color Finale setting, but it matters more here than in most plug-ins. If your display isn’t calibrated to a known standard like sRGB or Rec. 709, the grades you apply will look different on other screens. A basic hardware calibrator is worth the money.

Correct base exposure before touching color wheels

Overcorrecting before you’ve set a base exposure.
It’s tempting to jump straight to the color wheels and start shifting hues. But if your clip is underexposed or has a color cast from the camera, correct those first with exposure and white balance. Otherwise the color wheels are working on broken material. Use the curves panel to get the levels right, then grade.

Ignoring the HSL Curves.
The HSL Curves let you target a specific hue and adjust only that range — useful for tweaking a sky without affecting the grass, or pulling a red jacket without changing skin. Beginners often stick to the main curves and miss this tool entirely. Spend ten minutes with it on a clip with strong colors to see what it can do.

Stacking too many layers without naming them.
It’s easy to add layer after layer — a LUT, then curves, then a color wheel adjustment, then another LUT. Before long you have a half-dozen layers and you can’t remember which one does what. Name each layer by its purpose: “Exposure,” “Skin fix,” “LUT — Kodak 2383.” You’ll thank yourself when you need to tweak something later.

Not saving presets.
If you spend time getting a look right for one clip, save it as a preset before moving on. A week later when you need the same grade for a matching scene, you can apply the preset rather than reconstructing it. Beginners tend to treat every clip as a fresh start, which wastes time on repeat work.

Launch background app if the plug-in is missing

The plug-in doesn’t show up in the effects list.
If Color Finale doesn’t appear as a video effect, the background application isn’t running. Quit Final Cut Pro, launch the Color Finale application from your Applications folder, then reopen Final Cut Pro. The effect should appear. If it still doesn’t, check that your macOS is 10.12 or newer and that Final Cut Pro is version 10.7 or newer.

Corrections don’t apply to the timeline.
Occasionally the plug-in shows controls but the image doesn’t change. This usually happens when the clip’s color space doesn’t match the plug-in’s assumption. Open the Color Finale controls in the inspector, find the input color space setting, and set it to match your footage (Rec. 709, Rec. 2020, Log, etc.). The grade should appear immediately.

Presets saved in one project don’t show in another.
Presets are saved globally, but they’re tied to the version of Color Finale you’re running. If you upgrade the plug-in without rebuilding the preset database, old presets might not appear. The fix is to re-save your commonly used presets after a major version update. For minor updates like 2.2.8, presets usually carry over fine.

LUTs I saved look different when applied in another program.
Color Finale 2 authors LUTs based on the color space of the clip you’re grading. If you export a LUT meant for Rec. 709 and apply it to Log footage in another NLE, the result will be off. When you save a LUT, note the source color space in the filename — “Daylight_Rec709.cube” or “SunsetLog.cube” — so you know which footage it’s made for.

The application crashes on launch.
If Color Finale doesn’t open, the most common cause is a permissions issue with the application files. Trash the existing Color Finale application and reinstall from the disk image. Make sure you drag the application into your Applications folder, not a subfolder. On rare occasions, macOS’s security settings block the launch — check System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General to see if it’s been quarantined.

• macOS 10.12 or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon processor
• Final Cut Pro 10.7 or newer (for plug-in operation)